The North Carolina chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation has had a long and successful partnership with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Since 2016, we have been able to deepen this already great partnership through the fundraising support of our members throughout the state. Our relationships with Commission staff across the state have allowed us to make huge strides toward our state goals under our “Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt Initiative”. The three legs of this initiative . . . READ MORE

Tier III hunts are Commission-facilitated and assisted hunts that are held annually on a game land within each region. These hunts, which require a permit and orientation, offer unique hunting opportunities for disabled hunters and their companions. Hunts are conducted on Lower Roanoke River Wetlands, Johns River and R. Wayne Bailey-Caswell game lands each fall. READ MORE

The recovery of the wild turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, is one of North Carolina’s greatest wildlife success stories. But it was a long road to get our wild turkey population back to its current level. Wild turkeys were historically plentiful in our state, but unregulated hunting and large-scale deforestation caused their population to plummet in the early 1900s. Early recovery efforts were undertaken from 1928–1946, which involved releasing pen-raised birds and eggs into the wild. Unfortunately, those birds weren’t accustomed to predators and extreme weather conditions. The birds perished, and the wild turkey population continued to crash. READ MORE

Earlier this year, wildlife commissioners approved three regulations that redefined youth as “anyone under 18 years old” for the purpose of allowing youth to participate in the youth-only hunting and fishing seasons. As we begin the youth turkey season for 2017, some constituents have expressed confusion as to whether or not these new regulations apply immediately. 

To be clear, the new regulations regarding the definition of youth do not go into effect until Aug. 1, 2017. READ MORE

Each year, hunters hear turkeys gobbling prior to the opening of the spring gobbler season and express interest in opening the season earlier. As a result, managers are often pressured to set earlier opening dates for spring gobbler seasons. But, according to Kennamer’s research published in 2006, “the consequences of early hunting seasons may create scenarios that harm turkeys and turkey hunting more than hunters realize.” The whole premise of a spring gobbler season — of it being biologically sound to hunt gobblers in the spring — is based upon harvesting birds after breeding has occurred. Gobblers play no part in nesting or brood rearing. Their role is breeding. After breeding, they are not vital to the incubation and brood-rearing phases of reproduction and many can be harvested without negatively impacting the population. The onset of nesting is widely cited as an important, biologically based criterion for setting opening dates for spring...