Andrew & his roommate “diehardhunter” with a 317lb feral hog

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is conducting public meetings next month to hear public comments about opening up year round night hunting on both hogs and coyotes.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is inviting the public to comment on proposed rules that will allow the hunting of feral swine and coyotes at night with a light.
The proposed seasons would be year-round, and would allow the hunting of feral swine and coyotes on Sundays on private lands with archery equipment. Night hunting is one means of controlling the population of coyotes and feral swine, both of which are non-native to North Carolina.
The public can comment online, email regulations@ncwildlife.org or attend one of the following five public hearings across the state, which will begin at 7 p.m.

March 20, Iredell County Agricultural Extension Center, 444 Bristol Dr. Statesville, N.C.
March 21, District Court #1, Buncombe County Courthouse, 60 Court Plaza Asheville, N.C.
March 26, Bladen County Courthouse, 106 W. Broad Street, Elizabethtown, N.C.
March 28, Room 153, Fulford Building, Pitt Community College, 4381 County Home Rd., Greenville, N.C.
March 29, Centennial Campus Center for Wildlife Education, 1751 Varsity Dr., Raleigh, N.C.

I’m glad to see that the proposal is to allow year round night hunting of these species cause we really don’t need them to get strongly established in this state and hunting at night is one of the most productive methods. So please weigh in and let Wildlife know this is a pretty good idea.

The annual winners of the Wildlife In NC Photo Competition have been announced and once again there are some really great photos. As one who loves photography, especially nature photography, I always look forward to seeing the winning photos. They inspire me and give me some great ideas on how to get some stunning shots my self when I’m out there with my camera.

Hunter shows off the only rabbit we took

Small game season is in full swing here in North Carolina and I jumped at the chance to join some friends as they chased bunnies yesterday near the Cape Fear River. While for many the lack of winter weather around here is a blessing for hunters it has been a curse. Yesterday was the last day of duck season and a pretty dismal season with the unseasonable warm winter we have been having. So I past on the duck hunting and headed out with some rabbit hunters and soon found out the warm weather was having a negative effect on them as well.

The hunting land was some overgrown cut overs that had some of the nicest crop of briars, blackberry bushes and holly I’ve ever seen. My face and arms today show the scars of me trying to push through that stuff to keep up with the dogs. The beagles ran some rabbits but if you weren’t right up on them it was so thick you’d hear the rabbit but never see him. We had a few nice chases and bagged one lone bunny before we called it quits around lunch time. The temperatures by then were close to 60′ and the dogs and us hunters were feeling the terrain and the warm weather.

I got back to the truck and checked my pedometer and saw that I’d covered a little over 6 miles that morning the dogs easily did 3 to 4 times that I’m sure. As I said before hunting success is not only measured in what you bag but the experience you shared.

I’d never hunted with these guys before but I really had a blast. They are a pretty dedicated group of rabbit hunters and hopefully before the season goes out maybe I’ll get out with them again. It would be nice if the weather would turn more seasonable and help things out.

beagles are a great dog to hunt rabbits with

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Game Page

Tundra Swans winter in the eastern part of North Carolina and one of the few places in the country where you can hunt them. One of the largest waterfowl you’ll ever see and a very beautiful bird. Hunting is an important management tool in managing these birds and by having a limited hunt for them allows a small number of them to be taken each year. To be able to hunt them you have to enter a lottery and draw a tag and unfortunately I wasn’t drawn this year.
NCWRC Tundra Swan Page
I did get the opportunity to take my camera and lay out in a muddy field ditch and photograph a hunt this year.

Young Swan lands in the decoy spread

Double Stack

Tundra Swans can be a challenge for the dogs because they are so large

Conman’s Guide Service is who I recommend to go with if you draw a tag and looking for a place to hunt.

Prior to October 1st of this year there was little regulations around the hunting of feral hogs in North Carolina because they were “managed” under the department of agriculture and not Wildlife. That all changed and many of the practices people were using to deal with these feral pests became illegal. Trapping and night hunting were the most effective way for many landowners to deal with this feral critter and the quick switch to Wildlife for regulating them outlawed those two options.

North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has worked hard on remedying these issues by earlier in December passing rules to allow for the trapping of hogs again and now this week authorizing a season for night hunting feral hogs.

