DECEMBER 2010 NEWS
RELEASES
WEEK OF DECEMBER 22, 2010
WEEK OF DECEMBER 9, 2010
WEEK OF DECEMBER 2, 2010
Free
Waterfowl Report to help hunters plan second half of season
The second portion of the Oklahoma waterfowl season in Zones 1 and 2
will reopen Dec. 11, and hunters can receive updates on their favorite hunting
spots from home by e-mail.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s weekly news
release includes periodic waterfowl reports throughout the entire waterfowling
season, and sportsmen can receive the information in their e-mail box by signing
up on the Department’s Web site at wildlifedepartment.com. The next Waterfowl
Report is slated for the second week of December.
The Wildlife Department works with cooperators across the state that
help compile the reports. As a result, waterfowlers get the most up to date
information. According to Alan Stacey, wetland development biologist for the
Wildlife Department, the waterfowl report is useful for hunters who have
inflexible work schedules. He also advises hunters to watch the weather to
increase their chances of picking the right day to go waterfowl hunting.
“Northern cold fronts approaching our state during the hunting
season are the ‘triggers’ which can increase bird numbers overnight,” Stacey
said. “Bird movements moving just ahead of or during the front are common, and
choosing the right day to go afield can often be critical.”
Stacey also said hunters benefit from “fresh” birds moving through
the state, since many have not yet been conditioned by local hunting pressure.
Waterfowl hunters can sign up to receive the entire weekly news
release by e-mail or choose to only receive the waterfowl reports. Stories in
each week’s news release provide subscribers with timely, local information on
everything from hunting and fishing news to eagle and bat-watching activities,
and they refer readers to additional sources of information on topics relating
to Oklahoma’s outdoors.
Hunters who wish to participate in the waterfowl season must have a
resident or non-resident hunting license. Additionally, waterfowl hunters must
have a current Federal Duck Stamp and an Oklahoma Waterfowl License, unless
exempt. The federal duck stamp costs $15 and is available at U.S. Post Offices.
Hunters pursuing sandhill cranes must also purchase a separate sandhill crane
hunting permit.
Hunters should consult the current “Oklahoma Waterfowl Hunting
Guide” for complete hunting regulations and license requirements. The guide is
available free online at wildlifedepartment.com or at locations across the state
that sell hunting licenses or other sporting goods gear.
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Oklahoma grown seedlings
available online
All landowners can do something for wildlife, even if it just means
planting some trees. And they can start by ordering tree seedlings from the
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
In partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation, Oklahoma Forestry Services is offering three different packages of
seedlings, called wildlife habitat improvement packages, that will enhance the
habitat of deer, songbirds, turkey, quail and a variety of other wildlife. Each
wildlife packet is made up of 25 each of four different species of trees and
shrubs chosen specifically to improve the wildlife habitat of your property.
“Planting the appropriate trees can be a great way to enhance
wildlife habitat on your property,” said Mike Sams, private lands biologist for
the Wildlife Department. “Planting a tree today can be a long-term investment
for future generations.”
According to foresters, the fall is the best time for preparing
planting sites for seedlings, and the best time for planting seedlings spans
from December through early April.
Oklahoma grown seedlings are available to landowners for a broad
range of conservation projects. Landowners use the trees for windbreaks to
protect crops and livestock, timber production, water quality protection,
erosion control or other natural resource projects such as firewood plantings
and Christmas tree production.
An online store is available where landowners can purchase their
wildlife habitat improvement packages, as well as choose from over 35 species of
trees and shrubs. Seedlings are one year old, bare-root, and each species is
packaged in multiples of 50 with a minimum order of 100 trees. They are to be
used in rural conservation plantings and cannot be used for ornamental plantings
or resold as living trees.
All orders will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis, so
landowners are encouraged to visit
http://www.forestry.ok.gov
today to choose their tree seedlings for planting this winter. The seedlings
will be available for pickup or shipment starting in early January 2011, but
orders are being taken now via the online store or you can request a paper order
form by contacting the Department’s Forest Regeneration Center at
800-517-FOREST.
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Wildlife viewing
in Oklahoma is just a drive away
Oklahomans who have ever noticed the small brown signs along
roadsides across western Oklahoma depicting the silhouette of a scissortail
flycatcher and the words “Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma” may wonder what the
apparent road marker is communicating to drivers. But those traveling a loop of
the Great Plains Trail already know that the signs serve as route markers for
tourists looking for wildlife and unique landscapes throughout western Oklahoma.
And since the upcoming holiday season centers on family, traditions and
memories, a road trip on a system of routes designed especially for the chance
to view wildlife may be just the way to encompass all three.
The Great Plains Trail of Oklahoma links travelers of western
Oklahoma on an auto-driving trail to destinations that offer a wide array of
unique and interesting wildlife species while taking advantage of western
Oklahoma’s small-town hospitality. The Trail includes 13 loops, each loop
designed to provide the traveler with three days of accessible wildlife species,
unique geologic features, large-scale prairies, brilliant starry skies, and
gorgeous sunsets and sunrises.
Destinations along the loops are diverse and include wildlife
management areas, state parks, private ranches, bed & breakfasts and national
wildlife refuges. All have been assessed for their wildlife viewing
opportunities and carefully coordinated throughout the 13 loops to help tourists
get the most from their drive.
The coming months are ideal for wildlife viewing and for taking in
breathtaking landscape views. Oklahoma’s more temperate winters means most
reservoirs are ice-free and are attractive to wintering bald eagles, ducks and
geese. Relatively snow-free prairies attract raptors to Oklahoma, as the hunt
for rodents is much easier than farther north. This causes a substantial
increase in red-tailed hawks perched on utility poles and Northern harriers
soaring over the grasslands.
Other common wildlife along loops of the Great Plains Trail include
whitetail deer and winter bird visitors such as white-crowned sparrows and
dark-eyed juncos. Mountain bluebirds can be found at the Sandy Sanders Wildlife
Management Area on the Quartz Mountain Loop and Roman Nose State Park on the
South Canadian Loop. American white pelicans are numerous at the Great Salt
Plains National Wildlife Refuge on the Salt Plains Loop. Hackberry Flat Wildlife
Management Area on the Hackberry Flat Loop has multitudes of ducks and geese,
while the nearby Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge has bison, prairie
dogs, elk and short-eared owls. Hibernating bats can be seen in large clusters
as you tour Alabaster Caverns on the Bats and Bluffs Loop. And awe-inspiring
landscapes can be enjoyed on the Cimarron Loop and Gloss Mountain Loop.
To start a new family tradition of touring a loop of the Great
Plains Trail of Oklahoma during the holidays, log on to greatplainstrail.com, or
contact Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife
Department, at
(405) 424-0099 to request a roadmap of the loops that make up the trail.
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Wildlife Conservation in northeast Oklahoma to benefit from agency partnership
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a memorandum
of understanding between the Wildlife Department and the Grand River Dam
Authority (GRDA) that could lead to new public hunting opportunities in
northeast Oklahoma.
The new memorandum, approved by the Commission at its December
meeting, could lead to the acquisition, development and management of up to
20,000 acres of land in the Neosho River watershed above Grand Lake.
The GRDA operates hydropower facilities at Grand Lake and has
historically provided in-lake mitigation for adverse impacts of their operations
on fish and wildlife resources. These mitigation projects have included in-lake
millet plantings for waterfowl and financing $100,000 a year for enhancing
aquatic vegetation for fish habitat in the lake. Such efforts have proven to be
only marginally successful and unpopular with some people who enjoy using the
lake, but mitigation efforts under the new memorandum are expected to yield
better results that are more beneficial to wildlife and more useful for
sportsmen.
“For the past several years the Wildlife Department has suggested
that mitigation efforts could be better accomplished at sites adjacent to the
lake,” said Barry Bolton, chief of fisheries for the Wildlife Department. “To
that end, GRDA has recently begun to acquire acreage in the Neosho River
drainage upstream from the lake. This effort would help GRDA meet their mandated
mitigation requirements, but also — from our standpoint — would provide
significant waterfowl and upland hunting opportunity in northeast Oklahoma where
we don’t have a lot of acres of wildlife management areas.”
To date, the GRDA has already acquired over 3,000 acres from willing
sellers to be managed as part of the project.
According to Bolton, the next step in the process is to continue
land acquisition efforts and work to create management and wetland develop plans
that would someday provide functional wetland units and hunting opportunities.
In other business, the Commission accepted a bid from Devon Energy
to purchase water from American Horse Lake. The Wildlife Department owns the
lake, and the water must be drained to allow for repairs.
“Since we are going to be renovating the dam and lowering the lake
water level anyway, this one-time sale will help us get the most out of the
excess water resource instead of releasing it downstream,” Bolton said.
The Commission also heard a presentation from Jim Edwards, assistant
director of operations for the Wildlife Department, on a resolution to adopt a
wildlife restitution schedule that assigns a recommended dollar value to a
number of wildlife species that violators could be held responsible for in the
event one of the animals is killed illegally.
Edwards also announced to the Commission his retirement effective
Dec. 31.
“The people of the Wildlife Department are what makes your agency so
great,” Edwards told the Commission. “The people that work for the Wildlife
Department are not recruited by the Wildlife Department. The people recruit the
Wildlife Department as their employer.”
Edwards relayed a story from his childhood when his grandfather
urged him to be a game warden, and Edwards made that a reality in 1982. In 2006,
he was promoted to assistant chief of the Wildlife Department’s law enforcement
division, where he remained until July 2009 when he promoted to assistant
director of operations.
The Commission also adopted a procedures manual for the Wildlife
Department’s reserve game warden program and recognized Steve Bray, wildlife
technician stationed at Deep Fork, Heyburn and Okmulgee wildlife management
areas, for 20 years of service to the Wildlife Department.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing
board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife
Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for
the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife
conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and
confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for 9 a.m., Jan. 3, at
the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium),
located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
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Hunters
to enjoy 10-day holiday antlerless deer gun season
New this year, the holiday antlerless deer gun season will be
increased to 10 days and will run Dec. 17 through Dec. 26 in open areas.
Last year, the holiday antlerless season took place the weekends
just prior to and immediately following Christmas Day, for a total of just six
days.
Most of the state will be open to antlerless hunting those days,
excluding most of the panhandle and portions of southeast Oklahoma. All public
hunting areas and private lands in southeast Oklahoma’s zone 10 are closed to
the holiday antlerless deer gun season, except for Three Rivers Wildlife
Management Area, which will be open to antlerless gun hunting during the 10-day
season. Seasons on other public lands also may vary from statewide season dates.
For a map of Oklahoma’s antlerless deer hunt zones and to see which counties
will be open for the holiday antlerless deer gun season, consult page 23 of the
current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide,” as well as the “Oklahoma Public Lands” section
in the back of the guide for seasons on specific public areas.
According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s
annual Big Game Report, written by big game biologist Jerry Shaw, doe harvest
reached an all-time high last season.
“Doe harvest has reached its all-time highest mark in state
history,” Shaw writes in the report. “With all the hunting seasons combined,
Oklahoma hunters harvested 50,420 female deer.”
This record is over 2,000 more than the previous record of 48,358
set in 2008.
According to Shaw, high doe harvests help accomplish several
important management benefits such as preventing localized overpopulations,
improving buck:doe ratios for a more healthy herd, reducing competition for
forage to promote greater antler growth in bucks, reducing the potential for
deer/vehicle collisions, and lessening the extent of potential crop depredation.
To participate in the holiday antlerless deer gun season, resident
hunters must possess a valid hunting license. Additionally, they must possess a
holiday antlerless deer gun license, unless exempt. Resident youth hunters 16 or
17 years old must purchase a hunting license, and a $10 youth holiday antlerless
deer gun license is available for all youth under 18 years of age.
Nonresident deer hunters are exempt from a hunting license while
hunting deer, but they must possess a nonresident holiday antlerless deer gun
license or proof of exemption. Nonresident lifetime license holders are not
exempt from purchasing deer licenses.
In addition, hunters participating in the holiday antlerless deer
season must comply with the hunter orange requirements for the regular deer gun
season. Archery hunters and those hunting most other species in open holiday
antlerless zones must wear either a hunter orange hat or upper garment while
hunting.
To learn more about this year’s antlerless deer season, consult the
current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide” or log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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Wildlife Department hosting public hearings and online public comment period
Sportsmen have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on wildlife,
hunting and fishing related rule change proposals under consideration at public
hearing meetings in January or online now through Jan.
Several of the proposals involve adjustments to hunting season and
regulations — particularly turkey season in southeast Oklahoma.
To address population declines in southeast Oklahoma, one proposal
would shorten turkey season in several southeast counties and wildlife
management areas from the usual statewide season of April 6 through May 6 to the
Monday following the third Saturday in April through May 6. Additionally, season
bag limits in those southeast counties would be reduced to one tom and then
determined annually and published in the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide.”
Sportsmen can view a complete listing of proposed changes online at
wildlifedepartment.com.
“Public hearings are an opportunity to discuss items on an agenda
that could lead to changes in our hunting and fishing regulations,” said Nels
Rodefeld, information and education chief for the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation. “We feel strongly that our constituents should have every
chance to provide their comments, so we are pleased to again offer an e-mail
option for those wanting to be heard on these specific subjects.”
Hearings will be held at 7 p.m. at the following locations:
January 4, 2011, 7 p.m.
