Wildlife Commission Adopts Temporary Rules

RALEIGH, NC (July 20, 2018) — During a business meeting on Thursday, July 12, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission amended three existing rules using temporary rulemaking.

The rules were amended as follows. All changes will apply to the 2018-2019 hunting seasons:

Amendments to the Importation of Animal Parts Rule restrict importation of cervid carcass parts and prohibits importation of whole cervid carcasses from outside of North Carolina, increasing protection of North Carolina’s white-tailed deer and elk populations from chronic wasting disease. Cervids are the family of mammals that includes white-tailed deer, elk, mule deer, caribou and moose. For the new cervid carcass importation regulations visit ncwildlife.org/Hunting.

The amendment to the Bear Rule clarifies that there is no open season for hunting bear in any area of the Green Swamp Bear Sanctuary, which spans parts of Brunswick and Columbus counties.

Amendments to the Hunting on Game Lands Rule adds the extended archery season for antlered deer on the South Mountains and Buffalo Cove game lands to align with the Western Deer Season and clarifies that deer of either sex can be taken on the first open Saturday of the Deer with Visible Antlers Season on the Cold Mountain Game Land.