Both of these methods require special permits that are available for free on NCWRC Website.

NCWRC sent out a notice for hunters to be on the look out for deer suffering from hemorrhagic disease.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is alerting hunters that they may encounter sick or diseased deer afflicted with hemorrhagic disease. Two closely related viruses — epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) virus and bluetongue virus — cause hemorrhagic disease and both are spread by biting flies, called midges.

The Commission is asking hunters to report any sightings of the disease, which has no human health implications but is one of the most significant infectious diseases of white-tailed deer in North Carolina. Hemorrhagic disease should not be confused with Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which is a distinctly different disease that occurs in members of the deer family. Extensive monitoring since 1999 has yielded no evidence of CWD in North Carolina and strict regulations are in place to prevent the introduction of this disease.

Symptoms of hemorrhagic disease in deer vary widely. Some diseased animals will exhibit no symptoms. Some may appear bloated, very thin and weak, while others suffering from the disease for longer duration may drastically lose weight. They also may have foot, mouth and internal lesions. High fever associated with the disease can make deer thirsty, so dead and dying deer are often found near water. Hunters may observe cracked or sloughing hooves on harvested deer, which is another classic symptom of the disease.

We had a break out a few years ago in Caswell County where I hunt and it knocked down our deer population for a few years. We found a number of dead deer concentrated around water sources.

To report sightings of symptomatic deer, or dead and dying deer, contact the Division of Wildlife Management at (919) 707-0050 or wrccomments@ncwildlife.org.

When people report sightings, it allows Commission biologists to determine what areas of the state are experiencing outbreaks and the extent of those outbreaks. It also gives biologists opportunities to obtain tissue and blood samples for virus isolation by veterinarians at the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study (SCWDS) in Athens, Ga. Reported occurrences are summarized annually and sent to SCWDS where the occurrence and outbreak extent is monitored collectively for all states.

Commission biologists have observed outbreaks of the disease this year in deer across North Carolina — the most prevalent in the northeastern part of the state in and around Halifax, Edgecombe, Northampton, Bertie and Gates counties. Evidence of the disease also was documented in the western part of the state in Cherokee and Yancey counties.

The disease does not pose a threat to humans so hunters should not be concerned about any potential exposure.

Corn popular bait and supplemental feed for deer across the state

The town of Carrboro in an effort to control deer has banned supplemental feeding of them in an effort to reduce their numbers.

The feeding ban comes in response to concerns about the town’s growing deer population and the effect on landscaping, gardens and public safety. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission estimates Orange County has 30 to 44 deer per square mile.

The new ordinance prohibits residents from placing fruits, vegetables, salt and other materials outdoors on public or private property to feed or attract deer. The law does not apply to natural vegetation, crops or feeders used for domestic animals or livestock. The town will give violators 48 hours to remove illegal food or feeding devices before levying a $25 fine.

Read more: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/orangechat/carrboro-bans-deer-feeding#ixzz1chUMoba9

While banning feeding may help as a long term effort the deer population needs to be dropped a bit quicker and hunting is the most cost effective way to do that. There is a group urging town lawmakers to do just that but given the political leanings of Carrboro I’ll be surprised if that flies. Bow hunting is safe and very effective method to kill deer and can be used safely in urban areas.

Then again with no supplemental feeding it will take a long time for the deer to starve to death cause I’m sure landowners are going to keep replacing bushes and flowers that the deer eat.

Getting to use a microscope seemed to be pretty popular

It’s October so it’s got to be time for the state fair. The weather has been pretty spectacular for the most part thus far into the 11 day run. The economy has seemed to have little effect on the attendance and there is plenty of fried things from macaroni & cheese to fried Ho Ho’s to keep a cardiologist happy. In between those deep fried treats and the carnies trying to separate ya from your money with a chance to win an over sized stuffed animal wander down to the NC Wildlife tent. They got an educational exhibit that chances are pretty good your kids will just see as fun.

Visit the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s exhibit at the N.C. State Fair to learn how the Commission uses science and public involvement to conserve wildlife.

The exhibit, located downhill from the Village of Yesteryear, is open to the public 3-8 p.m. on Oct. 13, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Oct. 14-23.

