The NC Wildlife Resources Commission has proposed temporary rules to regulate rabbit hunting preserves in NC. April 13, 2020 is the deadline for public comments, despite a 4/8/20 public hearing with no public comments or questions allowed.
Click here to read the proposed temporary rules for Controlled Rabbit Hunting Preserves. To effectively comment on these proposed these temporary rules, send your email to regulations@ncwildlife.org. The deadline is Monday, 4/13/20.
North Carolina’s rabbit laws are confusing. These proposed rules assume the laws are clear and unambiguous. Wrong. The hunting community should be allowed to participate in clarifying the current rules and seeking clarity in existing statutes. Click here for a table of NC’s current rabbit hunting laws.
The WRC meeting held 8th via teleconference was an absolute joke. By the time i got signed on it was over without any Q&A. I think the meeting was like seven minutes long. I feel like the WRC is ramrodding this bill through legislation without any concern for private pen owners and or beagle clubs. It’s sad to say this….i don’t think the WRC really wants any feedback. That’s the impression they have left us with.
I just cannot understand why the WRC would schedule a meeting via online when so many people that love to hunt and run beagles cannot get online for this type of meeting due to working. These very same people have bought hunting licenses and has supported the WRC for many years!
A lot of private pen owners / beagle clubs just like myself have invested heavily into a place to train, run their beagles because of the limited access to game lands and private farms to run / hunt. We take our enclosures very serious. Pen owners spend a lot of money and time year round to keep their enclosures in great shape. A lot of money and time spent planting food plots, keeping unwanted predators out, improving the habitat to raise rabbits year round as well as paying taxes on the land we own or lease. I have been a member at a beagle club for almost twenty years and spent eight years as club President. I can tell you that our beagle club and many other clubs just like ours work year round to improve the quality our enclosures to insure a greater success for raising new rabbits.
I have many questions for the WRC. Here are just a few. What is the WRC going to do for me? Why is the WRC looking to make fenced in pen enclosure a “Wildlife Preserve”? Why? Is this just another revenue stream for the WRC because they are losing money every year? I would like to know why now!
This world has already lost a lot of its Values, Morales and Traditions! Hunting is an “American Tradition” that has been passed down to generations for many years. My love for hunting, running beagles was passed down to me by my grandfather and dad. I have passed it down to my son and hopefully to pass it down to my three grandsons one day!
I think the WRC really needs to take a closer at this bill and seek for input from those who support the WRC.
Bobby Powell