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NOVEMBER 2010 NEWS
RELEASES
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WEEK OF NOVEMBER 24, 2010
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 18, 2010
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 11, 2010
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 4, 2010
Prairie chickens to benefit from landowner opportunities; Game Warden of the
Year Award presented
At its November meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation
Commission approved two new measures intended to draw more landowners into the
fight to conserve the lesser prairie chicken while also protecting landowners if
the bird is placed on the endangered species list.
One of the measures offers stewardship payments to agricultural
producers for work done to protect and expand habitat for the rare upland bird.
The new program is known as the Wildlife Credits Program and is part of an
agreement between the Wildlife Department, Oklahoma Conservation Commission and
the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.
The program will be funded by money from the Association of
Conservation Districts combined with portions of donations made by OG&E to
offset habitat loss caused by two of the company’s wind farm developments in
northwest Oklahoma — the OU Spirit Wind Farm and 151 MW Keenan Phase II wind
farm from which OG&E is purchasing 100 percent of the energy produced.
The other measure, as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances Program (CCAA), can provide
landowners with assurances against certain liabilities and federal restrictions
in the event that the lesser prairie chicken is listed as an endangered species.
The CCAA is a voluntary program, and no incentive payments to
landowners are issued by the Wildlife Department for participation in the
program. Rather, landowners agree to perform certain habitat work to benefit
lesser prairie chickens in exchange for the assurances provided under the
program. When a species is listed as federally endangered or threatened,
additional federal regulations and oversight can apply to landowners that may
affect what happens on their property or how it may be used. Additionally,
conservation measures accomplished through the program could help altogether
halt the listing of the species.
“First and foremost, the goal is to conserve the lesser prairie
chicken and keep it off the endangered species list,” said Richard Hatcher,
director of the Wildlife Department. “But we also would like our landowners to
get involved with conservation and in turn receive some federally-backed
assurances in the event the lesser prairie chicken is declared endangered.”
According to Dixie Bounds, field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the lesser prairie chicken has been a candidate for listing on
the endangered species list since 1998, and since 2008 has been a category 2
species, which is the highest level of priority given to a species before being
listed.
“There are several threats that are eminent,” said Bounds. “There’s
the loss of all the Conservation Reserve Program acres, the multi-state
transmission lines, the development of wind power, and overall the biggest issue
is the fragmentation of habitat.”
The Wildlife Credits Program and CCAA are two more tools in an
arsenal of resources aimed at conserving prairie chickens. Other tools such as
the Oklahoma Spatial Planning Tool are being used to help energy developers
identify key prairie chicken habitat before development. Additionally, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and
agreements between landowners and the Wildlife Department all stand to benefit
key habitat and the prairie chickens that rely on them for survival.
In other business, the Commission presented its Game Warden of the
Year Award to Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties in
southeast Oklahoma. The award was presented along with the Shikar-Safari Club
International Wildlife Officer of the Year Award by club members Bill Brewster
and his wife, Suzie Brewster.
Harvey is active in many projects and programs of the Wildlife
Department and has been involved in numerous public outreach events such as the
Oklahoma Wildlife Expo. Harvey also has served as the Wildlife Department Youth
Camp director the last two years and works closely with other Department
employees both in the law enforcement division as well as other divisions.
“Jay is an asset to the Department, and he’s made us proud,” said
Robert Fleenor, law enforcement chief for the Wildlife Department. "Jay has
community spirit and is a great asset to the youth of our state. He keeps them
in the outdoors and continually introduces them to the outdoors. His qualities
go above and beyond what's required in his normal duties as a game warden."
Shikar-Safari Club International was started more than 55 years ago
and is limited to 200 members worldwide. While it is a social organization, its
sole purpose is hunting and conservation and issues that affect hunters and
conservation. The club has a foundation that puts almost $1 million into
wildlife and conservation every year, including more than 30 scholarships a year
for children of wildlife professionals majoring in wildlife fields. The
scholarships, each $4,000 a year, are designed to perpetuate an interest in
wildlife careers and conservation.
The Commission also heard a presentation from Finley & Cook, PLLC,
including the results of the Department's fiscal year 2010 annual financial
audit. The independent audit, which also reviewed federal grant programs,
revealed no material findings. A clean audit report was rendered.
Additionally, the Commission recognized Harry Steele, game warden
stationed in Beckham Co., for 30 years of service to the Wildlife Department;
Benny Farrar, wildlife biologist stationed at James Collins WMA, for 20 years of
service; and Ira Wood, wildlife technician stationed at Atoka and Stringtown
WMAs, for 20 years of service.
Commission meeting dates for 2011 were scheduled as well, with
meetings slated for Jan. 3, Feb. 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, June 6, July 5
(Tuesday), Aug. 1, Sept. 6 (Tuesday), Oct. 3, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing
board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife
Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for
the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife
conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and
confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for 9 a.m., Dec. 6, at
the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium),
located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
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Landowners gain new incentives to fight decline of lesser prairie chicken
As agencies like the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
continue to place emphasis on restoring and preserving dwindling lesser prairie
chicken habitat, landowners in focal areas have some important reasons to get
involved.
Wildlife officials say private landowners are key to wildlife
conservation in Oklahoma, since about 97 percent of the land in Oklahoma is
privately owned. At its November meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation
Commission approved two new measures intended to draw more landowners into the
fight to conserve the lesser prairie chicken while also protecting them if the
bird is placed on the endangered species list.
One of the measures offers stewardship payments to agricultural
producers for work done to protect and expand habitat for the rare upland bird.
The new program is known as the Wildlife Credits Program and is part of an
agreement between the Wildlife Department, Oklahoma Conservation Commission and
the Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts.
According to Clay Pope, executive director of the Oklahoma
Association of Conservation Districts, the program basically pays agricultural
producers to perform certain management practices and avoid others that would
negatively impact the habitat of the lesser prairie chicken.
The program will be funded by money from the Association of
Conservation Districts combined with portions of donations made by OG&E to
offset habitat loss caused by two of the company’s wind farm developments in
northwest Oklahoma — the OU Spirit Wind Farm and the 151 MW Keenan Phase II wind
farm from which OG&E is purchasing 100 percent of the energy produced.
“Any time we can combine our resources, we’re a lot more effective
together than we are apart,” said Mike Thralls, executive director of the
Oklahoma Conservation Commission.
The other measure, as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances Program (CCAA), can provide
landowners with assurances against certain liabilities and federal restrictions
in the event that the lesser prairie chicken is listed as an endangered species.
