The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is currently accepting public comment on their proposal to open Sunday Hunting on 55 of the agency’s 92 game lands. Comments are being accepted until Feb. 1, with a final rulemaking decision to follow later in the month. If this final rule is accepted in February, Sunday hunting will be allowed on North Carolina public game lands beginning in August 2021.
COMMENTS NEEDED! North Carolina members should contact the NCWRC and comment in support of opening Sunday Hunting state game lands. Comments may be submitted online at ncpaws.org/PAWS/WRC/PublicComments/PublicComments.aspx, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to Rule-Making Coordinator, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1700. Be sure to include your name, phone number and mailing address.
Sunday hunting on game lands in North Carolina will be subject to three prohibitions:
- No hunting with a firearm on Sundays between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
- No hunting deer with the aid of dogs
- No hunting within 500 feet of a place of worship
It is expected that anti-hunters will have organized comments in opposition to this proposal. To ensure that sportsmen are properly represented, we ask our North Carolina members to submit comments. It is imperative that our voices are heard and represented at these meetings as it will go a long way in securing Sunday hunting opportunities on North Carolina public land.
“The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission has conducted a transparent and straightforward process for the opening of these 55 game lands in the state,” said Jacob Hupp, associate director of state services at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “We were pleased to be included in the focus groups, and look forward to these lands ultimately being opened for Sunday hunting as the commission has proposed.”
Sunday Hunting has long been a priority at the Sportsmen’s Alliance. The Alliance was included on previous focus groups in the summer and fall of 2020 and commented in support of opening Sunday hunting on all game lands. Additionally, the Sportsmen’s Alliance supported the passage of the 2017 Outdoor Heritage Enhanced Act, which granted the NCWRC the authority to open game lands to Sunday hunting.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.