Father’s Day Gifts that Give Back to Wildlife

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 9, 2008) – Father’s Day is just around corner and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has great gifts at great prices for that favorite hunter or angler in your life.

For sportsmen who yearn to get out on the water or out in the woods but haven’t purchased their hunting or fishing licenses this year, make their lives a lot simpler by giving them a lifetime sportsman license. This license is a terrific buy-it-once, buy-it-for-a-lifetime gift because it gives holders a lifetime of fishing and hunting privileges in North Carolina, even if the holder moves out of state.

The license ranges from $15-675, depending on the age of the licensee and the type of license purchased. Like other products available from the Commission’s N.C. Wild Store, the purchase of any lifetime license helps fund wildlife conservation efforts that affect everyone. Revenue from the sales of lifetime licenses is deposited into the Wildlife Endowment Fund, from which only the interest is used to pay for programs and projects that benefit fish, wildlife, habitats and people. To purchase a lifetime license, visit www.ncwildlife.org or call 1-888-248-6834.

Budget-minded shoppers have a variety of wildlife-related products under $50 to choose from, including books, clothing, calendars and gift baskets with all proceeds from each product going to support a correlating wildlife project or program.

“For instance, money from the sales of the John E. Pechmann Redbreast Sunfish Print and Stamp goes to the agency’s John E. Pechmann Fishing Education Center for aquatic programs conducted at the Fayetteville-based center,” said Theresa Castro, manager of the N.C. Wild Store. “Similarly, the Conservation Waterfowl Stamp and Print proceeds go directly into the Commission’s waterfowl fund, which supports waterfowl conservation projects in the state.”

The variety of wildlife-related products offered is as diverse as the programs and projects the Commission supports, and new items are added on a continuous basis, Castro added.

New for this year are Father’s Day gift baskets, which are available in three sizes and are packed with cheeses, nuts, jerky and other tasty treats made in North Carolina. Each basket also comes with its own plush toy. Choose from the eagle basket for $69.95; the owl basket for $59.95 or the chipmunk basket for $49.95.

Proceeds from the gift baskets go to support the Commission’s Wildlife Diversity Program, which works to conserve and manage nongame animals and their habitats. Nongame wildlife includes all the birds, mammals, fish, mollusks, reptiles, amphibians, and crayfish that do not have a designated hunting or fishing season.

Other new products include:

In addition to new products, the WILD Store offers perennial favorites, such as the award-winning magazine, Wildlife in North Carolina ($12 for one year; $30 for three years; $150 for lifetime subscription), and the “N.C. Trout Fishing Maps” book ($12), which features color-coded maps that give anglers a guide to fishing regulations on North Carolina’s trout streams.

Visitors to the online N.C. Wild Store can check out the online “Clearance Sale,” which has some excellent deals on products, such as the Pathfinder Gift Set that includes a 13-function knife, compass and flashlight (batteries included) secured in an aluminum travel case. Perfect for hunters is the Camouflage Stainless Steel Thermos for hot or cold liquids and the Camouflage Stainless Steel Tumbler with its spill-proof lid.

For more information or to purchase products, visit the N.C. WILD Store or call toll-free 1- (866) 945-3746.