Karen Chávez

kchavez@citizen-times.com

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission approved 38 of 39 proposed rule changes to hunting and fishing regulations for the 2017-18 seasons, including the change in definition of youth for youth-only hunting and fishing days.

The one rule not approved would have allowed anglers to continue bowfishing on Lake James.

The regulations go into effect Aug. 1.

Three new regulations redefine youth as anyone younger than 18 to allow youth to participate in the youth either-sex deer hunts (proposal H2), Youth Deer Hunting Day (H2), Spring Youth-only Wild Turkey Season (H2), Delayed Harvest Trout Waters Youth-only Season (F9), and any youth hunts on game lands (G2).

“The new rule gives more kids an opportunity to participate in youth-only hunting and fishing days,” said Jodie Owen, spokeswoman for the Wildlife Commission.

For example, delayed harvest trout waters open June 3 at noon. The waters are open from 6 a.m. to noon for youth only. While youth had been defined as ages 15 and younger, it now includes ages 16 and 17.

For licenses, youth continues to be defined as anyone 15 and younger, Owen said. The new definition applies only to the age for the youth hunts and the youth fishing seasons listed above.

Also approved is the elimination of paper Big Game Harvest Record sheets (H7) to move completely to an electronic registration system. Hunters will begin reporting their big game harvest either on phone or online, starting with deer season this fall.

The one proposal not approved would have prohibited the use of archery equipment for taking nongame fishes on a section of Lake James (F15). The proposal was designed to protect muskellunge during the spawning season, said Doug Besler, mountain region fisheries supervisor.

“There is a growing interest on Lake James in bowfishing, the shooting of non-game fish,” Besler said. “At the upper end of Lake James there is a large population of muskie (a game fish). Bow anglers target carp and other nongame fish, but there have been muskie that were mistaken.”

Besler said instead of making a rule change, the commission is taking an intermediate step by working with the muskie club and the bowfishing club to develop signage at the lake.

The commission also approved holding public hearings on proposed changes to the state protected animal list for 37 wildlife species. Public hearings will be held in Raleigh, New Bern and Morganton in April, with dates to be determined.

A review of 64 candidate species in a report from the Scientific Council approved by the Nongame Wildlife Advisory Committee, the state Wildlife Commission recommends to add 14 species, remove seven species, and change the status of 16 species on the protected species list.

The proposals include adding the common tern, gopher frog, Henslow’s sparrow, longsolid, ornate chorus frog, river frog, sharpnose darter and Wayne’s black-throated green warbler to the state endangered species list.

The barn owl is not listed but a proposal will add it as species of special concern due to substantial declines in its habitat and populations.

For the full text of regulations, download the public hearings booklet at http://tinyurl.com/hbrzyfu.