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SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER • VOLUME 79 • 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 28 32 40
James V. Barwick, Edmond — Vice Chairman
Rick Holder, Creta — Secretary
Tim Diehl, McAlester
D. Chad Dillingham, Enid
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 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Amanda Storck, Chief Financial Officer
Ken Cunningham, Chief, Fisheries Division
Bill Dinkines, Chief, Wildlife Division
Nathan Erdman, Chief, Law Enforcement Division OFF THE BEATEN PATH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Nels Rodefeld, Chief, Communication and Education Division
Nels Rodefeld, Editor 2022-23 BIG GAME HARVEST REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Micah Holmes, Managing Editor Last Year’s Deer Tally Leaps to New Record
Kelly Adams, Managing Editor
Don P. Brown, Associate Editor By Dallas Barber, Wildlife Biologist
Contributing Staff
Dallas Barber, Jennifer Benge, Kelly Boyer, Mike Chrisman, CONSERVATION FOR KIDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Jena Donnell, Nathan Erdman, Lydia Gearhart, Matt Pages Providing Learning and Fun for Youngsters
Hensley, Kurt Kuklinski, Joey McAllister, Lance Meek, Jerry
Shaw, Smokey Solis, Amanda Storck, Amanda Thomas.
STANDING THE TEST OF TIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
phone
(405) 521-3856 Hunter Education Proves Relevant for Life
By Kyle Wright
WebSite
www.wildlifedepartment.com
MYSTERY IN THE DARK: LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT
e-mail
donald.brown@odwc.ok.gov ENDANGERED OKLAHOMA CAVE CRAYFISH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Art direction by Stroud Design, Inc. By Savannah Hopkins
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Copyright ©2023 by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife RANGE-FINDING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Conservation. Reproduction in whole or in part without
permission is prohibited. Outdoor Oklahoma (ISSN 0030-7106) ODWC Program to Construct, Renovate Shooting Ranges On-Target Statewide
is published bimonthly by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife By Don P. Brown, Communication and Education Specialist
Conservation, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152.
Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK, and additional And Amanda Thomas, Shooting Range Coordinator
mailing offices. Notification of address change must include
both old and new addresses and ZIP codes, with six weeks’ DOING MORE WITH LESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
notice. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Outdoor
Oklahoma, Attn: Address Changes, P.O. Box 37830 Flat Revenues, Inflation Take Toll On Wildlife Conservation Budget
Boone, IA 50037-0830 By Don P. Brown, Communication and Education Specialist
This program receives federal assistance from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and thus prohibits discrimination on the OUTDOOR STORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age New Items Added!
and sex (gender) pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
of 1964 (as amended), Title IX of the Education Amendments
of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of WATCHABLE WILDLIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans
With Disabilities Act of 1990. To request an accommodation The White-tailed Deer
or informational material in an alternative format, contact By Outdoor Oklahoma Staff
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, (405) 521-
3851. If you believe you have been discriminated against in
any program, activity or service, contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife ON THE COVER: F facebook.com/OkWildlifeDept
Service, Office for Diversity and Workforce Management, 5275 A big game harvest warrants d instagram.com/OkWildlifeDept
Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041.
a big-time celebration! ù outdooroklahoma
Printed on recycled, recyclable paper. Bowhunter Nolan Vinyard,

8, son of Justin and Kelli Õ @OkWildlifeDept
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE Vinyard of Jones, took his É @OkWildlifeDept
www.tinyurl.com/GetOutdoorOklahoma first compound bow buck
for online credit card orders during the 2022-23 archery
Subscriptions are $10 per year; $18 for 2 years; $25 for 3 deer season. His harvest was
years. Single copies $4. Production and distribution costs among the 41,487 taken, which
not covered by subscription fees are borne by Oklahoma
sportsmen and sportswomen through hunting and fishing fees. set a new season record for
bowhunters in Oklahoma. Check out all the results from
ACCOUNT QUESTIONS last year’s big game hunting seasons in the annual Big
or bill-me-later orders: Call (800) 777-0019
Game Harvest Report, starting on Page 10.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 1