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RALEIGH, N.C. (Nov. 8, 2010) – The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has adopted a statewide goal for management of deer and deer hunting that incorporates biological and non-biological considerations for evaluating deer season regulation change proposals.
The Commission’s goal will “use science-based decision making and biologically sound management principles to assure long-term viability of deer populations at desirable levels of health, herd composition, and density with regard to land cover type and use, hunter satisfaction, and overall social acceptance.”
The evaluation process, while not a rule change in itself, will guide agency staff in evaluating new deer season regulations. Agency staff will measure each new proposal against a set of biological and non-biological principles before they go before the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and potentially to public hearings. The process is intended to create a consistent means for evaluating new proposals that encompasses all aspects related to the management of the deer herd and deer hunting throughout the state.
Agency staff will evaluate each proposal’s effects on biological aspects such as ratio of bucks to does harvested and ages of the deer harvested. Under the process, the agency will also look at aspects such as fiscal impacts, level of support from hunters and impact on hunter retention and recruitment.
For more information on the Commission’s rulemaking process, download “From Proposal to Regulation.”