About the WCQDMP
The Western Carolina Quality Deer Management Program (WCQDMP) seeks to improve white-tailed deer hunting and wildlife habitat in the mountains of North Carolina. The primary goal of the WCQDMP is to promote sound deer management by motivating hunters to improve the social structure of the deer herd and wildlife habitat in western NC.
The WCQDMP was organized in 2002 by Bennie Riddle when it became apparent to him that something had to be done to improve deer hunting in the mountains of North Carolina. Early on, the main focus was with individual hunters, landowners, and hunting clubs to form a "local cooperative" in the Cane River drainage of Yancey County.
Through Bennie's tireless efforts, the word got around quickly and soon hundreds of folks and thousands of private landholding acres were voluntarily committed to better deer management. Through educational efforts by the program hunters learned to refrain from harvesting young bucks and seeing older bucks in following years.
As interest and commitment increased, cooperators realized poor habitat was the limiting factor preventing the deer they had been managing from reaching their potential. By working with wildlife biologists and foresters, they realized as habitat was enhanced for deer, other wildlife species benefitted. Improvements were quickly noted in populations of black bear, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, and other species few people recognized, such as chestnut-sided warblers, golden-winged warblers, and white-eyed vireos.
With a new sense of direction, and focus on a diversity of wildlife species, the 2,000,000+ acres of virtually unmanaged public lands have now become an objective of the WCQDMP's efforts.