N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission News Releases

RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 27) – Shop at www.ncwildstore.com this holiday season and help conserve wildlife and their habitats in North Carolina.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s online N.C. Wild Store carries many different products — from books to posters to clothes — that make terrific gifts for hunters, anglers and other wildlife enthusiasts. Best of all, proceeds from each product go to support a correlating wildlife project or program.

For example, proceeds from the 2007 Waterfowl Print and Stamp, “Wood Ducks at Roanoke River Lowgrounds,” ($145) go to the Waterfowl Fund, which supports waterfowl conservation and restoration projects in North Carolina. Proceeds from the John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center 2007 Redbreast Sunfish Stamp and Print ($75) go to support fisheries education programs at the Fayetteville-based center, which opened in September.

The variety of wildlife-related products offered is as diverse as the programs and projects the Commission supports, and new items are added on a continuous basis.

Two publications new for the 2007 holiday season will appeal to nature lovers and wildlife watchers alike. The Adventure Guide to the Triangle ($19.95) is a comprehensive guide that covers all hiking, paddling and bicycling opportunities in the Triangle area, while Afoot in the South – Walks in the Natural Areas of North Carolina ($12.95) describes 18 walking paths through some of the most spectacular natural areas the state has to offer — from the impressive Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in the mountains to the 892-acre Bear Island on the coast where observant visitors may spot a red fox, a white-tailed deer or even a loggerhead turtle coming ashore to lay her eggs.

Turkey hunters will appreciate Bend Over: Shake a Tailfeather ($19.95) by Bill Privette, which provides a humorous look at the trials, pitfalls and miracles of his many turkey hunting adventures and misadventures, while offering tried-and-true hunting techniques to help hunters bag a bird.

Other new products for this holiday season include a camouflage heated headpiece ($29.95) that converts to a face mask, a full hood or a neck gaiter; the ChicoBag ($5), a reusable nylon bag that is a stylish and sustainable alternative to throwaway plastic and paper bags; and a NC Wildlife camouflage cap ($17) featuring the classic “Wildlife” script logo.

In addition to new products, the N.C. Wild Store has available long-time favorites, such as the award-winning magazine, Wildlife in North Carolina ($12 for one year; $30 for three years), and the 2008 Wildlife Calendar ($6), which features 12 months of beautiful wildlife art, a detailed almanac and wildlife-related information and tips.

For anglers, the N.C. Wild Store offers several publications that provide information on where to trout fish in western North Carolina (Trout Fishing Maps book, $12); where and how to bass fish in North Carolina (Bass Fishing in North Carolina, $14.95); and where and how to fish for top light-tackle game fish by small boat (Inshore Angler: Coastal Carolina’s Small Boat Fishing Guide, $19.95).

Birders interested in knowing where to spot a black skimmer or painted bunting, will appreciate The North Carolina Birding Trail – Coastal Plain Guide, ($10) the first part of a three-part series of guides that highlights 102 sites along the Coastal Plain region of the N.C. Birding Trail.

For the budget-conscious shopper, several inexpensive products make ideal stocking stuffers:

For more generous gift-givers, a Lifetime license is a terrific buy-it-once, buy-it-for-a-lifetime gift for any lapsed hunters and anglers who yearn to get back into the woods or on the water. The license, which ranges from $15-675 depending on the age of the licensee, provides a lifetime of hunting and fishing privileges in North Carolina, even if the holder moves out of state. New for 2007 is the lifetime unified sportsman license, which gives the holder hunting, freshwater and saltwater fishing privileges.

“Like other products from the Commission, your purchase of a lifetime license helps fund wildlife conservation efforts that affect everyone,” said Theresa Castro, the agency’s direct sales manager. “Revenue from the sales of lifetime licenses is deposited into the Wildlife Endowment fund — from which only interest is used to pay for programs and projects that benefit fish, wildlife, habitats and people.”

Since 1981, the Commission has spent close to $44 million in interest on these programs and projects. A few of the projects include the construction of three education centers where the public can go to learn more about the state’s wildlife resources; the purchase of thousands of acres of game lands, providing hunting, trapping or fishing opportunities; and the improvement of six fish hatcheries that now raise more than 8 million fish annually for stocking into public, inland waters.

For the person who has everything, an online donation in his or her honor to the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Fund makes a terrific gift and provides crucial support for nongame wildlife — animals that are not hunted or fished — and their habitats in North Carolina, from bog turtles in western North Carolina, to red-cockaded woodpeckers in the Sandhills to loggerhead seaturtles along the coast.

To see all items available for purchase at the Commission’s N.C. Wild Store, visit www.ncwildstore.com.