Often farmers and landowners are also hunters, and that means
they typically find it easier to see wild animals as potential
food sources than their urban peers. Besides different types of
fish, deer, rabbits, turkeys, doves, pheasants, wild turkeys,
wild pigs and even bear can help the budget when they go into
the freezer. Some even market these game animals as an extra
source of income. An additional benefit for some is that they
are taking some of the animals off their land that feasted on
their crops throughout the year. The North Carolina Department
of Agriculture and Consumer Services notes that wildlife damaged
$19 million worth of soybeans and $5.6 million worth of corn in
North Carolina fields in 2009, according to a statewide survey
by the N.C. Agricultural Statistics Division. Damage to wheat,
peanuts and cotton totaled $4.8 million. "For some crops,
animals can be as damaging as diseases, insects or the weather,"
Agriculture Commission Steve Troxler said on announcing the
completion of the survey.