Typo in New Regulation Book Has Been Corrected

In the latest edition it incorrectly states that there is a closed season for bass at Jordan Lake, Falls of the Neuse, and Buckhorn Lake from December 1st thru March 31st. This would represent a major change however it was a typo and NCWC wants to get the word out. Here is a link to the corrected page the correct closure is for Sutton Lake that has been in effect since 1996 to protect the bass from over fishing.

Award Winning and Only 12 Bucks

Photo courtesy of NCWC

Every month I look forward to the arrival of my copy of Wildlife in North Carolina because of the wonderful photographs and many great stories. Well the magazine has now been named the top wildlife magazine published by state wildlife agencies.
Association for Conservation a trade organization of sorts for state wildlife agencies and conservation groups passed out the awards at their latest meeting. North Carolina has placed in the tops the past few years and the top honor this year is great.

Wildlife in North Carolina has ranked among the top three wildlife magazines for five of the past six years, including winning three second-place awards. Montana Outdoors, which won the competition in 2004 and 2005, placed second this year, while Minnesota Conservation Volunteer was third.

A subscription is very reasonable and even non hunters and non fishermen will find lots of great stuff. The annual subscription is only $12and well worth it.

New England Trip

The opportunity came up for me to travel up to New England for this past week so I’ve been on the road. I got to visit with some family and old friends as well as make some new ones along the way. As I often do I let a sample of some of my photos tell you about my trip.

Humpback Whale

Nuble Light Maine

Moonlight

Black Bear White Mountains National Forest

Cow Moose feeding in pond

Hope you enjoy them.

North Carolina is Passionate About Hunting & Fishing

A study conducted by National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses
and the North Carolina State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey
Federation shows that our state ranks high in support for hunting and fishing.

Among North Carolina Residents fishing has a 95% approval rating, hunting has and 84% approval rating, and probably the most important stat from this report is that 83% believe that hunting & fishing are part of a sound wildlife management tool.

As revealed in the report, North Carolina ranks 10th in the nation for
the number of paid hunting license holders, with more than 427,000 hunting
licenses sold. When you take into account the revenue that is derived from
the sale of resident, non-resident, tags, permits and stamps that are
affiliated with hunting in North Carolina, the revenue is more than $10
million.

PR Newswire

This is great news it seems that North Carolina is an Outdoors paradise with a lot of support for outdoor activities now it’s great to have a study that supports that thought. We as outdoorsmen can not sit back and rest on this we have to continue to work hard to maintain this good image.

Buckmasters in Greensboro This Weekend

I don’t believe I’ll make it over to the show this year but it is usually a decent show. I’m not much of a Buckmasters fan but the show has a lot of good venders so it’s worth checking out if you’re in the area. I would just caution you against joining up because they are in my opinion little more then a telemarketing organization selling everything from grunt calls to vacuum cleaners.

NC Wildlife will have a display at the show;

Wildlife Resources Commission at Buckmasters Expo
GREENSBORO, N.C. (July 19, 2007) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will have a presence at the annual Buckmasters Expo at the Greensboro Coliseum on July 27-29. Among the opportunities offered:
Listen and Learn
Evin Stanford, the Commission’s deer biologist, will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the state’s deer population and the outlook for this year’s hunting season.
Buy a License
The Commission’s Customer Services staff will sell hunting, inland/coastal fishing and combination licenses. To purchase a lifetime license for infants under 1-year-old and youth ages 1-11, you must provide a photocopy of the birth certificate. To see types of licenses available, go online to www.ncwildlife.org.
Hunter Education
Pre-registration is required for this free two-day course. More than a gun safety class, Hunter Education covers information on ethics and responsibility, wildlife conservation and management, firearms, wildlife identification, survival and first aid, specialty hunting and tree stand safety. North Carolina requires all first-time hunting license buyers to successfully complete Hunter Education. Call (336) 623-8435 or register online for this or other courses at www.ncwildlife.org.
Event Information
Admission is $5 per person, with children 12 and under free. Tickets are available in advance or at the door. Expo hours of operation:
• 3 p.m. – 9 p.m. Friday, July 27
• 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28
• 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, July 29

18 New Wildlife Officers Graduate From Academy

Photo Courtesy of NCWC

18 new officers join the ranks of NC Wildlife Enforcement Division to enforce boating, fishing and hunting laws across the state. They will spend the next 6 months assigned to field training officers for the practical part of the job. After successfully completing the field training they will be given their duty station. If this is something you interested in doing they are still accepting applications for the next academy. (Once you open link Scroll down for Info )

Seems to be a shortage of enforcement officers in the field so hopefully this will help.