The CCAA is a voluntary program, and no incentive payments to
landowners are issued by the Wildlife Department for participation in the
program. Rather, landowners agree to perform certain habitat work to benefit
lesser prairie chickens in exchange for the assurances provided under the
program. When a species is listed as federally endangered or threatened,
additional federal regulations and oversight can apply to landowners that may
affect what happens on their property or how it may be used. Additionally,
conservation measures accomplished through the program could help altogether
halt the listing of the species.
“First and foremost, the goal is to conserve the lesser prairie
chicken and keep it off the endangered species list,” said Richard Hatcher,
director of the Wildlife Department. “But we also would like our landowners to
get involved with conservation and in turn receive some federally-backed
assurances in the event the lesser prairie chicken is declared endangered.”
According to Dixie Bounds, field supervisor for the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, the lesser prairie chicken has been a candidate for listing on
the endangered species list since 1998, and since 2008 has been a category 2
species, which is the highest level of priority given to a species before being
listed.
“There are several threats that are eminent,” said Bounds. There’s
the loss of all the Conservation Reserve Program acres, the multi-state
transmission lines, the development of wind power, and overall the biggest issue
is the fragmentation of habitat.”
The Wildlife Credits Program and CCAA are two more tools in an
arsenal of resources aimed at conserving prairie chickens. Other tools such as
the Oklahoma Spatial Planning Tool are being used to help energy developers
identify key prairie chicken habitat before development. Additionally, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and
agreements between landowners and the Wildlife Department all stand to benefit
key habitat and the prairie chickens that rely on them for survival.
The lesser prairie chicken is an upland game bird found in northwest
Oklahoma, but the species has struggled to survive in its native habitat due to
habitat fragmentation and land use changes over time. The birds avoid vertical
structure, such as wind turbines and fences, as they may perceive them as
perches for potential predators.
For more information about the lesser prairie chicken, log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
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Jay Harvey honored by
Shikar Safari and ODWC
Jay Harvey, game warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties,
received the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Game Warden of the
Year Award along with the Shikar Safari Club International’s Officer of the Year
Award at the November meeting of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission
Harvey is active in many projects and programs of the Wildlife
Department and has been involved in numerous public outreach events such as the
Oklahoma Wildlife Expo, Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program, the
Shotgun Training and Education Program and more. Harvey also has served as the
Wildlife Department Youth Camp director the last two years and works closely
with other Department employees both in the law enforcement division as well as
other divisions.
“Jay is an asset to the Department, and he’s made us proud,” said
Robert Fleenor, law enforcement chief for the Wildlife Department. “Jay has
community spirit and is a great asset to the youth of our state. He keeps them
in the outdoors and continually introduces them to the outdoors. His qualities
go above and beyond what’s required in his normal duties as a game warden.”
Not only does Harvey have a strong working knowledge of his assigned
counties and their surrounding areas, but he knows the sportsmen and landowners
in the region and frequently works with other game wardens in his district.
Harvey is a certified airboat operator for the Department and serves voluntarily
as an airplane spotter for Department operations.
Harvey attended Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where he
earned his BS in biology. He began his career at the Wildlife Department in 1986
as an hourly employee. In 1987, he was hired as a full-time employee at the
Durant State Fish Hatchery and remained there until 1990. In 1992 he was hired
as a game warden in Texas Co., where he remained until 1995 when he was
transferred to Bryan and Choctaw counties.
Harvey has been married to his wife Misty for 22 years. They have a
daughter, Spencer, who is 13 years old and a son, Jared, who is 10 years old.
Shikar-Safari Club International was started more than 55 years ago
and is limited to 200 members worldwide. While it is a social organization, its
sole purpose is hunting and conservation and issues that affect hunters and
conservation. The club has a foundation that puts almost $1 million into
wildlife and conservation every year, including more than 30 scholarships a year
for children of wildlife professionals majoring in wildlife fields. The
scholarships, each $4,000 a year, are designed to perpetuate an interest in
wildlife careers and conservation.
For more information about game wardens, or for information on
having a career as a game warden, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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Last chance for young outdoor writers to share hunting heritage, win outdoor
getaways
Oklahoma youth planning to participate in the youth outdoor
essay contest hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and
the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International have until Nov. 19
to postmark or hand deliver their entries. Entrants have a chance to share
their outdoor heritage as well as compete for an unforgettable outdoor
getaway.
According to Colin Berg, education supervisor for the Wildlife
Department, the essay contest is an ideal way for youth to show their love
for the outdoors and, in the process, possibly win a vacation in the great
outdoors.
To participate, students must be 11-17 years of age and
currently enrolled in any Oklahoma school or home school. Students also must
use the theme of “Hunting: Sharing the Heritage” or “Archery: What I like
about Archery in the Schools and Bowhunting” or the concept of the theme to
develop a descriptive essay or short story. Winners of the previous year’s
contest are not eligible. Applicants must have successfully completed an
Oklahoma Hunter Education course by the entry deadline, which is Nov. 19,
2010. There are two age categories — 11-14 and 15-17.
Winners in the 15-17 age category (one boy and one girl) will
receive a guided antelope hunt in New Mexico, and winners in the 11-14 age
category are competing for a scholarship within the Apprentice Hunter
Program at the YO Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas. Safari Club International’s
Apprentice Hunter Program is a unique, hands-on course designed for girls
and boys aged 11-14. The program covers topics such as the history of
hunting, the ethical basis of modern sport hunting, wildlife management,
field identification, tracking and interpreting sign, game cooking and the
SCI Sportsmen Against Hunger Program. There are three sessions — each one
week long — during the summer of 2011.
The four statewide winners and their legal guardians will be
invited to Oklahoma City to attend an awards ceremony in March. In addition,
the top 25 essay entrants will receive a one-year youth membership to Safari
Club International. The Oklahoma State Chapter will reimburse trip travel
expenses to New Mexico and Texas up to $500 per essay contest winner. The
winning student essays will be published in the OSCSCI newsletter, “Safari
Trails.” Publication qualifies the winning entries for the Outdoor Writers
Association of America Youth Writing Contest. Several past national winners
have come from Oklahoma. Essays may also be printed in Outdoor Oklahoma
magazine.
Two educators also will be awarded all-expenses-paid
scholarships for an eight-day conservation education school at Safari Club
International’s American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) at Granite
Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming.
The AWLS program is conducted during the summer and presents an
outdoor program for educators that concentrates on natural resource
management. Participants learn about stream ecology, map and compass,
language arts and creative writing in an outdoor setting, fly tying,
shooting sports, wildlife management, the Yellowstone ecosystem, camping,
white-water rafting, educational resources and how to implement outdoor
education ideas.
