photo by Moose
This past week I went to one of the NCWRC public meetings about the new hunting proposals which I covered in an earlier story. After the proposals for this year were covered they opened the floor up to the public and it gives you a pretty good idea what is on the mind of folks and what could potentially be topics for proposals in future years. You also have to take some of this with a grain of salt because it is easy for a group to organize and have members speak out looking like it is a ground swell
A lot of the public comments were a rehash of proposals that passed last year and were held up before being implemented.
Crossbows
A number of people who identified themselves as bow hunters spoke out against allowing crossbows. To hear these guys talk you’d think that thousands upon thousands of people across the state will pick up crossbows flooding the land with hunters ruining everyone’s experience. I seriously doubt it where most hunters hunt private land anyways how can that impact hunters on neighboring lands? It won’t
Muzzleloading
Adding a second week of Muzzleloader was another delayed proposal that many of the bow hunters opposed. On this many bow hunters requested that this week be tagged on in January after the regular firearm rather than prior to firearm season. My view the public spoke on this last year and it passed with overwhelming support. I see no reason to move it. I agree with a small game hunter who spoke up requesting that the NCWRC not impose any more on their hunting.
Quality Deer Management (QDM)
This is one topic that is not in any of the proposals being held up nor any of the new proposals. There was a number of requests that the NCWRC take a serious look at earn a buck program (hunter would need to kill a doe prior to getting a first or second buck tag) and a few requests for a antler point restriction. I believe this will be a big topic over the next few years as some hunters look to the state to increase trophy opportunities.
Outdoors man need to be involved in shaping the future so please attend one of the public meetings or fill out an electronic form on line.
