The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission will hold a public hearing Jan. 6 at Bladen Community College on proposed changes to the state’s wildlife management, game lands and fishing regulations for the 2015-16 seasons. It will be the first of nine hearings throughout the state.
Among the wildlife management-related proposed changes are temporary rules regulating the holding of deer in captivity. The proposals meet the General Assembly’s directive and follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chronic Wasting Disease Program standards when regulating deer, elk and other ruminants in the cervid family. In addition, the temporary rules would allow captive cervid licensees to sell antlers, antler velvet and hides from the animals held at their facilities.
Of interest to anglers are 36 proposals including additions to Public Mountain Trout Waters and modification of size and creel limits for reservoir striped bass and Bodie bass (hybrid striped bass).
More information on the proposed regulations to the state’s wildlife management, game lands and fishing regulations for the 2015-16 seasons, including additional ways to comment, can be found online at www.ncwildlife.org/ProposedRegulations.aspx
The comment period for the captive cervid temporary rules ends Jan. 23. The Commission will consider comments and consider a vote to adopt these temporary rules at its Jan. 29 meeting. The temporary rules will become effective after approval by the Rules Review Commission in late February.
The comment period for all other proposed regulations will run through Feb. 8. After considering public comments, the Wildlife Commissioners will meet in March to decide whether to adopt the proposals. Approved proposals will take effect Aug. 1.
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