McAlester – Kiamichi Vo-Tech, 301 Kiamichi Dr. (SW corner of Hwy 69 and Carl
Albert Dr.)
January 6, 2011, 7 p.m.
Idabel – Kiamichi Vo-Tech, 3205 Lincoln Road NE (three miles north on Hwy 259)
Oklahoma City – Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters
auditorium, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.
“If you are not able to make one of the public hearings, we
encourage you to provide your comments through wildlifedepartment.com anytime
before 4:30 p.m. Jan. 7, 2011,” Rodefeld said.
Additionally, those interested can submit written comments by mail
to the Wildlife Department’s main office in Oklahoma City (P.O. Box 53465, OKC,
OK 73152).
To log on to the online public comment forum or to view topics open
for comment, log on to the Wildlife Department’s website at
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
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New compact helps sportsmen get most from resources while holding wildlife law
violators accountable
Recently the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation joined a
compact with 34 other states to discourage illegal taking of wild game and hold
wildlife law violators accountable, thereby better conserving resources enjoyed
by sportsmen and other wildlife enthusiasts.
The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is now in effect in
Oklahoma and assures that Oklahomans who violate certain game laws in other
member states will not only receive the same treatment as residents of that
state, but it also includes a provision that affects violators’ privileges in
all participating states.
“In other words, wildlife violators cannot escape consequences just
by crossing a state line,” said Capt. David Deckard, administrator of the
Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact for the Wildlife Department. “Oklahomans
who lose their hunting license or hunting privileges in other member states can
lose them here in Oklahoma as well.”
Nonresidents from member states who commit certain wildlife
violations in Oklahoma would also be subject to the same consequences in their
home states. For example, under the compact, a hunting license suspension in one
member state would be recognized in all member states.
“Wildlife law violators will be held accountable due to the fact
that their illegal activities in one state can affect their privileges in all
participating states,” Deckard said. “This cooperative effort will enhance our
ability to protect and manage our wildlife resources for the benefit of all
residents and visitors.”
Additionally, the compact establishes a process that allows Oklahoma
game wardens dealing with nonresident wildlife law violators to handle such
cases in the same way they would handle violations by residents.
“This increases efficiency of Oklahoma game wardens by allowing more
time for enforcement duties, rather than processing procedures required for
dealing with non-resident wildlife law violators,” Deckard said.
According to Deckard, Oklahoma’s long-standing outdoor heritage is
largely respected by the hunters and anglers of the state, and that violators
make up only a small number compared to the thousands of sportsmen who respect
and follow the state’s wildlife laws designed to conserve wildlife resources.
Game wardens for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
are stationed in every county in Oklahoma, and they must undergo extensive
training to become law enforcement officers for the Department.
The work of a game warden involves everything from public service to
providing lake reports. The primary role of the job is to ensure compliance of
wildlife laws and ensure sportsmen have an equal opportunity to enjoy hunting
and fishing.
In addition, game wardens are some of the most recognized employees
of the Wildlife Department and help at a range of public events, such as hunter
education courses, sportsmen’s club events, the Department’s annual Wildlife
Expo and others.
Game wardens start their training at the Wildlife Department’s
headquarters in Oklahoma City. There they receive five weeks of training in
criminal law, arrest procedures and how to professionally contact the public.
Then they move on to a 10-week field training and evaluation program in which
they are paired with veteran officers for field training. Once they have
completed that, they attend 600 hours of training through the Council on Law
Enforcement Education and Training Academy (CLEET). Only after completion of all
training will the wardens begin their first solo assignments.
The first step in becoming a game warden in Oklahoma is to take the
Department’s Standardized Employment Exam. This exam consists of 100 questions
covering state and federal wildlife laws and regulations, Oklahoma geography,
biological and environmental sciences relating to fish and wildlife,
environmental education and communications, general journalism, photojournalism,
technical writing and editing.
To take the exam to become a game warden, you must be at least 21
years of age and have a bachelor’s degree with at least 16 credit hours in
wildlife or biology-related coursework. A bachelor’s degree in a
wildlife-related field is preferred.
Those selected for a game warden position are interviewed and submit
to psychological and physical exams, a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug
use, and a thorough background investigation. Wardens must be able to meet a
physical ability standard, jog/walk over rough terrain, swim, be able to
physically control and arrest law violators, operate a boat and operate 2/4
wheel drive vehicles.
Oklahoma game wardens are able to handle almost any problem that
comes up during their workday. They are able to render first aid service, assist
in lifesaving and water safety, and assist stranded motorists along roadways.