Both the essay contest rules and teacher scholarship
applications are available from the Department's Web site at
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
.
Essays and applications must be postmarked no later than Nov.
19, 2010, or delivered by Nov. 19 in person to the Department of Wildlife’s
Jenks Office at 201 Aquarium Drive, Jenks. Address entries to: Essay
Contest, Attn: Education Section Supervisor, ODWC Jenks Office, P.O. Box
1201, Jenks, OK 74037. Fax entries will not be accepted.
-30-
Time running out to vote online for favorite 2011-12 duck stamp art
It just takes the click of a mouse for sportsmen to vote on the
artwork that that will be printed on the 2011-12 Oklahoma waterfowl stamp,
but time is running out.
Hunters can vote online at wildlifedepartment.com until Nov. 15.
A number of voting options are available thanks to submissions from artists
from all over the United States.
Every year wildlife artists from across the nation submit their
rendition of a specified waterfowl species to the Wildlife Department’s duck
stamp design contest. In recent years the Wildlife Department has relied on
input from the public to help determine the winner, whose work is printed on
the Oklahoma waterfowl stamp the following year. This year, artwork was
centered on the bluewing teal which can be found near Oklahoma’s wetlands
during early fall and spring.
“In recent years, people who wanted to vote on the next duck
stamp design had to travel somewhere to see the entries, but technology is
allowing us to make voting possible from home or even on the go for those
folks with laptops or smart phones,” said Micah Holmes, information and
education supervisor for the Wildlife Department.
Duck stamp sales help finance many projects that benefit ducks
and geese. Since the duck stamp program began in 1980, thousands of acres of
waterfowl habitat have been created through duck stamp revenues.
Along with public input, entries will be judged on anatomical
accuracy, artistic composition and suitability for printing.
The winning artist will receive a purchase award of $1,200
provided by NatureWorks, a Tulsa-based conservation organization.
Additionally, the winner and three honorable mentions will appear in a
future issue of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.
“This is a good chance for duck hunters to weigh in on their
favorite artwork,” Holmes said. “After all, it’s their duck season and their
waterfowl stamp. They should have a say in what artwork is featured, and
they should take the opportunity to give their input.”
A selection of waterfowl stamp art from previous years is
currently on display in the lobby of the Wildlife Department headquarters
located at 1801 N. Lincoln, in Oklahoma City.
Prints of previous winning waterfowl artwork can be purchased at
wildlifedepartment.com .
More information about the annual duck stamp design contest,
including official rules, is available online at wildlifedepartment.com
-30-
Free
Wildlife Department “Rut Report’ slated for Nov. 17
With the Nov. 20 Oklahoma deer gun season opener just around the
corner, reports of deer activity from hunters are beginning to buzz, no
doubt through e-mails and text messages as well as in workplaces, schools
and at dinner tables all over the state. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation is getting in on the excitement with its own last minute “Rut
Report,” scheduled for Nov. 17.
The report, available for free by e-mail to anyone who
subscribes to the Wildlife Department, will contain the latest possible
status reports from Wildlife Department biologists on deer rutting activity
in all regions of the state. It will also include venison recipes,
information on the Department’s online deer check station option, the
Hunters Against Hunger program and information about driving vehicles on
country roadways during the deer breeding season, or rut. Deer breeding
activity can vary from region to region based on a range of factors, but
with personnel stationed in all corners of Oklahoma, the Wildlife Department
is able to collect useful information for hunters no matter where they hunt.
“Right now Department employees are either talking about deer or
hearing about deer,” said Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for
the Wildlife Department. “Our employees are constantly visiting with
sportsmen, landowners and others who spend time in the outdoors, so we are
getting a lot of information that could prove useful to deer hunters. I’d
encourage anyone interested in some last minute details on deer activity to
check out our free report next week.”
The report will be part of the Wildlife Department’s free weekly
e-mail news release, which is sent to thousands of subscribers each week. To
subscribe for the free weekly e-mail and to receive next week’s rut report,
log on to
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
. The weekly news release provides updates on hunting and fishing seasons,
state record fish, outdoor activities, annual wildlife migrations, and more.
Weekly fishing reports from lakes and rivers across the state are provided,
as well as seasonal waterfowl reports that duck hunters can use to plan
their hunting seasons. A televised version of the rut report also will be
aired on Outdoor Oklahoma TV, the Wildlife Department’s official television
program, starting at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 on OETA. The program is aired at
additional times and on other stations throughout the week as well. Log on
to wildlifedepartment.com to find airtimes and channels for regions across
the state.
“Whatever you want to know about current activities in the
outdoors — whether it is when to expect whooping cranes to come through
Oklahoma on their annual migrations, where to go to hunt for pheasants,
where to catch a paddlefish or when to plan a trout fishing trip — the
Department’s weekly news release is all you need,” Rodefeld said. “It’s
instant, it’s up to date and it is free. The Wildlife Department also is
online at wildlifedepartment.com and on twitter, and we have a range of
online and print publications to stay in touch with our hunters and
anglers.”
For more information about the Wildlife Department or deer
hunting in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
-30-
Wildlife professionals detail current statewide deer rutting activity
Deer rifle season kicks off Saturday, Nov. 20, and personnel with
the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation are reporting that the rut is
heating up just in time.
Hunters have been harvesting mature deer all throughout archery and
muzzleloader. Even celebrities are getting in on the action. Country music star
Blake Shelton took a trophy buck Nov. 12 in southcentral Oklahoma, and other
mature deer are being taken statewide.
“Making music is my livelihood, and I love it, but when it comes to
my time I head to the woods,” Shelton said. “I can’t wait to be in the deer
woods. Deer season is like early Christmas around our place.”
The rut, or deer breeding season, is a biological process that
typically occurs around the second week of November. Deer activity during the
rut picks up but the amount of activity can be influenced by a host of factors
such as day length, temperatures, moon phase and herd condition.
The northwest region of Oklahoma is famed for its excellent deer
hunting — not to mention big deer — and biologists believe the fall-like weather
brought in over this past weekend was the trigger needed to increase deer
activity in the region.
According to Wade Free, northwest region wildlife supervisor for the
Wildlife Department, conditions during deer muzzleloader season were unusually
warm and windy.
