Hunting and fishing key in area's lifestyle

Lance Martin/Herald Senior Staff Writer

This hunting season appears to be at least as good as last year in Halifax and Northampton counties, according to the state Wildlife Resources Commission.

“Northampton and Halifax have been the two leading counties in deer harvest in the state,” said Sgt. Carl Hatcher of the commission's enforcement division.

Last year more than 10,000 deer were killed in Halifax and Northampton counties, about 5,000 in each county, Hatcher said.

And this year, Hatcher said, proves to be the same with what he describes as a more liberalized season.

This year hunters have the opportunity to bag four bucks and an unlimited amount of doe. The restriction of two doe a day still applies. “Anterless deer tags are free of charge,” he said. “The harvest is up. It is going to be the same as last year.”

Hatcher said the number of kills have helped to control the deer population, which is important for several reasons.

“It (hunting) has been shown to be the most effective management tool,” he said. “It provides the opportunity for economic income. It provides farmers with tools to manage the deer herd. It provides an opportunity to enjoy the sport. Without hunting and without hunters the deer population would explode and crash. You would have way too many diseases and starvation.”

Evin Stanford, deer biologist for the commission, said deer populations in the Roanoke River Deer Management Zone peaked about 1993 and decreased through the mid-1990s.

The zone is made up of seven counties which include Halifax and Northampton, Stanford said.

It is now what Stanford describes as a stable population where about 50 deer inhabit each square mile of land. “We really don't have this increasing population,” he said. “Really, across the state, we have not seen a high density of diseases. What we're seeing more of is a high density of deer causing conflicts with human areas.”

The focus of hunting as an economic development tool is something that is not lost on state or local officials.

Dain Palmer, a commission biologist, said hunting produced $431 million in retail sales across the state last year. Those figures include anything related to hunting such as food and lodging and transportation costs.

While there are no figures available on hunting's financial contribution to the Roanoke Valley, its impact is not taken lightly.

“When we entertain clients that have an interest then we use that to our advantage,” said Roanoke Rapids Economic Development Director Rick Benton. “We use that to our advantage to pitch the area.”

Of course, Benton said, the city, as well as Halifax and Northampton counties, would definitely be interested in any client that is in the business of preservation of wildlife and natural resources.

Christina Gordon, eco-heritage tourism manager for Halifax County Tourism, said the department is well aware of the good hunting and fishing in the area.

There is a billboard along the interstate which touts Scotland Neck as an outdoor paradise. “We also regularly advertise in a publication called ‘N.C. Sportsman,'” she said.

In the upcoming year, tourism will post information on the “N.C. Sportsman” Web site telling outdoor lovers where deer and turkey have been spotted and good places to hunt and fish. That information will also be included on Tourism's revamped Web site.

Gordon said information on the impact of hunting in the immediate area is something that probably needs to be done. “We would look for any opportunity to conduct such research with Wildlife.”

There is going to be a report forthcoming on the impact of striped bass fishing in the area, Gordon said. “Outdoor sports is extremely important to Halifax County,” she said. “Coming along with it is the preservation of open spaces.”