Stone's Creek Game Land will have waterfowl impoundment rules for the first time this season, but no permits. Holly Shelter's impoundments will have no permit or quota restrictions. The waterfowl areas on these game lands will be open for hunting Tuesdays, Saturdays and holidays.

Currituck Banks Game Land has four blinds on property owned by the commission. The blinds are Water Lily, Spot, Parkers Bay and Southeast Island. There are also nine blinds at Currituck NWR under the same permit management as the commission blinds.

"We administer the Currituck NWR hunts just as we administer the Mattamuskeet NWR hunts," Howell said. "You can bring two guests if you are drawn and there is a standby list for blinds in the event someone doesn't show up for their hunting date. The check-in station is at Knotts Island Market. At Currituck, we don't advise people to come without being properly equipped, and there is a check-in at Mattamuskeet and Currituck. At Currituck, a lot of guides go for those open blinds. At Mattamuskeet, there is usually a waiting list the morning of any hunt."

Howell said the Currituck hunts are among the most difficult in terms of access. The water is shallow, muddy and the water level declines during a north wind.

"It's a tough place to hunt if you are not familiar with the area," he said. "It's no place for a 16-foot johnboat with a 25-horsepower motor. You need at least a 17- to 20-foot shallow draft skiff. It's big water and some places are a 30-minute ride. Spot and Water Lily are fairly easy to access. But I've had some interesting times getting to Parkers Bay and Southeast Island. We provide GPS coordinates for all the Currituck blinds. They are all brushed blinds and are comfortable once you get to them."

White Oak River Game Land must be accessed by boat. Some of the closer impoundments to the launching areas can be reached with small boats. But the larger water body areas, such as the Pamlico Point impoundment, must be accessed with at least a 20-foot boat. Other impoundments that require boats include Campbell's Creek, the Horseshoe Lake unit at Suggs Millpond and Rhodes Pond, where internal combustion motors are prohibited. Along the Roanoke River, some parts of the bottomlands away from the impoundments can be accessed by boat. North River Game Land has a waterfowl impoundment that has easy access and is under permit management.

In the Piedmont, Jordan and Harris are not impoundments per se, but are large lakes managed subject to the commission's impoundment rules with no permits required. Jordan is open Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and some holidays, and Harris is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and some holidays.

Butner Falls is open three days per week. It has some walk-in areas open for general hunting and a few permit areas. Knap of Reed, Brickhouse Road, Little River, Patterson Road and Highway 98 units are open to general hunting with no permits required, while Beaver Dam, Flat River, Butner Depot and Bluff units require permits.

Jordan and Harris are large lakes. They require no quotas or permits for hunting but are limited to hunting three days per week. Jordan hunts are restricted to Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and holidays. Harris hunts are restricted to Tuesdays, Fridays and holidays. Caswell Game Land had one small impoundment. But a new one will be open for the first time this season. The Brumly impoundment should create more opportunity for Caswell hunters. Caswell has permit-only waterfowl hunts.

Second Creek Game Land in Rowan County has permit hunts. It has a small impoundment and all waterfowl hunting is restricted to the impoundment except for Canada goose hunting.