The deer eating your plants or crossing the road just in front of your car are now the topic of a statewide discussion.
State officials have been evaluating North Carolina's wild deer population for three years and are asking for public feedback. The will be hosting nine forums across the state in June to discuss deer management.
Brad Howard, wildlife biologist for the Commission, said the management needs of urbanized parts of the state are very different than those of rural areas.
"The western part of the state and some of the counties on the coast have, you know, biologically sound deer populations, but deer densities are very low," he said.
Howard added that regulated hunting is by far the number one management tool for the wild deer population. He said that the forums are aimed to be "an opportunity for deer hunters and other stakeholders to discuss deer-management issues as we plan for the future.鈥�
The forums will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:
June 9, , Graham
June 10, , Norwood
June 11, Nash Community College, Rocky Mount
June 16, Orringer Auditorium,, New Bern
June 17, , Edenton
June 18, , Bladenboro
June 23, , Clyde
June 24, , Morganton
June 25, , Elkin
Deer are also a part of the discussion at the state legislature. Under the, the Wildlife Resources Commission would no longer manage deer kept on farms. Instead, management would move to the This would include regulating the production, sale, possession and transportation of farmed deer.
