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Today, I give you a special holiday edition of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and then the real deal.
Why do I get a bad feeling that you ll be starting the grill with this page any minute now?
(Note: This column first published on Memorial Day 2010.)
Question: Is birth control for bears possible?
My answer: It must be. I can t think of another explanation for that bear I saw last weekend entering a truck stop bathroom, six neatly stacked quarters in paw.
Real answer: Well, anything s possible, but the question is whether it s practical, according to Joffrey Brooks, a wildlife biologist with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. Most of the wildlife research on birth control has been done with deer, and researchers found that administering contraceptive materials or devices is possible but lacks practicality over any wide scale.
Chipmunks in eastern North Carolina?
A rare sighting in Wilmington has N.C. Wildlife officials curious. Normally, chipmunks in North Carolina are known to live north and west of Wake County. Author: Brian Bennett Updated: 5:16 PM EDT May 27, 2021
RALEIGH, N.C. A recent photo submitted to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has biologists pondering if North Carolina chipmunks have now expanded to eastern parts of the state.
Normally, chipmunks in North Carolina are known to live north and west of Wake County.
“We recently received an observation with photos of a chipmunk in the Wilmington area. It is likely a case of hitchhiking, however, we’d like the public to notify us of any chipmunk sightings east of Wake county,” stated Andrea Shipley, a mammalogist with the Wildlife Commission.
A chipmunk sits and eats a tasty cracker.
Chipmunks in North Carolina are only known to live north and west of Wake County. However, a recent photograph submitted to the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has biologists wondering if its range has expanded to eastern North Carolina.
It s no secret that a lot of people are moving to Wilmington. But could chipmunks also be en route to the coast?
“We recently received an observation with photos of a chipmunk in the Wilmington area. It is likely a case of hitchhiking, however, we’d like the public to notify us of any chipmunk sightings east of Wake County,” says Andrea Shipley, a mammalogist with the Wildlife Commission.
RALEIGH â More than 25 fishing events for children across the state have been scheduled in May and June in recognition of National Fishing and Boating Week, June 5-13.
The events are being sponsored by he N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Neuse Sport Shop, the U.S. Forest Service and Trout Unlimited North Carolina.
The fun kicked off on May 15 in Caldwell and Ashe counties and will continue through June 19 in Alleghany, Haywood and Montgomery counties. Children can fish for free â no license required â and register to win prizes at each event, including a statewide grand prize drawing for a lifetime sportsman license. The license, donated by Neuse Sport Shop in Kinston, includes both fishing and hunting privileges. Also available is a freshwater lifetime fishing license donated by N.C. Council Trout Unlimited. The Wildlife Commission is also providing 100 additional fishing-related prizes, such as tackle boxes, rods, reels and more.
BILL POTEAT
Alligator weed won t eat chickens, cats, or small dogs, but it can put a hurting on Gaston County lakes and rivers.
Think about it as kudzu on the water - just as prolific in its growth and just as difficult to contain.
A century ago, the weed grew naturally only in the temperate regions of South America, including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
But, due to its parasitic nature, it hitched a ride aboard a cargo ship or two and has since become established across the southeastern United States, including in the waters of the South Fork, the Catawba, and Lake Wylie.