Why It Matters: Once abundant throughout much of the Eastern United States, Eastern Elk were extirpated from North Carolina by 1800 due to unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. However, thanks to careful science-based wildlife management and sustained and significant investments by sportsmen and women, elk now roam the mountains of Western North Carolina. Through a highly regulated permit management system, North Carolina’s first elk season would present an outstanding conservation funding mechanism and provide a once in a lifetime opportunity for a few lucky hunters.
Highlights:
- Introduced in March of 2025, House Bill 382 (HB 382) would have established an inaugural elk season in North Carolina. CSF submitted written testimony in support of HB 382 in 2025.
- Fast forward to June of 2026, the same language from HB 382 was included in House Bill 747 (HB 747) and subsequently passed both legislative chambers and was signed by Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Josh Stein on July 7.
- HB 747 will allow the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to issue one elk permit by raffle and one by auction for the 2027 hunting season.
Year after year hunters from around the country apply for their dream hunt for a variety of big game species, with the vast majority of folks eyeing trips to the Western United States. However, there are also a handful of once-in-a-lifetime elk tags for hunters to apply for east of the Mississippi River, like Kentucky and Pennsylvania. North Carolina may soon be the next state to offer a once-in-a-lifetime elk hunting opportunity.
HB 747 will allow for one resident elk tag to be issued via a raffle conducted by the NCWRC. Residents will have the option to purchase raffle tickets at $20 per ticket or a maximum of 30 raffle tickets for $500. The NCWRC will be able to retain proceeds from the raffle up to the actual cost of conducting the raffle and additional proceeds shall be deposited into the Wildlife Resources Fund to be used for the conservation and management of elk in North Carolina.
Additionally, HB 747 allows the NCWRC to select one non-profit wildlife conservation organization to conduct an auction for one elk permit. The selected non-profit organization must have been involved in the reintroduction of elk to North Carolina and cannot retain more than 25% of the proceeds from the auction of the elk permit. The remaining proceeds from the permit auction will be deposited into the Wildlife Resources Fund to be used for the conservation and management of elk in North Carolina.
HB 747 also provides the NCWRC with the authority to raffle off additional elk permits based on their evaluation of the state’s elk management goals. Finally, the bill stipulates that at least 50% of all elk permits made available via raffle are for residents of North Carolina.
CSF commends the NCWRC for its incredible efforts to restore elk to the Old North State and further, for taking the initiative to provide hunters with additional big game hunting opportunities. There is no doubt that the raffle and auction will generate a significant amount of conservation funding, which will go directly back into the management of North Carolina’s elk herd proving once again that hunters are America’s premier conservationists.