More than two million voters in North Carolina approved an amendment to the state constitution to protect the right to hunt and fish. The measure passed 57 to 42 percent.
Article I of the North Carolina Constitution will be amended by adding: “Sec. 38. Right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife. The right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife is a valued part of the State’s heritage and shall be forever preserved for the public good. The people have a right, including the right to use traditional methods, to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, subject only to laws enacted by the General Assembly and rules adopted pursuant to authority granted by the General Assembly to (i) promote wildlife conservation and management and (ii) preserve the future of hunting and fishing. Public hunting and fishing shall be a preferred means of managing and controlling wildlife. Nothing herein shall be construed to modify any provision of law relating to trespass, property rights, or eminent domain.”
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined several other hunting and conservation organizations in support of the amendment.
(Photo source: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission)