Regular purchasers of the Wildlife Calendar likely recognize the name of this year’s cover artist, after all, Ryan Kirby has been contributing artwork to our annual publication for a decade. So, we thought we would share a little about Ryan and his painting, “End of an Era.”Ryan has been drawing and painting wildlife since 1989. He is a native of Illinois who grew up hunting and fishing after being exposed to the outdoors while working on his dad’s family farm. Hunting was very much part of his upbringing and culture.
Topics Related to Wildlife Management
They’re not talked about as much as other sportfish species here in North Carolina, but walleye numbers and angler success stories are on the upswing! Survey results from Lake James and Lake Hiwassee, along with angler reports, suggest that walleye populations are on the rebound in mountain reservoirs.
As North Carolina’s only native trout, the brook trout is the official freshwater fish of our state and is near and dear to so many. Numerous generations of Western North Carolinians have grown up fishing for, or hearing about, “specks” (the name often used locally), while many anglers continue to travel to our mountains to fish and create their own stories. Approximately 370,000 anglers fished the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Public Mountain Trout Waters in 2022, which generated close to $1.4 billion for the state’s economy.
We are currently seeking nominations for the
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission partnering with N.C. State for research study in the Triangle
On July 1, The Duck Stamp Modernization Act will take effect making the Federal Duck Stamp electronically accessible to waterfowl hunters for the entire season. Previously the electronic Federal Duck Stamp was only valid for 45 days or until the purchaser received the physical stamp. Now all electronic Federal Duck Stamps will expire on June 30 each year, allowing waterfowl hunters to carry their electronic stamp on their smartphone or other mobile devices using the Go Outdoors North Carolina App.
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission and the U.S. Forest Service worked out a plan with the Carolina Climbers Coalition that will allow peregrine falcons to be undisturbed while nesting in areas popular to rock climbing activities.Read more in the USFS news release below and attached:National Forests in North Carolina U.S. Forest ServiceNews Release Media Contact: Jenifer Bunty 828-767-5399jenifer.bunty@usda.gov www.fs.usda.gov/nfsnc
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is seeking nominations for its Lawrence G. Diedrick Small Game Award. This prestigious honor recognizes meaningful contributions of an individual or organization that benefit North Carolina’s small game populations and/or small game habitat. This includes efforts in habitat management, education and research. In some cases, small game, such as bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, squirrel, rabbit, benefit significantly from efforts focused on non-game or other species with similar habitat requirements.
On Saturday, June 10, 2023, the North Carolina Wildlife Commission (Commission) was contacted regarding a black bear suffering from injuries due to a collision with a motor vehicle on I-240 East near Montford Avenue in Asheville. The most humane option given the extent of injuries it sustained was to euthanize the bear.In the case of vehicle collision or other situations where a bear is injured, Commission staff will investigate and exercise one of the following options: