An ambitious undertaking to promote quail and other grassland species is signifying a new era of wildlife management in North Carolina. The success of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's big-game programs has been nothing short of phenomenal. Black bears are thriving in the Coastal Plain and increasing in the Mountain region.
Wild turkeys are now in every county in the state and spreading rapidly.
White-tailed deer populations are higher than at any other time in history. At one time, it may have been doubtful if any of those species could recover. But they have, and with those achievements has come a new emphasis for the agency's wildlife management division. For at least the next five years, promoting small-game populations will be the main focus of the commission's wildlife management division. The funds will come from the Wildlife Commission's Endowment Fund.