Archery Program for Public Schools Expands in North Carolina
October 6, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. – After a successful pilot phase in North Carolina, the National Archery in the Schools Program is now being expanded statewide.
The program is being offered through physical education classes for grades 4-12 in public schools. Students aim at bulls-eye targets in a gym, with special backdrops and safety restraints, in Olympics-style archery.
“Students maintain an interest because archery is exciting and fun,” said Travis Casper with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, and the National Archery in the Schools coordinator for North Carolina. “Teachers like it because it builds math skills, teaches history and culture, stresses responsibility and encourages social interaction.”
The National Archery in the Schools Program is based on a safety curriculum, with adjustable equipment that allows students in wheelchairs to participate alongside athletes, and puts boys and girls of varying physiques on an equal playing field.
“The archery program, as a part of the regular physical education curriculum here, has had a huge impact,” said Dave Edwards, coach and physical fitness instructor at Gates County High School, one of the first schools involved in the program in North Carolina. “It gives a student who may not be a standout on a varsity sports teams the chance to take pride in themselves and in their school.”
To learn about getting the National Archery in the Schools Program for your school, call (919) 707-0337 for more information.
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Organizations in N.C. Can Now Reserve Huntmaster Lifts Online
October 6, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has set up a Web site where organizations can reserve a mobile hunting lift for structured disabled special-needs hunting events.
The ten Huntmaster lifts – acquired cooperatively through efforts by the N.C. Handicapped Sportsman and the NCWRC – can also be used for wildlife viewing, and are located at NCWRC depots across the state.
The site allows those wanting to use a Huntmaster to determine if one is available on the day of their event, and to fill out and submit an application form. The Web site also provides an operators manual for the lifts, depot locations, and vehicle requirements for towing the Huntmaster.
To access the site “Huntmaster Hunt Unit”, click here
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The Huntmaster hunter-green lifts feature solar panels to keep them powered during long hunting trips. The lifts provide a fully-enclosed hunting compartment with leveling stabilizers, a roof, windows and a bench for comfort. The Huntmaster can lift up to 750 pounds to a height of 20 feet.
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North Carolina, South Carolina Agree to Jocassee Gorges Access Solution
September 8, 2008
Agencies in North Carolina and South Carolina have agreed on a solution to the problem of accessing the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area at Jocassee Gorges through North Carolina.
The Jocassee Gorges was purchased by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 1998, and certain sections can only be legally accessed over roads in North Carolina. The South Carolina DNR secured an easement across certain roads to ensure public access in 1998. In 1999, the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources bought the property that supports those roads and established Gorges State Park.
South Carolina DNR and the N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources have differed in opinion as to how the easement roads will be managed and used by the public.”This was a tough situation, where we want to be good neighbors, protect the environment, yet use the privileges we secured for public access at the same time,” said Mark Hall, South Carolina DNR Jocassee Gorges project manager. “With help from Duke Energy, which also has a vested interest in the road system, we’ve finally worked out an arrangement we can all live with.”
Access to Crossroads Mountain for the fall and winter of 2008 will be on the old Auger Hole Road, which starts on Frozen Creek Road, at the North Carolina Gorges State Park’s Frozen Creek access point in Transylvania County, N.C., near the town of Rosman. The Auger Hole gate and road will remain open until Gorges State Park completes construction activities at its main entrance, near Sapphire on NC Highway 281. Once construction is complete at the Sapphire location, permanent access will then be provided from the point on NC Highway 281, through Gorges State Park and down Grassy Ridge Road.
Visitors will be required to abide by North Carolina Parks’ regulations and may not stop or leave their vehicles until they reach North Carolina Game Lands at Turkey Pen Gap. Hunters must have guns cased. After reaching Turkey Pen Gap, visitors can travel west about one-half mile on Auger Hole Road, then south on Bear Creek Road to South Carolina’s Crossroads Mountain.
Interested visitors may contact South Carolina DNR’s Mark Hall at (864) 878-9071 or North Carolina’s Gorges State Park at (828) 966-9099.
