This is the Outdoor Oklahoma Journal, where we're all about helping you pursue and engage in Oklahoma's vibrant outdoor lifestyle. Follow us for great hunting and fishing stories, wildlife features, insider information about unique opportunities, and tangible details on how to go out and be a hunter, angler, and conservationist. The outdoors are always open, so don't miss out!
Surveying Three Ozark Highland Rivers
The Wildlife Department has documented 61 species of fish and freshwater mussels while surveying three Ozark Highland rivers; 11 of which are considered species of greatest conservation need.
Look Who's Croaking: Meet the Frogs of Red Slough WMA
Each spring, ponds, wetlands and lakes across the state boom with the peeping, snoring and laughing calls of breeding frogs and toads.
Warm up with These Winter Hikes
Though our state does endure a few blustery, brutal winter days, there are also several mild reprieves when Oklahomans can stretch their legs and enjoy the landscape with winter hikes.
Wildscaping with Winterberry
A dual-purpose wildlife plant, winterberry offers a late season treat to many species of wildlife during winter and is a great hiding spot for bird nests in the spring.
Christmas Birds Counted at Red Slough WMA
Bird watchers covered nearly 180 square miles from the Idabel area south to the Red River, documenting 111 species of birds.
2016-2017 Big Game Report
Oklahoma continues to enjoy some of the best deer hunting in North America as our habitat and herds continue to recover from the severe drought a few years ago. The overall harvest increased by nearly 12 percent from 2015-16, with a total of 99,023 deer taken in 2016-17. Figure 1 depicts deer harvest from 1972 through this past season. A breakdown of the past 10 years by bucks (including button bucks) and does appears in Figure 2. Does account for 37 percent of the total deer harvest, below the 40 percent to 45 percent target rate but acceptable for a herd recovering from the lower reproduction encountered during the drought. A total of 189 mule deer were checked from the westernmost areas of the state.
University of Oklahoma's Ichthyology Class Joins Survey
Biologists conduct these presence/absence surveys along a 300-mile stretch of the river twice a year, once in July and again in October.
Turn your Backyard Landscape into a Wildlife Oasis
After the dog days of summer and the recent memories of colorful blossoms, many Oklahomans are taking advantage of fall’s cooler weather to redesign their backyard landscape.
Prepare Your Bird Feeders: Install a Grackle Log Roller
Get ready for the traditional winter bird feeding season - and the large flocks of birds that may overwhelm your feeders.
Oklahoman Documented 3,516 Species of Beetles in Latimer County
Karl Stephan collected, processed, and donated many specimens of beetles to science.