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An American black bear stands near a pile of logs with its nose in the air.
Study Focused on Panhandle Black Bears Gets Big Picture Results

Camera traps and hair snares give landowners and biologists answers about status and origin of Panhandle black bears.

A tan frog with dark blotches floats in the water.
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring … the Crawfish Frog is Snoring

A team from Oklahoma State University has been studying the state’s secretive crawfish frog with research and survey sites spanning from a single breeding pond to the eastern one-third of Oklahoma.

Two biologists in coats hold a big catfish while standing on a boat.
Rethinking Sampling Gear Gives Better Estimate of Big Catfish

Study finds electrofishing may catch the largest numbers of blue catfish but misses a “shocking” number of big fish.

A small brown butterfly is perched on a twig.
Small Butterfly Gets Big Status Update

A team organized by the Oklahoma Biological Survey tracked down the handful of frosted elfin butterfly records for the state and made it their mission to increase the number of known locations for the species.

A brown cat lays on the ground, looking through standing vegetation.
Bobcats Focus of Study on Three Wildlife Management Areas

The Wildlife Department partnered with Oklahoma State University to study the density of Oklahoma’s most-harvested furbearer and the relationships between predator and prey.

A Mexican free-tailed bat with a small transmitter on its back in a gloved hand.
State’s Flying Mammal Focus of Ongoing OU Research

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma are assessing the overall health and movements of the Mexican free-tailed bat at the Wildlife Department’s Selman Bat Cave WMA.

A bird with a red head, black back and white wingtips perches on a broken branch.
Biologist Hauls in Remarkable Woodpecker Sightings

Four species of woodpecker were detected within an Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas survey block near the community of Vinson. The survey was completed as part of the state's second atlas effort.

A biologist stands in front of a vehicle at daybreak with a data sheet in hand and binoculars and stop watch around his neck.
Biologist Gets Up with the Birds to Track Status & Trends

The longstanding Breeding Bird Survey gives insights into Oklahoma’s avian populations. We tagged along with a biologist to count birds in southeastern OK.

A woman in a blue coat leans over a GPS unit to document a plant growing on a rock ledge.
State’s Botanist Inventories Plants Growing at Arbuckle Springs WMA

Oklahoma’s state botanist will visit Arbuckle Springs WMA throughout the 2023 growing season to document the area’s plant diversity.

A large turtle with a hooked beak and textured shell.
Pioneering Grant Program Reaches Milestone

Wildlife Department celebrates 20 years of the State Wildlife Grant Program, a grant program dedicated to funding research and surveys for nongame species.