“There were a few really nice bucks harvested, but overall the
harvest was down, mostly a result of limited deer movement due to hot, windy
conditions,” Free said, adding that hunters don’t stay afield as long when they
are dealing with heat, mosquitoes and limited deer sightings. Additionally, Free
said most winter wheat fields were not going strong yet and deer were therefore
not moving to and from crop fields.
However, Free expects far different results this weekend.
“Fortunately, as of late, bucks are starting to show increased
breeding activity, with fresh rubs and scrapes,” Free said.
According to Free, “rifle season has the potential to coincide
perfectly with rutting activity.”
“The deer are going to breed regardless of weather, but colder
temperatures allow the deer to move during the day when otherwise, temperatures
make it too stressful if not impossible to go all day,” he said.
In the opposite corner of the state — the southeast — the rut is
increasing in intensity and has not yet seen its peak, according to Jack
Waymire, southeast region senior wildlife biologist for the Wildlife Department.
“Archers are harvesting mature bucks, and bucks are cruising and
beginning to chase does,” Waymire said. “The highest peak of the rut is still
ahead.”
Waymire said acorn production in the region was poor this year but
that some may still be found along river systems. Deer movement, though, is
picking up, increasing the chances for hunters to see and harvest deer.
“If the weather cooperates, it is shaping up to be a good deer gun
season,” Waymire said.
Southeast Oklahoma is known for large expanses of public land open
to deer hunting, particularly on wildlife management areas such as Honobia Creek
and Three Rivers WMAs.
For just $40 — the cost of a Land Access Permit from the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation — Oklahoma hunters can gain hunting or
fishing access on the Honobia Creek and Three Rivers Wildlife Management Areas,
where some of the most rugged terrain and abundant cover in the state allow deer
to grow to mature age classes.
Additionally, the upcoming deer season is expected to be a good one
on Honobia Creek and Three Rivers WMAs.
“Our 2010 deer surveys were even better than the record-breaking
year of 2009,” said Kyle Johnson, Wildlife Department biologist stationed on
Honobia Creek and Three Rivers WMA. “With a little effort and willingness to do
some hiking through the woods and hunting away from roadways, hunters will have
a good opportunity to see deer this gun season.”
Johnson also has noted increased rutting activity in the southeast
region.
“Just in the last couple of days, I’ve started seeing and hearing
reports of mature bucks chasing does aggressively.”
Reports from the southwest region indicate the rut has been slow
developing this year.
“This is probably good news for those planning to hunt the deer gun
season opener,” said Rod Smith, southwest region wildlife supervisor for the
Wildlife Department. “The cool wet weather last weekend should be the stimulus
to increase deer movements and typical deer rutting behavior.”
Smith said deer activity through muzzleloader season and controlled
hunts that took place in early November was very slow. Last week, hunters were
reporting new scrapes, but adult bucks were also still being observed in groups.
According to Smith, people in the field were not observing significant rutting
activity last week. Though some bucks appeared to be rutting heavily, the
majority had not begun rutting actively. An increase in vehicle-killed deer was
noted last week, “a sure sign that the rut is beginning,” Smith said.
In the central region, rutting activity was observed by hunters
toward the end of muzzleloader season.
“A cool front dropped temperatures to the lows 30s at daylight and
high 50s at sunset,” said Rex Umber, central region senior biologist for the
Wildlife Department. “Above normal temperatures have followed with limited
activity, but bucks appear to be on the move again.”
According to Umber, deer harvest is currently down about 25 percent
or more in the central region compared to last year’s data, but as usual, some
mature bucks were harvested during both archery and muzzleloader seasons.
“The acorn crop appeared good in early summer, but weather
conditions were not favorable for development in July and August,” Umber said.
But while acorns are spotty, other food sources are available.
“The persimmon crop is good on most sites and deer are hitting these
sites very hard,” Umber said. “Wheat crops are also spotty — some sites good to
excellent.”
While Umber refrains from predicting the dates of the rut in the
central region, he sites Nov. 15 as the “usual” time to observe the rut taking
place in Oklahoma.
According to reports from the northeast part of the state, rutting
activity is beginning to pick up and, though it may be winding down in the early
part of deer gun season, deer will still be active and hunters should have
opportunities to see and harvest rutting deer.
The northeast region also experienced a warm early muzzleloader
season, and bucks were not overly active. However, as the season progressed,
pre-rut activity picked up. Reports submitted by Craig Endicott, northeast
region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department, indicate that deer
harvested during muzzleloader season were in good physical condition and a
number of “good average bucks” were harvested, though few may have been
considered trophy animals.
While some breeding activity will likely still be occurring on the
opening weekend of the deer gun season, hunters in the northeast region should
expect the peak to be winding down and adjust techniques accordingly. Doe
estrous calls, antler rattling, and grunt tubes may still work, but hunting
travel lanes to and from bedding or feeding areas may be more effective.
Scouting is key, as putting in time afield beforehand will almost always
increase a hunter’s odds of harvesting a deer. According to Endicott’s report,
most oak species in the northeast produced at least some acorns, and deer are
feeding on them. Oak stands may be ideal spots, and any other food sources where
does may be feeding, as bucks may be close at hand as breeding activity lingers.
Deer gun season runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 5. For more information
about license requirements, regulations and antlerless deer hunting
requirements, consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide” or log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
Hunters all over the state are reminded of the importance of
scouting out their hunting spots before the season, including searching out food
sources like acorns, persimmons, agriculture fields and others.
Hunters are advised to use weekdays as much as possible and to stay
in the woods as long as they are able on the days they choose to hunt. The
second week of the deer gun season should not be overlooked as a prime time to
harvest a buck as well. Hunters not successful early on opening day should
remember that deer frequently get up to feed and move about around mid-morning
to mid-day. Those still in the woods during that time frame often go home with a
deer.
Photo Caption: Country music star
Blake Shelton took this trophy buck Nov. 12 in southcentral Oklahoma, and other
mature deer are being taken statewide. Deer gun season opens Nov. 20 and runs
through Dec. 5. Consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide” for details and
regulations.
-30-
Hunters making a
difference for the hungry
Every year thousands of hungry Oklahomans reap the benefits of deer
season through the Hunters Against Hunger program.
“Last year hunters donated over 42,000 pounds of venison, which
provided 168,000 meals to hungry Oklahomans,” said Rhonda Hurst, administrator
of the Hunters Against Hunger program for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation.
Through the program, hunters who legally harvest a deer during any
of this year’s deer seasons can donate the meat to feed the hungry. All they
have to do is deliver their harvested deer to the nearest participating meat
processor after checking the deer at a hunter check station or online at
wildlifedepartment.com. Sportsmen can also use wildlifedepartment.com to view a
list of participating meat processors.
