Wildlife Resources Commission Makes Conservation Proposals 

RALEIGH, N.C. (Oct. 25, 2006) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has proposed adding nearly 500 acres to the state’s game lands that could be used by youth and disabled hunters; making modifications to bear hunting regulations that clarify the use of bait; as well as presenting two proposals that would affect hunting seasons for wild turkey and bear in specific counties.

All the proposals will be subject to public comment at nine district hearings, to be held across the state in January, before consideration for approval. Comments will also be accepted in writing or by e-mail to the Commission at that time.

The following proposals will be included for public review and comment:

• Bear Baiting: Working with conservation partners, Commission staff drafted revisions to rules that establishes natural food vs. processed food for bait definitions, and sets rules for hunters, and hunting with dogs, within areas that previously had been baited.

• Bear Season: In Beaufort, Camden, Chowan, Craven, Dare, Hyde, Jones, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Tyrrell, and Washington counties, the season would extend from the second Monday in November to the following Saturday and the third Monday after Thanksgiving to the fifth Saturday after Thanksgiving. In Bertie, Currituck, Gates and Perquimans counties the season would extend from the Saturday preceding the second Monday in November to the following Saturday and the third Monday after Thanksgiving to the fifth Saturday after Thanksgiving.

• Spring Wild Turkey Season: In Bladen, Brunswick, Duplin, New Hanover and Pender counties, the season would extend from the first Saturday in April through the Saturday of the fourth week thereafter for bearded or male turkeys on private lands. The spring youth hunt would be the last Saturday in March in those counties. Seasons on game lands in these counties would remain unchanged.
  
  
• Orange County Game Lands: Some 500 acres of land owned by the Orange County Water and Sewer Authority would be added to the Wildlife Resources Commission’s Game Land Program, and would be limited to bow hunting, and a limited number of permitted hunts by youth and disabled sportsmen.
  
  
• Supplemental Feed for Game Birds on Controlled Preserves: This would allow a hunting preserve operator to supplementally feed domestic-raised game birds, such as pheasants, chukar partridges and Hungarian partridges, within the preserve and to hunt in the supplementally fed areas.

Once finalized, the schedule for the nine public hearings will be posted online at www.ncwildlife.org and distributed to media for publication and broadcast.