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NCDMF wants speckled trout input

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries wants public input on how speckled trout should be managed. That’s supposed to be a good thing — a state agency taking public comment on how to run things — but it’s usually just a formality before the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission weighs in on the side of commercial fishing interests.

NCDMF will hold public “scoping” meetings between March 13 and March 24 to “solicit input on potential management strategies” and “discuss stakeholder priorities” surrounding a proposed Amendment 1 to the N.C. Spotted Seatrout Fishery Management Plan.

The 2022 benchmark stock assessment is finished, and now the agency is going to decide how to implement it. Will recreational fishermen still be managed with a puny 4-fish daily creel limit, or will it get smaller? Will commercial fishermen be spared any reductions in catch quotas?

Four public meetings will take place: March 14 at N.C. State’s McKimmon Center in Raleigh, March 16 at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Agency in Barco, March 21 at the New Bern-Craven County Public Library in New Bern, and March 23 at Cape Fear C.C. in Wilmington. The meetings begin at 6 p.m. and will run two hours.

The Raleigh meeting will be available for public participation by web conference. Also, public comments are being accepted online at the NCDMF’s website and via snail-mail at NCDMF, Spotted Seatrout Scoping, P.O. Box 769, Morehead City, 28557. Comments must be received by 5 p.m. on March 24.

Coyote hunters set record in Stanly County

Coyote hunters broke another record — killing 424 coyotes in last month’s 10th annual Carolina Coyote Classic in Albemarle.

Leading the way as Team Red Lights — Ryan Borum, Nathaniel Brookbank and Jay Cox — who won the Coyote Derby by killing 27 songdogs, eight on Friday night and 19 on Saturday night. They won $2,500 in cash.

Team Ranger — Kyle Crickenberger, Jamie Terry and Tom Fuller — won $1,500 for taking second place with 26 coyotes.

Third place went to Team Logan — Josh and Alex Logan — with 24 coyotes, worth $1,000.

Team Huntersville Predator Control won the Fat Dog contest and $750 for taking the event’s heaviest coyote, a 44.86-pound specimen.

Dan Kibler has covered the outdoors since 1985 as outdoors editor of the Winston-Salem Journal and later as managing editor of Carolina Sportsman until his retirement in 2021.