Lake Norman is the largest man-made body of fresh water in North Carolina. It has over 500 miles of shoreline and borders four counties: Iredell County, Catawba County, Mecklenburg County, and Lincoln County. It is legal to hunt waterfowl on Lake Norman. However, the laws on discharging firearms differ depending where you are on the lake.
Mecklenburg County and Catawba County both have ordinances that dictate that a duck hunters must be a minimum of 500 feet away from a dwelling or of an outbuilding to lawfully discharge their firearms. Lincoln County and Iredell County do not have an ordinance that establishes a minimum distance hunters must be from a dwelling or outbuilding to discharge their firearms. Since there is no minimum distance in Lincoln or Iredell County, waterfowl hunters are allowed to hunt up to private property’s high-water mark.
If you own a lake front home in Lincoln or Iredell County and are annoyed by waterfowl hunters hunting in the water near your house, there is nothing that can be done other than wait for waterfowl season to end. In Lincoln and Iredell County, as long as the hunters are in the water, they are allowed to hunt there. Tying their boat off to your private dock or setting up a blind on your beach, past the property’s high-water mark, would be trespassing.
It is also worthwhile to mention North Carolina’s “Hunter Harassment” Law. N.C.G.S. § 113-295. Unlawful harassment of persons taking wildlife resources. The law states that “[i]t is unlawful for a person to interfere intentionally with the lawful taking of wildlife resources or to drive, harass, or intentionally disturb any wildlife resources for the purpose of disrupting the lawful taking of wildlife resources.” Violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor punishable for a first conviction by a fine not to exceed $1,000.00, by imprisonment not to exceed 30 days, or by both and punishable for a second or subsequent conviction by a fine left to the discretion of the court.
