State: NC

Why It Matters: Once abundant throughout much of the Eastern United States, Eastern Elk were extirpated from North Carolina by 1800 due to unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. However, thanks to careful science-based wildlife management and sustained and significant investments by sportsmen and women, elk now roam the mountains of Western North Carolina. Through a highly regulated permit management system, North Carolina’s first elk season would […]

Why It Matters: Access to quality hunting and fishing lands and waters comes in all shapes and sizes. However, regardless of the size of the property or quality of habitat, there is one common denominator when it comes to acquiring land – money. While hunters and anglers contribute through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American […]

Why It Matters: For over a decade, South Atlantic red snapper anglers have been trapped in a management system that routinely relies on federal recreational catch data that consistently misses even the National Marine Fisheries Service’s mark for useable data. This year, a state-led effort to collect more accurate and timely catch information through exempted fishing permits (EFPs) offered a […]

Why It Matters: As is with much of the country, turkey hunting continues to be wildly popular among hunters across the Southeast. Turkey hunting traditions run deep throughout the region, and the pursuit generates millions of dollars through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). From recruiting the next generation of […]

Why It Matters: From the mountains to the coast, North Carolina offers abundant hunting and fishing opportunities for all to enjoy. The North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus has been hard at work year after year to ensure our time-honored traditions are sustained for generations to come. However, the ball doesn’t stop on the floor of the General Assembly when it comes to […]

Why It Matters: Marine fisheries management varies widely among Atlantic Coast states. Any opportunity to develop and implement harvest reporting requirements should be approached carefully with the goal of providing credible data that can, in turn, be used to manage a resource enjoyed by millions of anglers. Reliable catch information, if properly developed, could advance…

Why It Matters: Black bears present hunters with the opportunity to get afield in pursuit of one of the most storied big game animals in the country, both past and present. Simultaneously, black bear hunters generate valuable conservation funding dollars through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding…

Why It Matters: Access to America’s public lands and waters are key to passing along our time-honored traditions to the next generation. After all, it is the hunters and anglers of tomorrow that will shoulder the responsibility of funding conservation through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding…

Why it Matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides important hunting and fishing opportunities across the country. Despite the importance that FWS lands, particularly through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), play for sportsmen and women, there are often inconsistencies between state and federal regulations, as…

Why It Matters: Being a large coastal state, North Carolina offers a broad sampling of hunting, angling, trapping, and shooting sports activities. However, with broad opportunities comes broad responsibilities. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has been hard at work in North Carolina this year engaging on a wide variety of sporting conservation issues sure to…