“Fairgoers will learn how Wildlife Commission biologists work with the public to study wildlife across the state. We’ll showcase studies of mourning doves and gopher frogs, black bears and Northern flying squirrels,” said Margaret Martin, field outreach manager for the Commission. “The exhibit has fun, hands-on activities for children and adults alike.”

Visitors to the exhibit can view an electrofishing boat that biologists use to study fish, check out a huge trap used to study bears, and see how scientists determine the age of various animal species.

Visitors also can learn how hunters help the Commission gather data that is used to help manage wildlife, and how biologists use the diversity of aquatic animals to help them evaluate water quality.

As in previous years, visitors can try their hand at the air rifle range and learn about firearms safety from Wildlife Enforcement Officers and Hunter Education Specialists. Buttons featuring this year’s animal – the gopher frog –also will be available.

Scopes for looking under the water

I was pretty impressed at how engaged the kids were with this exhibit and getting to do a lot of hands on fun activities.

People making their way through the tent

So if you plan to head out to the state fair be sure to check out the NC Wildlife Resources exhibit its worth it even if they don’t have anything on a stick or something rolled in batter and deep fried.

A hunter claims he was hassled and handcuffed by a man pretending to be a wildlife officer. Daniel Pittman, 19, says he was hunting on land off Zion road in Rutherford County on Saturday, when a man dressed as a wildlife officer approached him. The man allegedly pointed a gun at him, handcuffed him and placed him in the back of his jeep. Pittman says he saw stains on the seats that resembled blood. Pittman says he was scared for his safety, before the man finally let him go unharmed. The hunter filed a report with the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. They say the man wasn’t an officer and are now looking for a white male in his mid-twenties, 180-190 lbs with brown hair in a military style buzz cut. The man was reportedly driving a 1996 dark Jeep Grand Cherokee. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

WLOS ABC 13 News :: Top Stories – Wildlife Officer Impersonator.

Six and a half feet tall maybe seven feet? Sure does limit your suspect pool significantly. I’ll admit I got some serious questions about this story and wonder if it’s true. I sure hope know one would make up a story like this besides the height and weight that makes me wonder who when confronted by an officer at gun point would remove and reinsert their rifle magazine? The last thing I want to do is do anything that an officer could view as dangerous.
We don’t know what is going on but to be on the safe side make sure if you encounter someone claiming to be a Wildlife officer that you see some ID.

Executive Director Gordon Myers Opens up District 3 Public Hearing

Last evening I attended the NCWRC District 3 public hearing in Rocky Mount about the proposed hunting, fishing and trapping rules for next year. In the past these hearings have taken place in January but the fight over the crossbow a few years ago and the use of the 10 letter rule to delay implementation of rules has lead to an earlier date for public hearings. Turnout was pretty light with about 25 people showing up whether it was the earlier date or the lack of any really controversial rules changes being proposed was unclear. It was probably a combination of both those things but there was ample NCWRC commissioners as well as staff on hand to hear feedback from the public and to answer any questions people might of had.

Most of the discussion that took place was around changes to falconry rules, and there will be an extended meeting on that next week in Raleigh (7pm 28th Sept NCWRC Headquarters Centennial Campus), expanding of the bear season and feral hogs. In regards to the bears the population appears to be increasing and they are expanding their range getting ever closer to some of the major human population areas of the state. This will mean more bear hunting opportunities as additional counties are added to those that already have an established bear season.

Feral hog hunting as of October 1st will be managed and regulated by the NCWRC. These are an evasive specie not native to the state and if left unchecked could do significant harm to other natural resources and wildlife in the state as well as impact agriculture. In the past NCWRC has managed the wild boar in the mountains of North Carolina as of October 1st the wild boar will be classified as feral hog and not reported on a hunters big game report card.

If you missed the district hearings there is still time for you to give the NCWRC feedback on the proposed changes by doing it on line . You have until October 2nd to respond via the internet.

Additionally on the feral hog, anyone hunting them here in North Carolina the Department of Agriculture is interested in getting samples for testing for swine brucellosis.

A free, pre-paid mailer for submitting feral swine samples to the state diagnostic lab for swine brucellosis testing is available by calling the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Veterinary Division, at 919-733-7601.