Page 3 - September/October Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER • VOLUME 78 •
NUMBER 5

Published by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln Blvd, Oklahoma City, OK 73105
P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152
State of oklahoma
J. Kevin Stitt, Governor
Wildlife ConServation CommiSSion
Leigh Gaddis, Ada — Chairman
James V. Barwick, Edmond — Vice Chairman
Rick Holder, Creta — Secretary
Bill Brewster, Marietta
D. Chad Dillingham 8 14 20
Jess Kane, Bartlesville
Mark Mabrey, Okmulgee
John P. Zelbst, Meers
oklahoma department of Wildlife ConServation
J.D. Strong, Director
Wade Free, Assistant Director of Operations
Amanda Storck, Chief Financial Officer
Ken Cunningham, Chief, Fisheries Division
Bill Dinkines, Chief, Wildlife Division
Nathan Erdman, Chief, Law Enforcement Division
Nels Rodefeld, Chief, Communication and Education Division
Nels Rodefeld, Editor
Micah Holmes, Managing Editor TABLE OF CONTENTS
Kelly Adams, Managing Editor
Don P. Brown, Associate Editor
Contributing Staff OFF THE BEATEN PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Dallas Barber, Michael Bergin, Danae Davenport, Jeff Ford,
Kristen Gillman, Darrin Hill, Chas Patterson, Blake Podhajsky, PLAYAS ARE PLAYERS IN PLAINS ECOSYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Jason Schooley, Smokey Solis, Weston Storer.
Occasional Wetlands Recharge Groundwater, Boost Biodiversity
phone
(405) 521-3856 By Miruh Hamend, Playa Lakes Joint Venture
WebSite
www.wildlifedepartment.com A NRDA WAY OF THINKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
ON THE COVER:
e-mail Fines for Polluting Circle Back To Fund Conservation Projects
donald.brown@odwc.ok.gov Oklahoma hunters
again responded By Kristen Gillman, Lands and Minerals Coordinator
Art direction by Stroud Design, Inc.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to the Wildlife AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY AFIELD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Copyright ©2022 by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Department’s deer
Conservation. Reproduction in whole or in part without Deer Season Experience Fuels Boy’s Passion for Hunting
permission is prohibited. Outdoor Oklahoma (ISSN 0030-7106) herd management By David Falconer
is published bimonthly by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife slogan “Hunters in
Conservation, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. the Know … Take a
Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK, and additional CONSERVATION FOR KIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
mailing offices. Notification of address change must include Doe!” as antlerless Pages Providing Learning and Fun for Youngsters
both old and new addresses and ZIP codes, with six weeks’ harvest accounted
notice. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Outdoor
Oklahoma, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. for 41 percent of all 2021-22 BIG GAME HARVEST REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
deer taken during Opportunity Nocks: Archers Set Deer Harvest Record for 3rd
This program receives federal assistance from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and thus prohibits discrimination on the the 2021-22 seasons. Straight Year
basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age One of those
and sex (gender) pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act By Dallas Barber, Big Game Biologist, and Emily Clark, Big Game Technician
of 1964 (as amended), Title IX of the Education Amendments antlerless harvests,
of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of accomplished by PADDLEFISH RESEARCH CENTER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM . . . 36
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans
With Disabilities Act of 1990. To request an accommodation new deer hunter A Look Back After 100-plus Interns
or informational material in an alternative format, contact Smokey Solis By Jason D. Schooley, Senior Fisheries Biologist
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, (405) 521-
3851. If you believe you have been discriminated against in of Edmond, is
any program, activity or service, contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife memorialized in this WILDLIFE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION SPOTLIGHT . . . . . . . . 45
Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 image. Learn more
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. OUTDOOR STORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
about this past
Printed on recycled, recyclable paper.
year’s big game WATCHABLE WILDLIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
hunting seasons The American Green-winged Teal
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE starting on Page
www.tinyurl.com/GetOutdoorOklahoma 26. (Photo by Blake By Danae Davenport, Education Intern
for online credit card orders
Subscriptions are $10 per year; $18 for 2 years; $25 for 3 Podhajsky/ODWC) F facebook.com/OkWildlifeDept d instagram.com/OkWildlifeDept
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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2022 1