Contacts
Area Details
For details on Wichita Mountains WR visit our partners with the USFWS:
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adopted new rules in 2025 that require non-residents accessing certain Oklahoma public hunting and fishing areas to check in and out of the area. By checking in and out of these areas, hunters, anglers, shooters, birdwatchers, hikers, and any other users can help the Wildlife Department better understand how the area is being used. There is no additional cost associated with checking in or out of an area. There is no limit to the number of check-ins for an individual in a year.
All hunting seasons are closed except controlled turkey, elk and deer hunts. Contact the refuge for waterfowl special restrictions.
Channel and/or blue catfish: six combined per day.
Allowed methods: rod and reel only.
Shells that Tell: Photos Show Turtles' Staying Power
In 2018, Piedmont resident Thomas Hall rummaged in his pocket for his phone and snapped a picture directly above an ornate box turtle he had found in his backyard. He's since documented several turtles using the space, identifying individuals by their unique shell pattern.
St. Jude Monitors Wildlife Disease to Safeguard Children
Medical research met wildlife disease surveillance this winter when a St. Jude disease researcher tested sediment samples at known whooping crane stopover sites in five states. This pilot project gave insights into the prevalence and detection rates of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the Central Flyway.
