Western NC Archives - Page 71 of 74

Nearly 400 porcupine fish attractor units are being placed in several western N.C. lakes.

WRC Adds Fish Attractors to Western N.C. Lakes

RALEIGH, N.C. – One of the first projects funded through a habitat enhancement program is currently under way on several lakes in western North Carolina.
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The difference between a bowfin (bottom illustration) and a snakehead fish is shown by examining the anal fin (the fin on the fish’s bottom nearest its tail). A snakehead’s anal fin is more than half the length of its dorsal (top back) fin, while a bowfin’s anal fin is less than half the length of its dorsal fin.

Be on Lookout for Snakehead Fish

From News Reports

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission reminds anglers fishing the Catawba River this year to be on the lookout for snakehead — an exotic, predatory fish that has the potential to expand its range into N.C. waters.
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Davidson’s Dilemma

Richard Bernabe

Ask any dedicated North Carolina fly fisherman about the Davidson River, and you’re likely to get a strongly opinionated reply. […]

Snow Foolin’

Don Rouanzion

He wasn’t looking forward to a six-hour drive through the mountains on slippery, snow-covered roads, but Bryan Shilbett is a dedicated trout fisherman who never fails to show up for opening day of Cherokee’s pay-to-fish trout season. […]

Toothy Subjects

Mike Marsh

It was the perfect day for casting last March.

The sun was bright and there was no wind except a breeze generated by a fast boat moving at planing speed. The water surface was as smooth as glass and the depths below nearly as clear. […]

James W. Balsiger has been appointed as Acting Assistant Administrator for the NMFS.

NOAA Names Balsiger Acting Director for NMFS

From News Reports

James W. Balsiger has been appointed as acting assistant administrator for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service, directing federal scientists and regulators responsible for managing commercial and recreational ocean fishing and the protection of marine mammals, sea turtles and their habitat.
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Squirrel hunters often find a den tree after the leaves have fallen and can slip into hardwood areas before daylight, sit down and pick off bushytails one by one.

Bushytail Lessons

Don Mallicoat

For decades, squirrel hunting has been a rite of passage for young hunters.

A first .22 rifle or shotgun was proudly carried into the woods with dad for that first hunt. […]

Under the regulations for delayed-harvest waters, no fish can be harvested or possessed between Oct. 1, 2007 and one half-hour after sunset on June 6, 2008.

Drought Conditions Reduce Trout Stocking Numbers for October

From News Reports

Because of continued drought conditions in western North Carolina, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will reduce the number of trout scheduled for stocking in delayed-harvest trout waters in October. […]

When a bear climbs a tree, it’s usually a youngster. Older bears sometimes fight pursuing hounds or simply keep walking deeper into the woods.

Plotting for Bears

Don Mallicoat

The tradition extends back in time to when settlers first came to North Carolina’s western mountains.

Today those traditions survive in the names of hollows and creeks in the Blue Ridge; dog breeds such as Plotts, Walkers and Blueticks; and hunters standing near an early morning fire to ward off the chill. […]