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RALEIGH, N.C. (April 28, 2017) —The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will conduct nine interactive public forums across the state to solicit input regarding white-tailed deer management, including potential changes to seasons and bag limits. All forums will begin at 7 p.m. In recent years, Commission biologists and technicians have intensified harvest and biological data collections to evaluate buck and doe age structures, population trends, and timing of the rut across the state. Information about this biological evaluation of the herd was presented at public deer forums across the state in the summer of 2015. As part of the evaluation process of the state’s current deer season frameworks, the Commission also conducted a statewide scientific survey of deer hunters in 2016 to understand the most critical component of deer management – the expectations and desires of deer hunters.
The upcoming forums will be used to present the 2016 survey results, discuss potential management options and solicit additional feedback from hunters and others interested in deer management. These public discussions are critical to management efforts and will help determine the best way to meet the desires of the state’s constituency while maintaining a healthy deer herd.
It is important to note these forums are not public hearings, and the potential management options presented are not proposed regulation changes. The Commission will utilize the data gathered through the multi-year biological evaluation, deer hunter survey, and these forums before determining if any changes in deer hunting regulations will be presented at public hearings in January 2018. The locations and dates are:
Ryan Kennemur ryan.kennemur@ncwildlife.org 919-707-0186