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.
Topics Related to News
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 N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will wait until November to stock Delayed Harvest Trout Waters. Impacts from an unusually hot summer, coupled with the ongoing drought conditions and damage from Hurricane Helene, have caused lethally high-water temperatures flowing into the state’s mountain trout hatcheries, thus reducing the number of available fish to stock.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s (NCWRC) Helene Restoration Division (HRD) is developing its team and beginning to move forward with implementing its Hurricane Helene habitat restoration plan. The 10-year plan is funded through a partnership with the U.S.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will host two free family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation.
On August 24, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., in the Chatham County Justice Center in Pittsboro, North Carolina, defendant Quinten Kight, appeared before Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour for sentencing. Kight pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder (Class B2 Felony), Felony Boating While Impaired involving Serious Injury (Class F Felony), Felony Boating While Impaired Resulting in Death (Class D Felony), Careless and Reckless Operation of a Motorboat (Class 2 Misdemeanor) and Boating While Impaired (Class 2 Misdemeanor) for the death of 10‑year‑old Brooklyn Carroll and the injuries suffered by Mrs.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is stressing the importance of implementing proven methods to deter bears from residences, following an incident involving a bear and resident in Asheville.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is holding a free hands-on engaging introduction to the Outdoor Skills Academy for Women event on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at the Alamance County Wildlife Club in Graham.
The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) invites the public to attend an informational meeting in Edgecombe County about Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) on Thursday, August 13, 2026 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the East Carolina Agricultural & Education Center, 1175 Kingsboro Road, Rocky Mount.