DNR protects and manages South Carolina’s natural resources by making wise and balanced decisions for the benefit of the state’s natural resources and its people.
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Canoes and Kayaks Do Not Need Throwable Flotation Device
August 28, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. (Aug. 28, 2008) – In an effort to bring North Carolina into compliance with federal regulations for recreational boating, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is currently preparing modifications to personal flotation device (PFD) requirements.
In state waters, canoes and kayaks do not and will not need a Type IV PFD, approved throwable flotation devices commonly known as ring buoys or buoyant cushions.
These modifications will clarify compliance so that:
Canoes and kayaks 16 feet in length and over would be exempt from carrying a Type IV PFD. Canoes and kayaks under 16 feet in length already are exempt from carrying a Type IV PFD.
Sailboards, racing shells, rowing sculls, racing canoes and racing kayaks would be exempt from requirements to carry any Type PFD.
In North Carolina, a personal flotation device is required for everyone onboard a vessel on the water. Both state and federal regulations require that a Type I, II or III PFD in good condition and of appropriate size be accessible for each person onboard. That includes canoes, kayaks, rowboats and other non-motorized vessels. Children younger than 13 are required to wear a properly-fitted, U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD whenever the vessel is underway.
While these regulations are being updated, only previously applicable laws will be enforced by Wildlife Officers.
For more information on free boating education courses or safety and requirements, go to www.ncwildlife.org or call (919) 707-0031.
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Kids Wildlife Art Exhibit Comes to N.C. Museum of Art
August 18, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. – An exhibition that is truly wild is coming to the N.C. Museum of Art.
The one-time exhibit “Kids Wildlife Art Competition” will open on Tuesday, Aug. 19 and close on Nov. 23. It features artwork by winners and selected honorable mention recipients from a juried contest for youth, held earlier this year by Wildlife in North Carolina magazine and the Museum of Art.
Children, kindergarten through eighth grade, were eligible to enter an image of a wild animal native to the state. A total of 3,365 did just that, with a variety of reptiles, birds, insects and mammals depicted in drawings, paintings and mosaics.
Winning art will be featured in a 2009 calendar, which will be available for sale in September in the Museum of Art store and online at www.ncwildstore.com.
Admission to the N.C. Museum of Art is free. Visit www.ncartmuseum.org for more information and directions.
Wildlife in North Carolina is the award-winning monthly magazine published by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. To view a sample issue online and for more information, click here.
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New Striped Bass and Mountain Trout Regulations Go into Effect July 1
June 19, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. (June 18, 2008)– New regulations affecting striped bass anglers fishing in eastern North Carolina rivers and trout anglers fishing in public mountain trout waters will go into effect July 1.
Two striped bass regulations, which were developed jointly by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries, are designed to conserve spawning stock by reducing harvest and catch-and-release mortality.
The first regulation prohibits the harvest of striped bass in the inland and joint fishing waters of the Cape Fear River and its tributaries year-round. The second regulation reduces the daily creel limit to two fish, prohibits harvest of fish between 22 and 27 inches in length and establishes an Oct. 1 to April 30 harvest period for the inland and joint fishing waters of the Tar-Pamlico, Neuse and Pungo rivers and other rivers and waters in the Coastal Plain, except the Roanoke River/Albermarle Sound striped bass management area and the Cape Fear River.
Electrofishing surveys conducted since 1994 in the Neuse and Tar rivers and 2003 in the Cape Fear River indicate excessive striped bass mortality rates. Estimates of fishing mortality in these waters have greatly exceeded the rate necessary for population growth and sustainability and striped bass populations are well below their potential. Although fish larger than 27 inches in length are found occasionally, the population is dominated by younger, smaller fish. Surveys found that these smaller fish quickly drop out of the population in subsequent years.
The protective slot limit of 22 to 27 inches will protect 5- to-8-year old sexually maturing female striped bass and the 7-month harvest season will concentrate harvest during cooler months when water temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit and catch-and-release mortality is relatively low.
“By avoiding harvest during the primary spawning month of May, when water temperatures begin to exceed 70 degrees, we hope to provide maximum protection to the spawning populations, ensuring the longer-term viability of North Carolina’s striped bass fisheries,” said Bob Curry, chief of the Commission’s Division of Inland Fisheries.
A new regulation that will affect anglers fishing in public mountain trout waters clearly defines what types of lures are allowable when trout fishing on waters that require anglers to use only artificial lures. As of July 1, natural bait will be defined as any living or dead organism (plant or animal) or prepared substance designed to attract fish by taste or smell, while artificial lures will be defined as bait that neither contains nor has been treated with any substance that attracts fish by the sense of taste or smell.
The regulation does not prohibit the use of unscented or untreated soft plastic baits, and it does not affect trout fishing in “Hatchery-Supported” or “Wild Trout/Natural Bait” Trout Waters.
Several factors led to the implementation of this new regulation: the 2006 repeal of the legislation that defined natural bait; angler confusion over the classification of flavored and scented baits and biologists’ concerns about the increased catch-and-release mortality attributed to attractant baits.
“With new attractant lures coming on the market every year and no definition of what comprised natural bait and artificial lures in the North Carolina statutes or regulation digest, anglers have had a lot of questions,” Curry said. “This rule change allows people to clearly distinguish between natural and artificial lures.”
Originally, artificial lure requirements were implemented on certain trout streams to minimize catch-and-release angling mortality, a requirement that is particularly important in delayed-harvest streams where each stocked trout is expected to be captured and released multiple times during the 8-month catch-and-release period.
The use of natural bait-mimicking substances has become increasingly popular on delayed-harvest streams and other artificial lures-only waters, and research suggests that these baits can lead to increased catch-and-release hooking mortality because of deep-hooking wounds. Deep-hooking wounds usually result when trout ingest bait deep into the esophagus or stomach.
The new rule defining natural bait and artificial lures received widespread public support during the Commission’s public hearings in January. Also, a 2007 survey of resident trout anglers indicated that more anglers opposed (44 percent) the use of artificial bait substances in delayed-harvest waters than supported it (33 percent).
For more information on these new regulations, click here. Also available for free download is the 2008-2009 North Carolina Inland Fishing, Hunting, & Trapping Regulations Digest.
For more information on fishing in the state’s public, inland waters, visit the Commission’s Web site or call the Division of Inland Fisheries, (919) 707-0220.
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North Carolina Saltwater Fishing Reports - 6/1/2008
June 1, 2008
Northern District Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore anglers are still catching plenty of yellowfin and blackfin tuna, along with some nice dolphin in the 30 to 40 lb. range. Wahoo, little tunny, amberjack, Atlantic bonito, and assorted sharks were also caught in. Billfish catches have increased somewhat.  Mid-range anglers continue to have success with striped bass and red drum in the 1.5 to 2-mile range in a concentrated area from Kitty Hawk southward to Pea Island. A few bluefish and weakfish were also caught in this same area. Inshore anglers continue to have success with plenty of bluefish and nice spotted seatrout in the near-shore surf zone (when they are accessible).