Caswell Game Lands Renamed in Honor of Wayne Bailey

The godfather of the wild turkey in North Carolina, R Wayne Bailey, passed away shortly before the start of the 07 season. Mr. Bailey did so much to restore the turkey to the state that without his work the turkey would have been gone from our woods. Instead we have turkeys in all one hundred counties and the flock continues to expand into new areas. One of the key areas that Mr. Bailey acquired many of the turkeys within the state to relocated and stock new areas was in his home county of Caswell. That being the case I think its great that the North Carolina Wildlife Commission has renamed the Caswell Game Lands in his honor. I spend a lot of time on those Game Lands every year I think it’s a fitting honor for such an important individual as Mr. R. Wayne Bailey. I hope that the new name makes people stop and think from time to time about those who went before us to give us what we enjoy today.

PS. The Series on Hunting Traditions will continue soon.

Two Shark Attacks in Two Days on North Carolina Coast

Officials after the first attack at Atlantic Beach called it an isolated case and one that shouldn’t really concern folks. Then a day latter at North Topsail beach another attack on a swimmer when he found a group of sharks following him and he couldn’t get out of the water before getting bit. This attack resulted in minor injuries and the boy was treated and released.
In the first attack a woman wadding in waist deep water at Atlantic Beach was bitten in the thigh. The shark bite tearing flesh and muscle as the woman fought back the shark also bit her in the foot. Her injuries were bit more significant but she too was treated and released.
Storms stirring the water and causing the water to be murky are what officials are attributing these attacks to making it difficult for the sharks to identify what it is they are going after. You probably stand a better chance of getting caught in a rip current then you do being attacked by a shark but two isolated cases in to days one has to think twice before taking a dip.

New Bern Sun Journal
Wilmington Morning Star

Beans for Breakfast

This is the second post in a series of posts on places that have a holiday atmosphere around hunting. Yesterday I covered Massachusetts and the opening of deer firearm season this is the state I first learned to hunt. Today I’ll post a little bit about Maine and the rich hunting traditions I enjoyed when I lived there in the 90’s. In Maine there are two very important opening days and those are the opening of partridge season and resident opening day to firearm deer season.

Opening day of partridge season, and for those who don’t know a partridge is also called a ruffled grouse, is started with a traditional hunters breakfast. In the south we have all kinds of civic groups that fund raise with BBQ’s or fish fries but in Maine they hold hunters breakfasts. These breakfasts start well before sun up and the menu includes many traditional favorites’ eggs, pancakes, home fries, bacon, sausage, toast and one surprising item and that is bake beans. Bake beans are and old traditional New England staple, as kids we had them every Saturday Night for supper. Which reminds me of an old New England Proverb “He who eats beans on Saturday night sits in pew alone on Sunday morning” well anyways I’m digressing. Bake Beans are good because they stick with ya a long time and it can be a long time till lunch time. The breakfasts are usually a festive a fare with door prizes being handed out and lots of wild stories being told.

The opening day partridge breakfast is really just a warm up for the big event resident opening day of firearm season. Maine is the destination for many non resident hunters but at least one day a year the Maine residents have the woods to themselves on the first Saturday of firearm season. The day starts early with hunter’s breakfasts opening earlier enough to give hunters ample time to reach their hunting spot before first light. The breakfast menu and many of the activities were the same as the Partridge opening except on a grander scale. My dad who was not a hunter would often join my brother and I at the local hunters breakfast for the good meal and to be part of one of the most significant social events for many of these small communities. The truth of the matter is that probably about half of the people attending the breakfast don’t hunt deer. I’ll tell you this if your ever in Maine and see a sign for a hunters breakfast you should check it out. Any effects the consumption of beans has on you should be overcome by Sunday morning.

