RALEIGH, N.C. (August 12, 2010) – Landowners who own cropland and are interested in improving wildlife habitat can now apply for the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) under a time-limited “General” sign-up. The program provides landowners with financial assistance for wildlife habitat establishment and offers rental payments to offset income lost from reduced agricultural production on their property. A General CRP sign-up is underway for cropland which has been designated as “Highly Erodible” and has an official cropping history for at least four years between 2002 and 2007.  “This sign-up represents one of the best opportunities to significantly increase early-successional habitat acres across the state, providing habitat for wildlife species that require this specialized successional stage,” said Mark Jones, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Supervising Wildlife Biologist fo

RALEIGH, N.C. (August 11, 2010) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reminding residents that foxes sighted in urban and suburban settings are not necessarily rabid or dangerous, and residents can take a few simple steps to avoid conflict with the animals. Simply seeing a fox is not a cause for alarm. Catching a glimpse of one can actually be a rewarding experience in that it provides an opportunity to witness one of North Carolina’s most adaptable species. However, people still should not approach foxes or fox dens, even if they seem harmless. If the fox makes a den for pups, do not disturb them. Do not approach, touch or feed the fox or its pups. In most cases, citizens that simply see a fox do not need to take any action. However, some action might be necessary in situations where foxes have become habituated to people.  In those scenarios, people can and should take steps, such as yelling, banging pots and pans and setting off legal firewor

RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug.  10, 2010) – Participants and teams from North Carolina dominated the 25th annual International Youth Hunter Education Challenge in both the senior and junior categories. Tar Heel competitors took first and third place in both junior and senior individual categories, first place in the junior team category and third place in the senior team category. The silver anniversary event, hosted by the National Rifle Association, was held July 26-30 at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. The Youth Hunter Education Challenge is a demanding week-long series of events, featuring shooting competition in .22-caliber rifle and muzzleloader at knock-down targets, shotgun on a sporting clays course and archery at three dimensional game targets. A non-shooting component consists of orienteering, wildlife identification, a written hunter responsibility and ethics exam, and a hunter safety trail test. “With results like this, it is easy to see w

BATH, N.C. (Aug. 10, 2010) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission kicked off work on a Beaufort County Boating Access Area during a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning, Aug 5. The 6-acre site was donated by PotashCorp-Aurora. When complete, the Boating Access Area will have two boat-launch lanes and 30 parking spaces. “We are grateful to PCS Phosphate for this generous donation,” said Erik Christofferson, chief of the Commission’s Division of Engineering Services. “When we receive a donation like this, it allows our operational funds for boating access to go further in providing the public with more opportunities for recreation on North Carolina’s waters.” The groundbreaking was attended by personnel from Potash Corp-Aurora, along with Gordon Myers, executive director of the Commission, Commissioner Mitch St. Clair and North Carolina Rep. Arthur Williams. “On behalf of PotashCorp-Aurora,

RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 3, 2010) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is reminding hunters to give some pre-season thought to hunting safety, especially for tree stands — the portable, elevated platforms typically used for deer hunting.   It may seem counterintuitive at this time of year, but tree stand safety is important at times other than hunting season. “Unfortunately, every year there are a number of tree stand accidents with injury before deer season even opens,” said Travis Casper, state assistant hunter education coordinator. “We need hunters to think about and practice tree stand safety all the time, not just during hunting season.” If you are scouting a location and putting up your tree stand, even on a trial basis, use the same precautions you would during hunting season: Wear a full body safety harness Maintain three points of contact when climbing Follow manufacturer instructions Have an eme