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Spotted seatrout continue to be the primary target of most anglers in these waters, with specimens of 3 to 4 lbs. being common. Oregon Inlet has yielded the bulk of them in the early morning hours, and again at dusk. The Melvin Daniels “Little Bridge” has also been a promising spot for both spotted seatrout and red drum. Flounder catches have improved throughout the area (sound, inlets, bays) with most specimens being legal size.Â
Piers/Shore: Bluefish have been most prevalent, with 1.5 to 2 lb. specimens being caught throughout the day with little effort. Spotted seatrout, croaker, kingfish, silver perch, and assorted sharks and rays have all been caught with increased regularity. Cobia have been caught off all the local piers during late evening and nigh time hours..Â
General Overview: Water temperatures in the surf continue to fluctuate in the lower 60s throughout the Outer Banks with favorable weather conditions allowing anglers to participate in all modes of fishing with moderate-good success rates. Conditions are predicted favorable for the coming week.   Â
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Central District Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Last week, someone said “even anglers that don’t know how to fish are catching dolphin.”  Dolphin and Spanish mackerel are the prime catch around here. Spanish are thick from the Cape Lookout area, down to the Sheraton Pier. They are in Beaufort and Bogue Inlets and off the beaches and piers of Topsail Island . Headboats are catching lots of triggerfish, and a few black sea bass and vermillion snapper. There have also been a few American red snapper along with some good-sized groupers. Bluefish are everywhere.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Speckled trout are in the rivers. Redfish are still hiding in the creeks and marshes around Swansboro and Bear Island . Small sheepshead were caught in the Turning basin of the state port along with fair-sized pigfish. Beaufort Inlet continues to have good sized sea mullet along with the blues and Spanish.
Piers/Shore:Â Sea mullets, small shark and small croaker can be hooked from the beach. Piers report the same, along with pigfish, bluefish and Spanish.Â
Southern District Pender, New Hanover, & Brunswick Counties
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters.
Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
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Ocean: Offshore, fishing has been outstanding. Plenty of large gaffer dolphin along with some nice wahoo. Boats fishing a little deeper recorded some blue marlin releases. Plenty of red grouper in the 45 to 50-mile range along with some gags and scamps. Closer to shore there are some good king mackerel catches coming along the beaches of Topsail Island. There were some cobia being caught as well. There are lots of Spanish mackerel along the area beaches.
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Fishing was decent last week. The trout are biting well around Bald Head Island and the Little River rock jetty. Early morning hours have been the best time to fish. It’s a little early, but the flounder fishing seems to be a little better then the last couple of years. There were fish up to 8 pounds caught last week. The Cape Fear River, and the creeks and inlets of Brunswick County are producing fish right now.
Piers/Shore: Most area piers had an outstanding week. The wind finally laid down some and fishing was good to excellent. Plenty of Spanish mackerel were reported, with the Topsail Island piers really getting them along with some outstanding king mackerel catches. New Hanover piers saw good Spanish catches along with some cobia, and Brunswick County piers reported good catches of trout in the morning along with some outstanding Spanish mackerel catches. Shore fishermen are reporting large blues and pompano along with some sea mullets and black drum.
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Personal Watercraft Require Attentive and Knowledgeable Operators
May 31, 2008
RALEIGH, N.C. - Propelled by jets of water, personal watercraft are fast and easy to maneuver, which is a large part of their appeal – and their potential danger.
“You need to know how your personal watercraft works and the regulations that apply to its ownership and operation before you get on it,” said Capt. Chris Huebner, the state’s boating safety coordinator. “Any maneuver that endangers people or property constitutes reckless operation and is breaking the law.”
Reckless operation, lack of proper safety equipment and exceeding capacity are the most frequently cited violations for personal watercraft operators in North Carolina. Another common violation is underage operators. State law restricts anyone younger than 16 from operating a personal watercraft unless:
- They are at least 14 years old and riding with a person who is at least 18.
- They are at least 14 years old and have successfully completed an approved boating safety education course, and have proof of age and safety course completion with them while operating the personal watercraft.
“It is also against the law to knowingly let anyone younger than 16 operate a personal watercraft who doesn’t meet those qualifications,” Capt. Huebner added.
For more information on operating a personal watercraft in North Carolina, click here or call (919) 707-0031.
To enroll in a free N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission-sponsored Boating Education Course, click here or call (919) 707-0031.
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Disabled Hunters Raised to New Heights
May 15, 2008
Commission Unveils Ten Handicapped Hunting Lifts
BUTNER, N.C. – Sportsmen, advocates and donors from across the state got their first look – and chance to test - ten brand-new handicapped hunting lifts Monday during a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the purchase of the equipment.
The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen have each donated $50,000 to purchase the lifts, which are attached to trailers to travel to any part of the state.
