• Archery: Western season: Sept. 13-Oct. 9 and Oct. 18-Nov. 20; Northwestern season: Sept. 11-Nov. 12; Central season: Sept. 11-Nov. 5; Eastern season: Sept. 11-Oct. 08.
• Muzzleloader: Western season: Oct. 11-16; Northwestern season: Nov. 13-19; Central season: Nov. 6-12; Eastern season: Oct. 9-15.
• Youth/disabled: N/A.
• Firearm: Western Season: Nov. 22-Dec. 11; Northwestern Season: Nov. 20-Dec. 18; Central Season: Nov. 13-Jan. 1; Eastern Season: Oct. 16-Jan. 1.
• Special antlerless: N/A.

Resident license fees: $30.

Nonresident license fees: $80 for six-day license; $120 for annual license.

Bag limit: Six per season, but only two per day. Only two antlered deer may be taken in those areas in the Western Season, Northwestern Season, and those areas in the Central Season where hunting with dogs is not allowed. Four antlered deer may be taken in the Eastern Season and those areas in the Central Season where hunting with dogs is allowed.

Hunter/bowhunter education required? Hunter safety education is required. Bowhunter safety education is not, but some materials are covered in the hunter education course.

Population for 2004: 1.0 to 1.1 million deer.

Season forecast: Most sportsmen and sportswomen should expect a typical hunting season this year according to North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission biologist Evan Stanford.

Why? Well, the Tar Heel State's top two highest deer harvests have occurred in two out of the last three seasons (the highest was in 2001, the second highest was in 2003), and Stanford expects another strong harvest for the 2004/2005 season.

Although the statewide deer harvest has been up for most areas of the state, an exception can be found in the Northeastern and Central Coast Plain. The deer herd in these areas experienced quite a bit of hemorrhagic disease activity in 2002 according to Stanford, which may have resulted in 20 percent or more mortality in these areas.

Also, for the 2003 season, the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel may have contributed to the reduced harvest in these areas. Damage in many forested areas made some areas in this portion of the state difficult to hunt. Also, many sportsmen/women were spending time recovering from the hurricane and not spending as much time as usual in the field pursuing deer.

Expectations are that the harvest should increase in this portion of the state and that on the whole, North Carolinian deer hunters should have a pretty normal hunting season this autumn - barring another hurricane, that is.

2003 harvest: 134,507 total (76,459 antlered bucks; 6,844 button bucks; and 51,204 does).

Bow harvest: 8,652 total (3,901 antlered bucks; 318 button bucks; and 4,433 does).

Muzzleloader harvest: 13,124 total (8,654 antlered bucks; 518 button bucks; and 3,952 does).

Firearm harvest: 112,731 total (63,904 antlered bucks; 6,008 button bucks; 42,819 does).

Number of licensed deer hunters: 195,000.

Deer hunter success rates: Unknown.

Number of bowhunters: Unknown.

Bowhunter success rates: Unknown.

Number of muzzleloader hunters: Unknown.

Muzzleloader success rates: Unknown.

Number of firearm hunters: 195,000.

Firearm success rates: Unknown.

Top counties/regions: (For quantity), the Upper Coastal Plain and Piedmont. For quality, the northern Piedmont.

Top public-hunting spots: Uwharrie Game Land (Davidson, Montgomery, and Randolph counties); Butner-Falls of Neuse Game Land (Durham, Granville, and Wake counties); and Croatan Game Land (Carteret, Craven, and Jones counties).

Testing conducted for chronic wasting disease: Biologists in North Carolina sent samples from 1,481 samples during 2003/2004 surveillance season. Some 1,451 samples came back with no evidence of the disease. Seven samples were too deteriorated to test. Results are still pending on the remaining 30 samples according to Stanford.

Units/areas that tested positive for chronic wasting disease: N/A (None to date, though test results on 30 samples are still pending).

State record typical: 181 7/8 (Guilford County in 1987).

State record non-typical: 228 4/8 (Person County in 1998).

State record archery typical: 165 4/8 (Rockingham County in 1995).

State record archery non-typical: 166 1/8 (Forsyth County in 1998).

More information: Log onto the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission's Web site at www.ncwildlife.org or call (919) 733-7291. To report a poacher, call (800) 662-7137.

Did you know? One additional day was added to the Modern Gun Season in the Northwestern Season. The season has been extended to include the Saturday that followed the previous Friday-closing date … The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has a number of permit hunt opportunities on Game Lands throughout the state. See the publication titled "Special Hunt Opportunities in North Carolina" available at licensing agents or by calling (919) 733-7291 to request a copy. The publication is also available on the agency's Web site at www.ncwildlife.org … Can you believe it? North Carolina's deer herd was estimated at a mere 10,000 whitetails back in 1900 … Want to figure out the whitetail rut in North Carolina? Well, good luck! Biologists with the North Carolina WRC have documented whitetail breeding in the state in every month except April, May, June and July … Generally speaking, however, the peak of the Tar Heel rut in the Lower Coastal Plain occurs the last week in October; in the Upper Coastal Plain, the peak takes place in the first week in November; in the Piedmont and Foothills, it is the third week of November; and in the North Carolina mountains, the peak of the rut generally occurs during the first week in December.