To help with processing charges, each hunter is requested to
contribute a tax-deductable $10 to assist with the program.
The ground venison is then distributed to the needy through a
network of qualified, charitable organizations
“Participation by meat processors and hunters is critical in
providing this meat source to Oklahoma’s hungry,” Hurst said.
The Wildlife Department pays a special thanks to the Regional Food
Bank of Oklahoma and the Community Food Bank of eastern Oklahoma for their
participation in the Hunters Against Hunger program. Important donors to this
program also include Tulsa-based conservation group NatureWorks, and the
Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International. To learn more about
NatureWorks, log on to natureworks.org. To learn more about the Oklahoma Station
Chapter of SCI, log on to oklahomastationsci.org.
To learn more about the Hunters Against Hunger program, contact the
Wildlife Department at (405) 522-6279.
-30-
Deer gun
season: bringing family and friends together
Since 1933, deer gun hunters have been making their way into the
woods and fields of Oklahoma for a tradition as deeply rooted as any in the
state. Every year a huge portion of Oklahoma’s 356,257 licensed hunters join
family members and friends for the opening day of deer gun season, and this year
looks to be no different, with opening day slated for Nov. 20.
“Every year, I spend opening day of deer gun season with my wife and
our extended family,” said Michael Bergin, information and education specialist
for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “Only a few of us hunt,
but we all show up at the same place for the weekend. We eat big meals together
and spend hours talking in the evenings after a good day in the field. Deer
season provides a great medium for us to get together, and the same is true for
thousands of other hunters across the state. Deer gun season is just a big deal
in our state, and it looks like it’s going to stay that way.”
While deer hunting is a time for fun, family and the outdoors, it’s
also important to realize the critical role that hunting plays in wildlife
conservation across the state. In fact, Oklahoma’s record of restoring deer
populations and other species of fish and wildlife and protecting natural
habitat can be largely credited to the millions of dollars generated by the
state’s sportsmen and women.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is the state agency
responsible for managing fish and wildlife. The Wildlife Department receives no
general state tax dollars and is supported by sportsmen through the sale of
hunting and fishing licenses. Additionally, for each hunting gear purchase, a
portion of the money is returned to state fish and wildlife agencies for
conservation efforts. Through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act,
passed in 1937 at the request of the hunting and shooting sports enthusiasts,
special excise taxes on hunting gear have contributed billions of dollars for
wildlife conservation.
In the early part of the last century, when deer populations were
down to just a few hundred animals, hunters and the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation took up the call to once again have healthy deer
populations across the state. Part of this conservation effort began with the
historic deer trap-and-transplant projects of the mid-1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s.
Today, Oklahoma can boast having deer in every county and a whitetail population
in excess of 500,000 animals. Hunters have generous harvest limits and expansive
opportunities statewide for hunting deer.
For more information about Oklahoma's deer season, consult the
current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide,” or log onto wildlifedepartment.com.
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Oklahoma game warden finds occupied flipped vehicle in rural creek
Every day Oklahoma game wardens have the important task of ensuring
the state’s fish and wildlife laws are enforced, and sometimes they help save a
human life. That’s what happened to David Robertson, game warden stationed in
McIntosh and Okmulgee counties, recently when he responded to a tip that a
vehicle was flipped over in a rural area south of Hanna.
Robertson arrived at the scene to find the vehicle, which was not
visible from the road.
“I went to investigate and found that the vehicle was upside down in
a creek,” Robertson said.
But an empty vehicle is not what Robertson found.
“I was shocked when I found that the vehicle was still occupied,”
Robertson said.
Inside the flipped vehicle, Robertson found an elderly woman who at
the time was unconscious but breathing. Robertson was able to get inside the
vehicle and try to speak to the woman, who after several minutes awoke and began
responding to Robertson. He informed her that she had been in an accident and
should remain still, and he obtained her name and the name of her daughter, who
Robertson later learned had reported her elderly mother missing. According to
Robertson, the elderly woman was an Alzheimer’s patient who told him she had
been trying to drive to a store in Midwest City.
Robertson also had called for medical assistance, and when it
arrived they were able to free the driver and transport her to a medical
facility.
To Robertson, it was just being in the right place at the right time
that allowed him to assist the driver.
Robertson came on board as a game warden for the Wildlife Department
in 1990. He spent his first five years stationed in Latimer Co., and then
transferred to McIntosh and Okmulgee counties, where he has been ever since.
Game wardens with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
have a unique opportunity to help in their communities.
“A lot of times, we’re the only law enforcement the rural public
sees,” Robertson said.
The work of a game warden involves everything from public service
such as that provided by Robertson to a person in need to providing lake
reports. The primary role of the job is to ensure compliance of wildlife laws
and ensure sportsmen have an equal opportunity to enjoy hunting and fishing.
In addition, game wardens are some of the most recognized employees
of the Wildlife Department and help at a range of public events, such as hunter
education courses, sportsmen’s club events, the Department’s annual Wildlife
Expo and others.
Game wardens start their training at the Wildlife Department’s
headquarters in Oklahoma City. There they receive five weeks of training in
criminal law, arrest procedures and how to professionally contact the public.
Then they move on to a 10-week field training and evaluation program in which
they are paired with veteran officers for field training. Once they have
completed that, they attend 576 hours of training through the Council on Law
Enforcement Education and Training Academy (CLEET). Only after completion of all
training will the wardens begin their first solo assignments.
The first step in becoming a game warden in Oklahoma is to take the
Department’s Standardized Employment Exam. This exam consists of 100 questions
covering state and federal wildlife laws and regulations, Oklahoma geography,
biological and environmental sciences relating to fish and wildlife,
environmental education and communications, general journalism, photojournalism,
technical writing and editing.
To take the exam to become a game warden, you must be at least 21
years of age and have a bachelor’s degree with at least 16 credit hours in
wildlife or biology-related coursework. A bachelor’s degree in a
wildlife-related field is preferred.
Those selected for a game warden position are interviewed and submit
to psychological and physical exams, a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug
use, and a thorough background investigation. Wardens must be able to meet a
physical ability standard, jog/walk over rough terrain, swim, be able to
physically control and arrest law violators, operate a boat and operate 2/4
wheel drive vehicles.
Oklahoma game wardens are able to handle almost any problem that
comes up during their workday. They are able to render first aid service, assist
in lifesaving and water safety, and assist stranded motorists along roadways.
They investigate illegal hunting and fishing and help landowners improve
wildlife habitat.
For more information about Oklahoma game wardens or employment at
the Wildlife Department, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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Pheasant season opens December 1
December 1 marks the opening day of pheasant season in Oklahoma,
and for the second year in a row the daily limit will be three cocks.
According to biologists with the Wildlife Department, two main
factors that determine how many pheasants will be available for hunters to
pursue each season are how many adult birds survive the winter and how many
hatchlings survive in the spring and early summer.
The Wildlife Department keeps tabs on these two critical factors
through two different surveys. First, biologists conduct the annual crow
count survey, which provides an idea of how many adult males survived
through the winter. In late April and early May, biologists drive county
roads and listen for crowing cock pheasants in search of mates. These
20-mile surveys are conducted in Alfalfa, Beaver, Cimarron, Ellis, Garfield,
Grant, Harper, Kay, Major, Noble, Texas, Woods, and Woodward counties.
The other factor considered is results from the annual brood
count surveys, which are conducted in late August to help biologist
determine how many young pheasants were produced during the nesting season.
The brood survey is conducted in the same counties as the crow count survey,
and observers count the number of pheasants observed and classify the size
of young birds to provide an index of pheasant abundance (number seen per
mile) and reproductive success.
Crow counts in recent years show high survival rates of adult
birds, and there has been an increasing population trend over the last
several years.
“There was good carryover of adult male birds going into nesting
season, and that will also carry over into the hunting season and should
provide good hunting opportunity,” said Doug Schoeling, upland game bird
biologist for the Wildlife Department.
This year, brood survey results were up 30 percent from 2009.
According to Schoeling, the nesting season this summer was favorable in most
of the pheasant range.
“With a good carryover of adult birds and the increase in brood
production, the 2010 pheasant season looks like it could turn out very good
for hunters,” Schoeling said.
Pheasant season in Oklahoma runs Dec. 1 through Jan. 31 (only in
open areas) and offers hunters a chance at a popular game bird that, though
not native to Oklahoma, thrives in northcentral and northwestern portions of
the state.
The increase in daily limits was approved by the Oklahoma
Wildlife Commission in April of 2009 as part of an effort to give the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation flexibility to adjust pheasant
bag limits each year based on the population, allowing for improved pheasant
management capabilities and increased hunting opportunities in years of high
pheasant numbers.
According to Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for Wildlife
Department, research and data taken from annual spring and summer population
surveys show some years are better than others for pheasant recruitment.
“The option to adjust our pheasant season daily limit so it's
consistent with the bird population each year will mean more opportunities
for hunters in those years when bird numbers are high,” Peoples said.
The ringneck pheasant was first introduced into Oklahoma in
1911, and the colorful birds prefer cultivated farmland habitat mixed with
weedy fencerows and overgrown pastures common across northcentral Oklahoma
and the Panhandle.
Hunters should consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide” for
open counties and wildlife management areas. The daily bag limit for
pheasants is three cocks, with a possession limit of six after the first day
and nine after the second day. Evidence of sex (head or one foot) must
remain on the bird until it reaches its final destination.
To hunt pheasants, hunters most possess a valid state hunting
license, available online at wildlifedepartment.com or at sporting good
stations and other locations across the state. When the deer gun and the
holiday antlerless deer seasons overlap with pheasant season, all pheasant
hunters must wear either a hunter orange cap or vest. For further
regulations, including open areas, consult the current “Oklahoma Hunting
Guide.”
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Oklahoma economy made
stronger by hunting
Hunting may be a mainstream, popular pastime in Oklahoma, but it
is also an important part of the state’s economy, sustaining jobs, drawing
in-state and out-of-state business, and flooding the economy with millions
of dollars each year.
The number of people who hunt in Oklahoma could fill both
Memorial Stadium and Boone Pickens stadium almost two times, and deer
hunters make up a large portion of those hunters.
The role deer hunters play in the state simply by participating
in the outdoors is far-reaching. Original expenditures made by hunters,
anglers and wildlife watchers generate rounds of additional spending
throughout the economy. The total economic effect of deer hunting activity
in Oklahoma during 2006 was estimated at nearly $500 million, and the total
economic effect from 2006 hunting activity in Oklahoma in general was
estimated to be $843 million.
Expenditures made for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching
activities support jobs throughout the state. Many of these jobs are in
companies that directly serve recreationists, such as retailers,
restaurants, motels and more. Others are in companies that support the first
companies and employees such as wholesalers, utilities, manufacturers,
grocers and more. Total jobs, full and part time, supported in Oklahoma in
2006 from deer hunting-related activities was estimated at 5,662.
Given that outdoor recreation dollars are often spent in rural
or lightly populated areas, the economic contributions of fish and wildlife
resources can be especially important to rural economies.
Deer season draws hunters to Oklahoma from across the country as
well as thousands of sportsmen who live and work in Oklahoma. These hunters
purchase gear — some of which is made right here in Oklahoma — and they stay
in small-town hotels and spend money at local grocery stores, restaurants,
and other vendors. Hunting is big business in Oklahoma and an important part
of the fabric of the state’s economy, which is relatively healthy compared
to other parts of the country.
During hard economic times, families and friends are drawn
closer together through hunting, and the fabric of Oklahoma’s economy is
woven even tighter and stronger thanks to a pastime enjoyed by thousands and
supported by Oklahoma’s rich natural resources.
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From field to freezer the
right way
Many hunters will tell you that one the greatest rewards of deer
hunting is the many meals that will be enjoyed from the freezer full of meat
that a deer provides. It’s not difficult to take a deer from the field to
the freezer, but some care and effort is required.
First and foremost, hunters must be properly licensed. To hunt
deer in Oklahoma, residents must possess an appropriate hunting license.
Additionally, hunters must carry a valid deer license for each deer hunted.
Nonresident deer hunters are exempt from a hunting license while hunting
deer, but they must possess an appropriate nonresident deer gun license for
each deer hunted or proof of exemption. Holders of nonresident lifetime
hunting and combination licenses are not exempt from purchasing deer
licenses. Licenses are available online at wildlifedepartment.com or at
sporting goods dealers and other businesses across the state.
Upon harvesting a deer, all hunters, including lifetime license
holders, must immediately attach their name and hunting license number and,
new this year, the date and time of harvest to their deer. The attached item
can be anything, such as a business card, as long as it contains the
required information and remains attached to the carcass until it is
checked. In addition, all annual license holders are required to complete
the “Record of Game” section on their license form.
