N. C. Wildlife News Brief - 03/19/2012

HUNTING

Let Us Know What You Think About Night Hunting

There’s still time to share your opinion about proposed rules that will allow the hunting of feral swine and coyotes at night with a light. Public hearings are scheduled for this week and next week, or you can comment online.

The proposed seasons would be year-round, seven days a week.  All hunting on Sundays is allowed only on private lands and only with archery equipment. Night hunting is one means of controlling the population of coyotes and feral swine, both of which are non-native to North Carolina. Currently, there is no closed season on either species, but hunting them at night is not allowed. If approved, the new regulations would take effect August.

The public can email regulations@ncwildlife.org or attend one of the following five public hearings across the state, which will begin at 7 p.m.

     
  • March 20, Iredell County Agricultural Extension Center, 444 Bristol Dr., Statesville, N.C.
  • March 21, District Court #1, Buncombe County Courthouse, 60 Court Plaza, Asheville, N.C.
  • March 26, Bladen County Courthouse, 106 W. Broad Street, Elizabethtown, N.C.
  • March 28, Room 153, Fulford Building, Pitt Community College, 4381 County Home Rd., Greenville, N.C.
  • March 29, Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education, 1751 Varsity Dr., Raleigh, N.C
Wild Turkey Season

Wild Turkey Season opens April 14 and ends May 12. Youth Day is April 7. For regulations and other information, see the 2011-12 Regulations Digest.

Be sure to report your harvest by going to www.ncwildlife.org and clicking on “Report Big Game Harvest” or calling 1-800-I-GOT-ONE.

 

FISHING

Roanoke River Fishing Report Has Begun

With striped bass season on the Roanoke River now under way, the Roanoke River Fishing Report has begun, and will be posted on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Conserve & Protect blog each week on Thursday mornings until the last of the stripers have headed back downriver to Albemarle Sound and the ocean — usually sometime around mid-May. Bookmark the Conserve & Protect blog on your computer to catch the latest fishing information from one of the best rivers on the East Coast to fish for migratory shad and striped bass.

Hatchery-Supported Trout Waters Open April 7 

Another item to mark on your calendars, especially for trout anglers, is the opening of approximately 1,100 miles of hatchery-supported trout waters in 25 counties at 7 a.m. on April 7. While fishing on hatchery-supported trout waters, anglers can harvest a maximum of seven trout per day, with no minimum size limits or bait restrictions. The season runs until March 1, 2013. Find out where to fish by downloading a trout fishing map for each county. These maps give anglers a guide to fishing regulations in effect on specific streams. They also provide locations of all waters open to public trout fishing.

Contact Us

Boat Registration
For vessel registration/renewal inquiries contact vessels@ncwildlife.org
Licenses
For general license and lifetime license inquiries contact licenses@ncwildlife.org
Other
For enforcement, hunting/boating saftey, boading access areas, fisheries or wildlife management questions, Web site and/or other question or comments email wrcomments@ncwildlife.org

NEWS AND EVENTS

Stay Connected to Wildlife — Even Indoors

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Give to Wildlife this Tax Season

It’s tax season, and you can help conserve North Carolina’s nongame and endangered wildlife species by simply checking a box.

By checking line 28 on your North Carolina State Income Tax form this year, you can help the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission fund research, conservation and monitoring projects that benefit animals not hunted or fished.   

For more information, see

Check Line 28 on State Income Tax Form to Help North Carolina’s Wildlife Flourish.

Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Big Weekend

A weekend of outdoors activities tailored to women is set for April 13-15, at the Eastern 4-H Conference Center in Columbia, N.C. There will be expert instruction on a wide array of activities on the water, in the field and by the campfire. Cost is $225 per person, which covers a choice of four outdoor skills sessions, all program materials and use of equipment, plus meals and lodging. Amenities include climate-controlled living quarters, private showers and dining hall. Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org.

Youth Tournaments Coming Up

The 34th annual Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament will be held April 28 at the Millstone 4-H Center near Ellerbe. This is the state championship for youth shooting sports, with senior (high school) and junior (middle and elementary schools) divisions.  Fans and spectators are welcome to attend. Learn more at www.ncwildlife.org.