“While today might be the first time many have seen these lifts, I know it won’t be the last,” said Steve Windham, vice chairman of the commission.
“The partnership we have embarked upon with the North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen to acquire these pieces of equipment is truly monumental in that it will allow sportsmen to hunt and enjoy other outdoor activities in all areas of the state for many years to come. We expect the lifts to see a lot of use.”
One unit will be based in each of the nine Commission districts, while the 10th will move throughout the state. The lifts will be used for special permit hunts for handicapped sportsmen, which occur several times each year. The commission also plans to loan them out to organized groups, and is particularly excited by the capability these units provide for hunting in counties that have local laws that require elevated stands for hunting with rifles.
Historically, disabled hunters have not been able to easily rifle hunt these counties and these units will allow the agency and others to offer increased hunting opportunities.
“I am pleased that North Carolina acquired hunting lifts that can be used by handicapped sportsman – especially our veterans,” said Congressman Robin Hayes. “As a hunter, I know firsthand the joy of being outdoors, and I have developed a great appreciation for the nature and wildlife of our great State. Traditionally, physical disabilities have stopped would-be hunters from these activities, but these lifts will open this opportunity to them. I want to commend all people involved in bringing these handicapped hunting lifts to North Carolina. It is a huge victory.”
Monday’s ceremony featured comments from Randy West, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Member and board member of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Ed Mays, president of the N.C. Handicapped Sportsmen, also spoke. Mays was instrumental in raising the organization’s $50,000 contribution toward the purchase of the lifts.
Manufactured by Carolina Growler of Star, N.C, the hunter green lifts feature solar panels to keep them powered during long hunting trips. They also have stabilizers, roofs and benches for comfort and can hold up to 750 lbs.
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N.C. Regional Saltwater Fishing Reports
April 27, 2008
Northern District  Dare, Hyde, Currituck, & Beaufort Counties
Contact: Brian Melott April 27, 2008
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with Spanish mackerel. King mackerel and spanish mackerel have different size and catch limits. Make SURE you properly identify the mackerel you are catching. (Tips here)
A recreational Recreational Fishing License went into effect Jan. 1, 2007 for all of the state’s coastal and ocean waters. Tagged Red Drum: Download PDF with reward details.
Ocean: Offshore anglers continue to have moderate-good success rates. Most prevalent were yellow and blackfin tuna, wahoo, king mackerel, amberjack, Atlantic bonito, little tunny, and assorted sharks. Several bluefin tuna were caught out of the Hatteras marinas this week. There were very few billfish catches.Â
Inlets/Sounds/Bays: Modest improvements gave anglers some hope as compared to the previous week’s poor fishing trends. Spotted seatrout in the 2.5-3 lb range were caught throughout the area with most of them being caught in Oregon Inlets “Green Island Slough.” Triggerfish and sheepshead were caught with increased regularity near the pilings of the bridge at this location as well. Striped bass were caught at Manns Harbor, but most were undersize.Â
Piers/Shore: Spotted seatrout and bluefish were the primary catch of these anglers. Spotted seatrout were caught from early to mid-morning, bluefish were caught throughout the day in short term but high volume blitzes. Dogfish sharks, skates, and stingrays remain plentiful. Red drum catches from the beaches between Rodanthe to Avon were somewhat improved.Â
General Overview: Success rates have improved in all modes of fishing this week. Water temps are on the rise with upper 50s in the surf throughout the Outer Banks. Weather conditions are predicted favorable for the coming week.Â
Central District  Pamlico, Craven, Carteret, & Onslow Counties
Contact: Suzanne Hill April 27, 2008
For the 2008 fishing year, all owners/operators of vessels recreationally fishing for and/or retaining regulated Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) (Atlantic tunas, sharks, swordfish and billfish) in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea, must obtain an Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Angling permit. This permit has replaced the Atlantic tunas Angling category permit. In North Carolina, additional HMS harvest reporting requirements are also in place.
Please Note: Anglers sometimes confuse small king mackerel with