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The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will begin its delayed harvest trout stocking on November 2, 2026. A schedule is posted on the agency’s website. Trout stocking typically begins in early October, but environmental factors caused a short one-month delay this year.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) invites the public to attend a public hearing to discuss a proposed temporary rule prohibiting feeding and attracting bears in Buncombe County. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is seeking public comments on its Peregrine Falcon Conservation Plan through November 12, 2026.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission  (NCWRC) advises residents to take preventative steps to secure attractants as black bears’ eating behavior intensifies in the late summer and fall due to hyperphagia. Hyperphagia is a critical biological phase when bears significantly increase their food consumption to prepare for the colder months when natural food becomes scarce.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) welcomes Commissioner Zachary (Zack) Benfield to its governing board. Benfield was appointed to fill an unexpired term of Commissioner John Stone by Speaker of the House Destin Hall and will serve until June 30, 2027. Benfield was sworn in today during the NCWRC Commission meeting at the agency’s Raleigh headquarters. 

Today the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) Board of Commissioners approved an emergency rule that prohibits both intentional and passive feeding of black bears in Buncombe County, in efforts to reduce repeated incidents involving humans and bears. The language is not intended to prohibit bird feeding nor is it intended to prohibit the use of legal bait for the purposes of regulated hunting, unless those actions pose a threat to human safety or result in property damage.

The board will meet in the Commission Room, 5th Floor, 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh, NC, on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at 9:00 am.

Members of the public may join in person or by Zoom.

The following committees will meet in the Commission Room, 5th Floor, 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh, NC, on Wednesday, September 30, 2026:

9:00 am - 9:30 am 
Boating Safety

9:30 am - 10:00 am 
Finance, Audit & Compliance

10:00 am - 11:00 am 
Migratory Birds & Waterfowl

11:00 am - 12:00 pm 
Fisheries

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm 
Land Acquisition & Property

The Ad Hoc Game Land Use Committee will meet on Wednesday, September 29, 2026 at the Commission Conference Room, 5th Floor, 1751 Varsity Drive, Raleigh, NC, at 2:00pm.

Members of the public may join in person or by Zoom.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will wait until November to stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters.