Pole Bender Adventures

08/13/2025

These Sure Catch jigs from the The Striper Shop paired with these swim baits and soft plastics from Producto Lure . Will hopefully be a deadly combo next weekend !!! Stay tuned !!!’

08/13/2025

Our staff photographer recently went out to get some bird photos, but was shocked to see a leucistic white deer in the wild.

A white deer can either be leucistic, with partial of loss skin and hair pigmentation (in this case only the doe's eyes have pigment; in some cases, deer can be a mix of brown and white, called "piebald" or "calico", have black noses and hooves, or have blue eyes), or they can be albino, with full loss of skin and hair pigmentation (white hair and pink eyes, nose, hooves, and skin).

In the wild, only about one in 30,000 white-tailed deer is albino, though they can be less rare in isolated locations. Piebald deer are more common than albino or fully leucistic deer and can be prone to physical deformities.

Being albino or leucistic isn’t an advantage in the wild, and they tend not to survive for long. Their eyes and skin lack melanin pigment that protects against sun damage, and they’re highly visible to predators. In cities and suburbs though, albino or leucistic deer have some advantage due to lack of predators and a high-visibility pelt that may help motorists avoid them as they cross the road.

08/12/2025

🔭 Always looking ahead.
At StripeX, we’re never standing still—there’s something new on the horizon that’s going to change the way you fish. 🎣⚡
Stay tuned… it’s almost here.

08/12/2025

Today we highlight the top photo from the Wildlife in North Carolina magazine photo competition's "Wild Landscapes" category.

Wick Smith, Fayetteville
Stunning sunset

"This photo was taken in west Beaufort looking across the bay (Newport River) between Beaufort and Morehead City at sunset in September 2024. Watching the color of the sky evolve was amazing. As was the case with this photo, the best sky color usually occurs well after the sun goes down. The sunsets here in the fall are spectacular when the conditions are just right."

(Canon R5, Canon EF16–35mm f/2.8L III at 17mm, 4/10 of a second, f/16, ISO 100)

08/11/2025

An additional virtual public hearing will be held on August 13, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. by Zoom. Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device. Pre-registration is required. Join by phone: Toll Free (833) 568-8864; Webinar ID: 160 636 9085

Zoom link: http://bit.ly/4fKRD7b

Comments can be submitted online for Inland Fishing, Land and Water Access, and Wildlife Management or by email (please include name, county, and state of residence) or by mailing written comments to: Rulemaking Coordinator, 1701 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1701.

To review the proposed regulation changes, submit an online comment, or obtain information on the public hearings, please visit: http://bit.ly/3Uf8zsp

08/09/2025

Due to flooding, portions of Waccamaw River Heritage Preserve and Wildlife Management Area in Horry County are closed to vehicles until further notice. Please do not drive around gates or barricades. Please do not drive on flooded roads.

08/09/2025

It’s that time of year again! Join us for our 2nd annual North Carolina Zoo trip!

Last year our group had a behind the senses look at how the Wildlife and Zoo operate! We look forward to learning more this year thanks to the incredible staff at the NC Zoo!

Get signed up today for our September 13th trip through the link below!

https://form.jotform.com/250708309894062

08/08/2025

08/07/2025

The 2025-26 North Carolina Inland Fishing, Hunting and Trapping Regulations Digest is now available.

To view the digest online, visit: https://www.eregulations.com/northcarolina

To view the PDF version, visit: https://www.ncwildlife.gov/hunting/fishing-hunting-trapping-regulations

08/05/2025

Today we highlight the top photo from the Wildlife in North Carolina magazine photo competition's "Invertebrates" category.

John Ma**er, Hubert
Snail close-up

"It was late March, and spring was just beginning to awaken in eastern N.C. I walked along the banks of the Roanoke River with my new macro lens searching for any subject that presented itself. Eventually, I found this snail climbing along a pile of decomposing timber on the forest floor. With the depth of field being so shallow in macro photography, I needed the snail’s eyes and the ridges on its shell to be the same height. As the snail continued to elevate and lower its eyes independently, I continued to shoot, until eventually everything lined up."

(Sony a7 IV, Sony 90mm macro lens, diffused Godox flash, 1/200 of a second, f/11, ISO 200)

08/03/2025