I will soon be moving back to North Carolina. This time I will be living in the far western portion of the state – initially near Hayesville, with a final resting place most likely in the Hayesville-Waynesville-Brevard triangle. When I lived in NC the first time (in Charlotte) I would make frequent trips to the mountains and would often see groundhogs on the side of the road. I searched for info on western NC varmint hunting, but did not come up with anything useful. What is available for hunting? Can you hunt coyotes, fox, and crows all year long? How plentiful are the groundhogs? How difficult is it to obtain hunting access for varmints?

I have a custom sporter-weight .223 and recently picked up a light-weight .22 Hornet. I am more interested in walking type varmint hunting, as opposed to long range sniping.

Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

I live at Waynesville while in college several years ago. They had some groundhogs; not alot of fields in that area though. Should have several coyotes and getting alot of hogs down there. No closed season on coyotes, not sure about the hogs though. Fox are regulated county by county so you better check the regs. Crow season is (I think) Wednesday, Friday, Saturday from around the first of June through February, including most Holidays.

Shouldn't be too hard to get permission for groundhogs on some of the farms. Lots of woods and few fields in that area.

Lots of great fly fishing for Trout in the creeks and Muskie fishing on the French Broad River.

God Bless, Louis

Louis, I heard ther are no groundhogs left in western NC!! GHD