Next up will look at some traditional opening days in North Carolina.

Hunting Holidays First Up Massachusetts

I suspect every region of the country has its traditional hunting holiday and although the traditions and the specie may vary some the importance of these days are sacred to the hunters who participate. The next few days I want to reflect on some of those traditions that I have experienced.

I first took up hunting in Massachusetts and despite what some mindless politician may lead you to believe there is actually some folks that know how to deer hunt in that state. Back in the 80’s when I took up hunting the shotgun season for deer was only a week long, many business closed for opening day in the western part of the state where I was living. Opening day would find orange the color of the day when mostly men and boys gathered in the pre dawn hours at the local diner to get some breakfast before hitting the woods in hopes of bagging a buck. In those days it was rare to have a doe tag but if you did you were considered to be a lucky individual. After a day of hunting it was off to the local check station to see who was lucky and what they bagged. Dinner was with a group of friends at the firehouse hopefully Venison and Polenta a traditional Italian style meal influenced by the local culture. Those who like to indulge would sit back and have some of the locally homemade Grappa as well and the stories would fly.

We didn’t kill a lot of deer back then as a matter of fact in the 7 or 8 years I hunted there I killed only one doe. It always seemed that one of my friends would kill a deer so at least we had some meat. I learned a lot in those early days and I chuckle at some of my ignorance. I’ve lost contact with most of those guys but the memories of opening day comes streaming back when ever I see those frosty mornings where the cold takes your breath away and the sound of crunchy leaves under your boots.
Next up I’ll talk about Maine.

Gander Mountain Beats Cabela’s In Court

When I first took up hunting in the early 80’s Gander Mountain was a big name in catalog sales. I knew hunting season was just about here when I’d go to my mailbox and get the latest Gander Mountain Catalog. I bought a lot of stuff from them and it was sad when they went under and sold out to Cabela’s.
I was surprised a few years ago when I heard Gander Mountain was making a come back I never realized that they sold the Catalog part of the business and someone else bought the retail stores. Since then they have opened retail stores here in North Carolina but as of yet Cabela’s has not.

A recent court case has now given Gander Mountain the right to reenter the catalog and internet market.

A federal judge in Minnesota ruled in Gander Mountain’s favor Tuesday in the latest round of the logo and trademark dispute between the two companies. So Gander Mountain announced plans to launch an online store and resurrect its catalog as soon as is practical.
“We are now going to accelerate our pace toward becoming the leading multichannel outdoor retailer in the nation,” said Mark Baker, Gander Mountain president and CEO.
Gander Mountain spokesman Tim Martin said Wednesday he wasn’t sure how quickly the company, which is based in St. Paul, Minn., would launch its new retail store.
Cabela’s officials in Sidney, Neb., said Wednesday that they had not decided whether to appeal.
Cabela’s said in a statement that the company believes the judge’s ruling contradicts a 1996 agreement between the two companies.

Yahoo

I wonder if before the next deer season rolls around will I find a Gander Mountain catalog in my box? I don’t know but I’ll tell you this they’ll be hard pressed to beat Cabela’s in my book

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Wildlife Print to Honor the Legacy of John Pechmann

Photo Courtesy of NCWC

North Carolina Wildlife Commission has announced the limited addition release of Redbreast Sunfish Print by renowned local wildlife artist Duane Raver.

Proceeds from print and stamp sales will go to the Commission’s John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center for aquatic programs conducted at the Fayetteville-based center and outreach projects coordinated across the state, including a mobile aquarium, kids’ Fish-for-Fun events and the Tackle Loaner Program.

John was recently honored by DU Canada for his work in preserving wetlands and important habitat. John died unexpectedly a year ago this week and is missed by many it’s great to see his legacy continue in the youth who benefit from these programs. Prints will be available August 1st.

The print is available with or without a stamp. Prices are:
• 730 signature proofs $75
• 66 artist proofs $125
• Remarques $15
• Stamps $10
• Stamp with artist signature $12
To purchase a print and stamp or for additional information, call the Wildlife Resources Commission toll-free at (866) 945-3746, or visit the agency’s N.C. Wild Store.

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