Commission cuts spotlighting section of depredation proposals in Nov. 8 meeting
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission backed off several of its proposed changes to hunting, fishing and trapping regulations, voting to table one controversial proposal and altering several before approving them at the Nov. 8 meeting.
The Commission tabled a far-reaching proposal that would have made it much easier to move pen-raised deer within the state and into the state from others, opting instead to form a task force with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and several stakeholder groups to look at the state’s regulation of pen-raised deer in view of the ever-broadening scope of Chronic Wasting Disease.
The Commission also cut out one section of a proposal that would ease restrictions on landowners’ ability to remove wildlife in the act of depredation. The Commission voted down a proposal that would have allowed hunters to use lights to take deer in the act of depredation without a permit, while letting stand a proposal that would remove the limit on deer that could be removed, as long as they were taken in the act of depredation. It also allows landowners who remove game animals in the act of depredation to keep the meat for personal use.
The Commission voted to set up a 6-day Youth-Only spring turkeys to replace the one day of youth-only hunting currently in effect. The season will begin the first Saturday in April and close the following Friday. Also, adult hunters are allowed to accompany more than one youth hunter during the season.
Changes will become effective for 2013-14, with the exception of a youth-only wild-turkey season, which will become effective in 2013.
Voted down was a proposal to change a portion of the Nantahala River on game lands from wild-trout to wild-trout/natural bait waters. Approved was a proposal slightly altered that prohibits horses on the Perkins Game Lands between Nov. 1 and Jan. 1 to reduce possibility horse-hunter conflicts.
A proposal to remove 6.8 miles of Yellow Creek in Graham County from public trout waters was amended to maintain the lower 1.8 miles of the creek as hatchery supported trout waters.
The Commission established an 18-inch size minimum and 5-fish daily creel limit on walleye on John H. Kerr Reservoir, Lake Gaston and Roanoke Rapids Lake.
Four counties – Stokes, Surry, Watauga and Wilkes – will have open seasons for fox squirrels in 2013-14.
