The North Carolina General Assembly is considering a bill to create the first managed, modern-day elk hunting season in North Carolina history. The House overwhelmingly passed it on a 114-1 vote and then sent the measure to the Senate.
The bill authorizes the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) to create two elk permits with proceeds supporting elk conservation and management. The state would raffle off one resident elk permit while a nonprofit organization would auction off another.
In 2016, NCWRC created a framework for an elk hunting season once the population was large enough to support a limited hunt. Two years later, state lawmakers passed a statute expanding that framework by creating both a resident and nonresident license. NCWRC estimates there are currently between 200 and 225 elk in North Carolina.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation helped successfully restore elk to their historic North Carolina range in 2001. Dating back to 1995, RMEF and its partners completed 141 conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in North Carolina with a combined value of more than $5.5 million. These projects conserved or enhanced 4,920 acres of habitat and opened or improved public access to 1,925 acres.
(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)