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There’s a move afoot in the outdoors community that has been building for years, and it’s questionable whether it can be stopped.
North Carolina has an extensive series of what are called game lands. These are areas accessible for hunting, fishing and trapping to any licensed outdoorsman in our state who purchases a game lands permit. The properties are managed at great expense by the wildlife resources commission for these purposes, although several have adjacent public shooting ranges and boat ramps.
Some are owned by individuals and non profit conservation groups, like the Green Swamp game lands here in Columbus, or a section of the White Hall tract in Bladen County. Some are owned outright by the state, and integrate State Parks. Most have some rules about access days, hunting with dogs, etc., but all are available to any licensed outdoorsman with a permit.
They often abut state parks, but they are not state parks. This has led to more than a little confusion and some conflict through the years. Not all states have the same type of program as North Carolina’s long established game lands system. Game lands are public lands, but they are public hunting, trapping and fishing grounds, not hiking trails, equestrian trails, birdwatching woods, bicycle paths, or campgrounds.
The Wildlife Resources Commission has for years financed and managed game lands primarily through fees paid by the sportsmen who use them. Sometimes people with other interests decide to enjoy their particular pastimes on game lands, despite the fact that in most cases, that’s illegal. Quite a few game lands do allow other activities during the off-season or on non-hunting days. It’s a tough balance for Wildlife Enforcement Officers who are already stretched thin, especially when people don’t bother to check and see if the trail they want to ride is closed to non-hunters.
The state is considering making all game lands open to all members of the public, as long as they purchase a permit. On the surface this seems like a good idea, but the properties were not set aside for state park like activities – they were specifically set aside for hunting, fishing, and trapping.
Hunters can’t chase deer through a state park; waterfowlers can’t hunt ducks on beaver ponds in the middle of educational state forests. These are areas set aside in state parks where hunters and trappers can’t go, just as there are a few lakes and streams where fishing is prohibited, except for catch and release.
Birdwatchers, bicyclists and equestrians shouldn’t be allowed general access to game lands, either. Some folks have problems understanding this, and as such, have begun working to make game lands open to everyone, not just hunters, trappers and anglers.
This is a trend that has become more prevalent in recent years as our state has attracted more and more refugees from colder climes. In some states, hunters and non-hunters share the same public lands – but in this case, it’s significant that not all game lands are actually public lands, but properties set aside specifically for use by hunters who pay for the privilege.
By the same token, railroad rights of way are not public property in North Carolina without special legislation, but there are increasing numbers of folks who ain’t from around here who don’t understand why they can’t hike or let their dogs run loose along railroad tracks and adjacent private properties.
Adding conservation passes to the game lands system is not a good idea. Period. The likelihood of a tragic accident exponentially increases, and there’s a better than average chance it the hunter who will be blamed.
On the other end of the scale, it’s a forgone conclusion that more than one hunt will be ruined because folks who are passionate about their avocations won’t have the same perspective as hunters and might not have the same respect for others whose passions lie elsewhere.
The Wildlife Commission is holding a series of hearings in the coming weeks to gather comments on opening game lands to other users who purchase permits. None of the meeting will be held in our area, but there is an online public hearing scheduled for those who don’t wish to travel. You can find out more in this story in the outdoors section of columbuscountynews.com or leave a comment at ncwildlife.org.
Hopefully, the WRC will not cave in to those who would further erode our outdoor heritage of hunting in North Carolina. It’s always a tossup to see whether the commission will land on the side of the noisy protestors, or the hunting and fishing public they serve.
We sincerely hope they make the right choice. — JW
