The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is advising residents that it is illegal to keep deer as pets and unwise to try to tame deer. Several incidents have occurred across the state this year involving people and dogs being attacked and injured by deer that were likely raised by humans illegally and regularly fed by local neighbors. 

The Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has transferred 1,060 acres in Haywood County to the State of North Carolina to become part of public lands managed by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission.

These tracts include land for the Cold Mountain Game Land and Pisgah Game Lands, including the 409-acre White Oak Mountain tract adjoining the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that SAHC purchased in December 2024.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission recently released 12 rehabilitated black bear cubs back to the wild, four from the coastal region and eight from the mountains. 

NCWRC has been overseeing the rehabilitation and release of orphaned black bear cubs since 1976 through the agency’s cub rehabilitation program, one of the first in the country.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) will implement Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations on 33 trout waters beginning Oct. 1.

Under Delayed Harvest Trout Waters regulations, only catch-and-release of trout is permissible from program waters between Oct. 1, 2025 and June 5, 2026.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advises that black bears’ eating behavior changes in the late summer through fall. They significantly increase their food consumption to prepare for the colder months when natural food is less available. It’s called hyperphagia and it means “extreme appetite.” Which means they are on the search. 

 The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission will host two family-friendly events to recognize National Hunting and Fishing Day, an annual celebration promoting outdoor recreation and conservation. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission welcomed Justin Boyd to its governing board. Boyd was appointed as an at-large member by North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler and will serve a four-year term until June 30, 2029. Boyd was sworn in on July 22 at the Department of Agriculture headquarters in Raleigh. 

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission asks the public to refrain from the illegal practice of moving inland fish, specifically mountain trout, to other mountain water bodies as it can result in altering healthy habitats and negatively impact the agency’s ongoing aquatic conservation efforts.   

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) is providing guidance to livestock owners on methods to protect their animals from becoming prey to black bears. 

Black bears tend to consume a mostly plant-based diet and are attracted to livestock feed, such as grains and corn.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) recommends that homeowners check now for bats that may be getting into their home and evict them responsibly before pup-rearing season begins on May 1.