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History of the Department
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| The Early Years Oklahoma's first game and fish laws were passed in 1895, only five years after the Oklahoma Territorial government became established. The new laws prohibited the killing of wild game and insectivorous birds, while quail, prairie chicken, turkey, doves and plover received special seasons. At that time no administrative office for game and fish existed, so local county and township officers enforced the game and fish laws. These individuals received half of each fine as their pay. By 1903, attitudes toward game and its uses had changed. The marketing of game became illegal and railway and express companies were fined heavily for shipping game. In the same year, the Territorial Game and Fish Protective Association was organized, which helped enforce the Game Marketing Act. Game and Fish Department Established Four years later the Department disbanded and the $94,000 accumulated from hunting license sales was put into the state capitol building fund. State sportsmen protested until finally the Department was reestablished in 1915. The first state hatchery was built at Medicine Park after the Department received $70,000 in appropriations. In 1917, the legislature returned the Department's $94,000, specifying that the funds be used for developing game preserves and building fish hatcheries. Throughout the 1920s more hatcheries were built, including one near
Durant (1916-17), near Tahlequah (1924-26), Heavener (1925-26) and
Cherokee in 1929. |
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Expansion During '30s and '40s
The 1930s and early '40s brought refinement to the game management
techniques in Oklahoma. Efforts to stock ringnecked pheasants, initiated
in the '20s, became fruitful in the 1930s. Bobwhite quail management was
also emphasized. In 1943, changes in the authority delegated to various
personnel made the state game wardens duties comparable to those of a
modern Department director. The Game and Fish Department's first monthly
magazine, Oklahoma Game and Fish News, was born in 1945.
During this time the state capitol building housed the Department. The
Department suffered from a lack of space until 1942 when it moved to the
first floor. Meanwhile, fisheries personnel conducted research in
basement rooms at the capitol.
In 1947, the state Game and Fish Warden title was changed to Director.
The establishment of a single office in Oklahoma
City centralized and strengthened the enforcement of the state game
statutes.
The first pheasant season opened in 1948 with free permits issued for
certain northwestern counties. At least one dream of early Oklahoma
wildlife biologists had finally become a reality after 22 years of
effort with the oriental import.
The game and fish statutes were updated in 1949, with fees for fishing
and hunting licenses rising to $2, or $3.50 for a
combination license.
Early Efforts Begin to Show Results
In 1960, efforts began for establishing several exotic bird species in
the state, and the first fall turkey season was held. Two years later
the first elk hunt was held and 42 elk were harvested.
Two years later the Department installed 14 radio base and relay
stations, giving the Department statewide two-way radio
communication.
The 1960s saw the Department striving to provide the state's sportsmen
with quality outdoor recreation. A significant trout
stocking program began in 1964; mule deer from Colorado were released in
the Glass Hills and the first spring turkey season was opened. The
Department moved into its own building in 1966, the same year the first
antelope season in state history was held.
The Department first offered hunter safety programs in 1965. Initially
offered on a voluntary basis, the course became
mandatory in 1987 for all persons born after Jan. 1, 1972.
The '60s and '70s saw various hunting seasons expanded, a stabilized
deer herd and new fish species introduced such as the striped bass. The
recreational opportunities for anglers and hunters were growing.
Great strides were made in the '80s. The trout stocking program was
expanded; saugeye and giant Canada geese
establishment programs were initiated. Three new programs --
Conservation Education, Aquatic Resources Education and Nongame Wildlife
-- were created. In addition, hunters saw the deer harvest jump from
about 14,000 in 1980 to more than 70,000 in 1997, expansion of
controlled hunts and the first statewide turkey season. Three major
wildlife management areas were purchased, adding 52,500 acres to
Department-managed lands.
Looking to the Future
Early Oklahoma conservationists fought to save the last remnants of
the state's game animals and fish for future generations. The men
who formulated Oklahoma's modern wildlife conservation practices in
the '40s and '50s, emphasized the wise use of our outdoor resources.
They built a tradition, a tradition based on providing variety and
quality in state hunting and fishing. The Department has retained
this tradition it will continue to clearly demonstrate this
by building for the future a healthy environment where nature can
survive in harmony with the needs of modern man.
ODWC Timeline of Major Events, 1895 - 2005