All deer must be checked at the nearest open hunter check
station, with an authorized Wildlife Department employee or online at
wildlifedepartment.com within 24 hours of leaving the hunt area. Once
checked, the deer will be issued a carcass tag or online confirmation
number, which must remain with the carcass to its final destination or
through processing and storage at commercial processing or storage
facilities.
Deer should be field-dressed, or “hog-dressed,” as soon as
possible to prevent spoilage of the meat. After field dressing, hunters may
opt to butcher their own deer or have a reputable meat processor prepare it
for them. In either case, the meat should be kept clean, cool and dry until
it reaches the freezer.
“Dirt, heat and moisture are three things you’ll want to keep
away from and off of your deer meat all the way through field dressing and
processing,” said Lance Meek, hunter education coordinator for the Wildlife
Department. “The better you care for your venison in the hours immediately
after a harvest, the better it will taste throughout the coming year when
you go to the freezer for a cut of venison for the dinner table.”
Venison can be prepared in a vast number of ways and in many
cases can serve as a substitute for other meats, such as beef.
Savory
venison recipes for your 2010 deer harvest
MARINATED VENISON BROCHETTES (ALSO KNOWN AS “DEER KABOBS”)
Ingredients:
2 pounds of venison loin, rump or flank steak. (will make approximately 12
to 15 brochettes)
vinegar and oil based Italian Salad Dressing (i.e. Zesty Italian).
10 oz. jar of either mild or hot jalapeno peppers (sliced).
1 pound bacon
1 8 oz. jar of pearl cocktail onions (a.k.a. Martini Onions), or 2 to 3
small yellow onions cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
salt, pepper, seasoned salt to taste
wooden toothpicks and/or skewers
Preparation:
Remove as much of the "silver skin" and any connective tissue (white) from
venison as possible and cut into strips approx. one and a half inches wide,
by 1/2 inch thick by approximately three to four inches long. Place all
strips into large bowl and mix with Italian Salad Dressing and refrigerate
overnight (Hint: give the meat at least one stir overnight to marinate the
venison strips evenly). Take each strip and place 2-3 slices of jalapeño at
one end with one cocktail onion (or cube of onion). Roll (or fold) the
onion/peppers inside the strip of venison, then take one strip of bacon and
wrap around the venison roll, then secure in place by tooth picks (Hint:
spearing the toothpicks through the onion in the center of the roll really
helps to hold everything together). Season outside of each brochette with
salt, pepper or your favorite meat seasoning (i.e. Tony Chachere's Creole
Seasoning, Cavender's Greek Seasoning etc.).
Grilling or Smoking:
Brochettes can be grilled on a normal gas or charcoal barbecue grill, but be
careful not to cook in direct flame. Grilling over an open flame can be
dangerous once the bacon fat begins dripping on the open flame, which can
cause flare ups. Place meat where it will not drip on the grill burners, or
charcoal. Or, for the safest (and most tender) brochettes, place in a slow
smoker (225 degrees for 2 hours). Brochettes can also be broiled in an oven,
but a pan must be placed below to catch drippings from bacon. Although
cooking the jalapeño peppers lessens their spiciness, you may want to
prepare some brochettes with no jalapeños. Or, you may want to use milder
pepper varieties (i.e. mild chili, banana or bell peppers) for those with a
low tolerance for hot and spicy foods. A surprisingly tasty variation to the
above involves placing a dried apricot in the brochette along with the onion
and pepper!
VENISON TIPS AND GRAVY
Ingredients
1-2 lbs. chopped venison (any choice cuts, diced to one-inch cubes)
1 packet brown gravy mix
1 cup water
salt, pepper, or steak & fajita spice
3-4 servings rice
Whisk brown gravy mix into one cup cold water. Set aside. Season venison
cubes and brown in large skillet, then add gravy mixture. Cover and simmer
at least one hour. Serve over rice.
VENISON STEW PAPRIKA
2 1/2-3 lbs. venison stew meat cut into one-inch cubes
1/2 C flour
3 T paprika
Salt and Pepper
2 T butter
2 med. Onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 t marjoram
1-11 oz. Can tomatoes or 1 can tomato sauce
1/2 C sour cream at room temperature
1/2 C wine or 7-Up
Shake meat cubes in plastic bag with the flour, 1T paprika, salt and pepper.
In Dutch oven, melt butter and sauté coated venison cubes until browned (may
have to brown the cubes in stages, do not crowd them to get nicely browned).
Remove cubes to warm dish and in the same Dutch oven, sauté onions and
garlic with 2 T paprika until soft. Then add marjoram, tomatoes and wine or
7-Up. Add browned venison cubes and simmer over low heat until meat is
tender (45 min-1.5 hours). Just before serving, stir in 1/2 C sour cream.
Serve with egg noodles or rice.
GROUND VENISON FOIL WRAP
Take a 12" square piece of foil. Put a venison patty (about the size of a
hamburger patty) on middle of foil. Pull up sides of foil to form a bag. Add
about 1/4" slices of potatoes to top of meat, then add onion slices, put
about a teaspoon of butter and 1/8 cup of water in foil. Sprinkle with salt,
pepper, & a little garlic powder. Close foil and put in hot coals for
about 20-30 minutes. Or you can cook at 350 degrees in an oven for about the
same time. You can add other vegetables and sauces, such as barbecue sauce
or ketchup, if you want to the foil wraps.
-Submitted by Susan Jones
-30-
Last
chance for young outdoor writers to share hunting heritage, win outdoor
getaways
Oklahoma youth planning to participate in the youth outdoor
essay contest hosted by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and
the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International have until Nov. 19
to postmark or hand deliver their entries. Entrants have a chance to share
their outdoor heritage as well as compete for an unforgettable outdoor
getaway.
According to Colin Berg, education supervisor for the Wildlife
Department, the essay contest is an ideal way for youth to show their love
for the outdoors and, in the process, possibly win a vacation in the great
outdoors.
To participate, students must be 11-17 years of age and
currently enrolled in any Oklahoma school or home school. Students also must
use the theme of “Hunting: Sharing the Heritage” or “Archery: What I like
about Archery in the Schools and Bowhunting” or the concept of the theme to
develop a descriptive essay or short story. Winners of the previous year’s
contest are not eligible. Applicants must have successfully completed an
Oklahoma Hunter Education course by the entry deadline, which is Nov. 19,
2010. There are two age categories — 11-14 and 15-17.
Winners in the 15-17 age category (one boy and one girl) will
receive a guided antelope hunt in New Mexico, and winners in the 11-14 age
category are competing for a scholarship within the Apprentice Hunter
Program at the YO Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas. Safari Club International’s
Apprentice Hunter Program is a unique, hands-on course designed for girls
and boys aged 11-14. The program covers topics such as the history of
hunting, the ethical basis of modern sport hunting, wildlife management,
field identification, tracking and interpreting sign, game cooking and the
SCI Sportsmen Against Hunger Program. There are three sessions — each one
week long — during the summer of 2011.
