On Monday, March 4 beginning at 6 p.m. (or as soon thereafter as possible), the Hyde County Board of Commissioners will conduct a public hearing concerning a potential legislative act to provide for safe distances for hunting migratory wild waterfowl in mainland portions of Hyde County.

This act proposes to make it unlawful to take migratory wild waterfowl within 500 yards of another person’s permanently established hunting location except:

• On property of which he is the landholder or has the landholder’s permission to hunt; or
• Within the riparian water area of property of which he is the landholder or has the landholder’s permission to hunt; or
• If he comes within 500 yards of another person’s permanently established hunting location only after legally shooting at migratory wild waterfowl and while in active pursuit of a visible, crippled bird.

A “permanently established hunting location” is a blind, float, raft, mat or other buoyant craft or any other location, position, or device that is permanently established for hunting migratory wild waterfowl at a specific site by:

• The landholder of the property; or
• The riparian landholder, if the site is on or in water and hunting rights in that water are not controlled by someone other than the riparian landholder; or
• A person who has written permission to establish the permanent site from a landholder who would qualify under subdivisions (1) or (2).

This act would apply to the mainland area of Hyde County and does not apply to Ocracoke Island.

A full version of the proposed legislation can be found at hydecountync.gov/HydeDuckBlindLegislation.

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