Proposed Changes to the Hunting, Fishing, Gamelands Rules for 2012-13
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) has published proposed changes to the 2012-13 hunting, fishing, and gamelands rules and has provided the opportunity for public comment on the website below:
https://ncpaws.org/PAWS/WRC/PublicComments/PublicEntry/PublicComments.aspx
When you go to this website, you will be able to access the Public Hearings Booklet for your ready reference to all the proposed changes along with the justification for each proposal. The Booklet contains much valuable information about the agency, its rulemaking procedures, the schedule of public hearings across the state, the proposed rule changes, and a calendar for seasons as proposed for the 2012-13 seasons.
There are 26 proposed changes to the fishing rules ranging from changes to designated trout waters in the mountains, for largemouth and striper fishing, to allow cross bows to take nongame fish statewide, and to establish primary nursery areas in some inland waters of coastal areas.
There are 29 proposed changes to the hunting and gamelands rules including extending some either sex deer hunting seasons and opening new areas or lengthening bear hunting seasons both in the mountains and coastal plain counties. Also proposed are changes to the rules to allow hunting feral swine year around without limit or reporting, allow possession of handguns under concealed carry permits on gamelands, authorize use of a 22 caliber rim-fire handgun to dispatch wounded deer under the new law for retrieval of game. One proposal seeks comment on opening the Sherwood and Harmon Den Bear Sanctuary to raccoon, opossum, and bobcat hunting. Another proposal asks for comment on the extension of deer hunting with muzzle loader firearms and bow and arrow on Sandhills Gamelands from the third Monday after Thanksgiving week through January 1.
Plan to attend the public hearings in the area nearest to you in September; but, you may also want to review the proposals and comment on the ones that you support or oppose using this convenient, on-line tool offered by the WRC.
NC Camo Coalition is a project of the NC Wildlife Federation.