The four statewide winners and their legal guardians will be
invited to Oklahoma City to attend an awards ceremony in March. In addition,
the top 25 essay entrants will receive a one-year youth membership to Safari
Club International. The Oklahoma State Chapter will reimburse trip travel
expenses to New Mexico and Texas up to $500 per essay contest winner. The
winning student essays will be published in the OSCSCI newsletter, “Safari
Trails.” Publication qualifies the winning entries for the Outdoor Writers
Association of America Youth Writing Contest. Several past national winners
have come from Oklahoma. Essays may also be printed in Outdoor Oklahoma
magazine.
Two educators also will be awarded all-expenses-paid
scholarships for an eight-day conservation education school at Safari Club
International’s American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) at Granite
Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming.
The AWLS program is conducted during the summer and presents an
outdoor program for educators that concentrates on natural resource
management. Participants learn about stream ecology, map and compass,
language arts and creative writing in an outdoor setting, fly tying,
shooting sports, wildlife management, the Yellowstone ecosystem, camping,
white-water rafting, educational resources and how to implement outdoor
education ideas.
Both the essay contest rules and teacher scholarship
applications are available from the Department's Web site.
Essays and applications must be postmarked no later than Nov.
19, 2010, or delivered by Nov. 19 in person to the Department of Wildlife’s
Jenks Office at 201 Aquarium Drive, Jenks. Address entries to: Essay
Contest, Attn: Education Section Supervisor, ODWC Jenks Office, P.O. Box
1201, Jenks, OK 74037. Fax entries will not be accepted.
-30-
Time running out to vote online for favorite 2011-12 duck stamp art
It just takes the click of a mouse for sportsmen to vote on the
artwork that that will be printed on the 2011-12 Oklahoma waterfowl stamp,
but time is running out.
Hunters can vote online at wildlifedepartment.com until Nov. 15.
A number of voting options are available thanks to submissions from artists
from all over the United States.
Every year wildlife artists from across the nation submit their
rendition of a specified waterfowl species to the Wildlife Department’s duck
stamp design contest. In recent years the Wildlife Department has relied on
input from the public to help determine the winner, whose work is printed on
the Oklahoma waterfowl stamp the following year. This year, artwork was
centered on the bluewing teal which can be found near Oklahoma’s wetlands
during early fall and spring.
“In recent years, people who wanted to vote on the next duck
stamp design had to travel somewhere to see the entries, but technology is
allowing us to make voting possible from home or even on the go for those
folks with laptops or smart phones,” said Micah Holmes, information and
education supervisor for the Wildlife Department.
Duck stamp sales help finance many projects that benefit ducks
and geese. Since the duck stamp program began in 1980, thousands of acres of
waterfowl habitat have been created through duck stamp revenues.
Along with public input, entries will be judged on anatomical
accuracy, artistic composition and suitability for printing.
The winning artist will receive a purchase award of $1,200
provided by NatureWorks, a Tulsa-based conservation organization.
Additionally, the winner and three honorable mentions will appear in a
future issue of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.
“This is a good chance for duck hunters to weigh in on their
favorite artwork,” Holmes said. “After all, it’s their duck season and their
waterfowl stamp. They should have a say in what artwork is featured, and
they should take the opportunity to give their input.”
A selection of waterfowl stamp art from previous years is
currently on display in the lobby of the Wildlife Department headquarters
located at 1801 N. Lincoln, in Oklahoma City.
Prints of previous winning waterfowl artwork can be purchased at
wildlifedepartment.com/oklahomastampprogram.htm
More information about the annual duck stamp design contest,
including official rules, is available online at wildlifedepartment.com
-30-
Free Wildlife Department “Rut Report’ slated for Nov. 17
With the Nov. 20 Oklahoma deer gun season opener just around the
corner, reports of deer activity from hunters are beginning to buzz, no
doubt through e-mails and text messages as well as in workplaces, schools
and at dinner tables all over the state. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation is getting in on the excitement with its own last minute “Rut
Report,” scheduled for Nov. 17.
The report, available for free by e-mail to anyone who
subscribes to the Wildlife Department, will contain the latest possible
status reports from Wildlife Department biologists on deer rutting activity
in all regions of the state. It will also include venison recipes,
information on the Department’s online deer check station option, the
Hunters Against Hunger program and information about driving vehicles on
country roadways during the deer breeding season, or rut. Deer breeding
activity can vary from region to region based on a range of factors, but
with personnel stationed in all corners of Oklahoma, the Wildlife Department
is able to collect useful information for hunters no matter where they hunt.
“Right now Department employees are either talking about deer or
hearing about deer,” said Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for
the Wildlife Department. “Our employees are constantly visiting with
sportsmen, landowners and others who spend time in the outdoors, so we are
getting a lot of information that could prove useful to deer hunters. I’d
encourage anyone interested in some last minute details on deer activity to
check out our free report next week.”
The report will be part of the Wildlife Department’s free weekly
e-mail news release, which is sent to thousands of subscribers each week.
The weekly news release provides updates on hunting and fishing seasons,
state record fish, outdoor activities, annual wildlife migrations, and more.
Weekly fishing reports from lakes and rivers across the state are provided,
as well as seasonal waterfowl reports that duck hunters can use to plan
their hunting seasons. A televised version of the rut report also will be
aired on Outdoor Oklahoma TV, the Wildlife Department’s official television
program, starting at 8 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 on OETA. The program is aired at
additional times and on other stations throughout the week as well. Log on
to wildlifedepartment.com to find airtimes and channels for regions across
the state.
“Whatever you want to know about current activities in the
outdoors — whether it is when to expect whooping cranes to come through
Oklahoma on their annual migrations, where to go to hunt for pheasants,
where to catch a paddlefish or when to plan a trout fishing trip — the
Department’s weekly news release is all you need,” Rodefeld said. “It’s
instant, it’s up to date and it is free. The Wildlife Department also is
online at wildlifedepartment.com and on twitter, and we have a range of
online and print publications to stay in touch with our hunters and
anglers.”
For more information about the Wildlife Department or deer
hunting in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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