June 27, 2011 Proposed Changes for NC Hunting, Trapping and Fishing Regs.

PROPOSED CHANGES IN HUNTING, TRAPPING AND FISHING REGULATIONS FOR 2011-2012 FOR PUBLIC NOTICE AND PRESENTATION AT NINE PUBLIC HEARINGS
Deer
H1. Add Currituck National Wildlife Refuge to the same deer season framework currently applied to nearby Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge — the Saturday on or nearest to September 10 to January 1.
Trapping
H2.    Create a new rule to define the following trap terms: breakaway device, CollarumTM-type trap, leghold, foothold, loop stop, power-activated, relaxing lock, snare and steel-jaw. These terms would only apply to rules within subchapter 10B.
H3. Define the physical characteristics and placement of a CollarumTM-type trap.
Game Lands
H4. Create a class of roads on game lands that are open only from 6 am to 9 pm. These roads shall be posted with the opening and closing times.
H5. Remove hunting and trapping restrictions at Cowan’s Ford Waterfowl Refuge. The property within the refuge will be regulated the same as any other public waters and private property in those counties.
H6. Reduce the number of days when permits are required to dove hunt the posted dove areas at Croatan Game Land from the first seven open days of the dove season to the first two days only.
H7. Remove the permit requirement to hunt turkey on the Camden County portion of the North River Game Land.
H8. Require a permit in order to hunt deer and bear at Pond Mountain Game Land.
Emergency Powers
H9. Adopt a rule to describe and implement the Executive Director’s emergency powers as authorized by statute. G.S. 113-306 (f) states, “The Wildlife Resources Commission may adopt rules governing the exercise of emergency powers by the Executive Director when the Commission determines that such powers are necessary to respond to a wildlife disease that threatens irreparable injury to wildlife or the public.”
Game Fish
Trout
F1.    Buckeye Creek (Watauga County) – Classify 0.5 miles as Hatchery Supported Trout Waters. F2.    Spring Creek (Madison County) – Classify 1.7 miles as Delayed Harvest Trout Waters. F3.    Ararat River (Surry County) – Classify 2.0 miles as Delayed Harvest Trout Waters. F4.    Elk Creek (Wilkes County) – Classify 1.0 miles as Delayed Harvest Trout Waters.
F5.    Pond Creek (Watauga County) – Classify 1.5 miles as Catch and Release/Artificial Lures Only Trout Waters.
F6.    Coffee Lake (Watauga County) – Reclassify this 2.0-acre lake from Hatchery Supported to Delayed Harvest Trout Waters.
F7.    Tuckasegee River (Jackson County) – Identify the downstream boundary of Delayed Harvest Trout Waters as US 23-441 bridge and upstream boundary as the downstream NC 107 bridge.
F8.    Ellijay Creek (Macon County) – Remove the Public Mountain Trout Waters designation. F9.    Elk Hollow Branch (Avery County) – Remove the Public Mountain Trout Waters
designation.
F10. Dugger Creek (Watauga and Wilkes counties) and Laurel Creek (Watauga County) – (Administrative change) Identify Reynolds Blue Ridge development as the property owner allowing public fishing access.
Black Bass
F11. Black bass (Alleghany County) – Establish a 14-20 inch protective slot limit for black bass in the New River and allow only one fish in the five fish per day creel limit to exceed 20 inches.
Sea Trout (spotted or speckled)
F12. Sea trout (spotted or speckled) – Establish a 14-inch minimum size limit with a 10 fish daily creel limit in inland fishing waters.
Nongame Fish 
F13. Gray trout (weakfish) – Establish a 12-inch minimum size limit with a one fish daily creel limit
in inland fishing waters.
Other 
F14. Prohibit the possession of quagga mussels and red claw crayfish.

Source: http://www.ncwildlife.org/index.htm