They investigate illegal hunting and fishing and help landowners improve
wildlife habitat.
For more information about Oklahoma game wardens or employment at
the Wildlife Department, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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Four Oklahoma youth win outdoor getaways through writing contest
Youth from Eufaula, Hominy, Porum and Owasso schools have been
awarded outdoor getaways for winning an outdoor writing contest designed to help
youth share their hunting heritage.
Contestants in the annual youth writing contest — sponsored by the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Station Chapter of
Safari Club International — chose between two different topics and submitted
entries to not only share their interest in the outdoors, but also to compete
for a chance at a unique outdoor trip. Topic choices included “Hunting: Sharing
the Heritage” or “What I like about Archery in the Schools and Bowhunting.”
Winners in the age 15-17 category will receive an all-expenses-paid
antelope hunt in a western state. They were Calahan Henry of Eufaula High School
and Amanda Swanson of Hominy High School. Winners in the age 11-14 category
receive a scholarship to the YO Ranch Apprentice Hunter Program in Texas. They
were Tucker Boland of Owasso Middle School and Gabriella Peebles of Porum Middle
School.
“This has become a popular contest,” said Colin Berg, education
supervisor for the Wildlife Department. “We always enjoy the process of going
over each essay and trying to select winners It can be challenging because there
are some talented youth who are passionate about the outdoors who submit essays
to this contest.”
The scholarship to the YO Ranch Apprentice Hunter Program and
expenses for the antelope hunts are covered by the Oklahoma Station Chapter of
Safari Club International with funds raised at the Chapter’s annual banquet.
The youth writing competition is designed to promote America’s
hunting heritage among Oklahoma’s youth. It provides them an opportunity to
express the importance of hunting in their lives and to affirm their commitment
to carrying on the hunting tradition. Students use the essays or short stories
to relive memorable hunts, to explain why hunting is important to them and to
recognize mentors who have influenced them to grow as hunters.
The contest winners will be eligible for entry in the Norm Strung
Outdoor Writers Association National Youth Essay Contest, whose winners are
awarded cash prizes and scholarships.
Students are not the only winners, however. Educators Jerry Hays
from Hominy High School and Chris Dobbins from Comanche Middle School have been
awarded an all-expense-paid scholarship to attend an eight-day conservation
education school at Safari Club International’s American Wilderness Leadership
School (AWLS) at Granite Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming. The AWLS program is
conducted during the summer and presents an outdoor program for educators that
concentrates on natural resource management. Participants learn about stream
ecology, map and compass usage, fly tying, shooting sports, wildlife management,
the Yellowstone ecosystem, camping, white-water rafting, educational resources,
how to implement outdoor education ideas and language arts and creative writing
in an outdoor setting.
“Each year we find that Oklahoma students step forward and reach new
pinnacles of success not only through their writings and sharing of their
experiences through prose, but in establishing lifelong relationships with
others they meet and become acquainted with through this writing adventure,”
said Sam Munhollon with the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club
International. “One of the more exciting developments has been the interest not
only in the essay contest but wildlife management and appreciation of the
outdoors by those students being home-schooled as well as those who attend more
traditional schooling venues. We are very proud of the Oklahoma youth and look
forward to sharing their experiences and accomplishments now and in the future.”
The Wildlife Department and the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari
Club International will submit the winning essays to the National Youth Writing
Contest held annually by the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
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Winter Bird Feeder Survey offers chance to help conservation
The Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Winter Bird Feeder Survey
starts Jan. 6 and gives wildlife enthusiasts and their families an exciting
way to kick off the New Year.
Attracting birds and maintaining backyard feeders for wintering
birds is popular in Oklahoma
in both urban and rural areas, and people in both places can help the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation by participating in the survey
while also getting close-up views of a number of unique birds.
Any Oklahoman with a
backyard bird feeder
can participate by choosing any two days between Jan. 6-9 to count birds at
their feeders and record their observations. And according to Lesley Carson,
wildlife diversity information specialist for the Wildlife Department,
attracting birds to backyard feeders is not difficult.
“All you really need is food, water and a little cover,” Carson
said.
With participants observing birds across the state for four days
straight, biologists can obtain important information that can help the
Department better understand bird ranges and populations.
“By asking bird watchers across Oklahoma to take the survey,
biologists can accomplish more in four days than they ever could have on
their own,” Carson said.
Currently biologists have a 21-year history of the upward and
downward trends of birds visiting winter feeders thanks to the support of
avid birders across the state.
The survey includes counting birds at backyard feeders at least
four times a day for two days during the survey dates and completing a form
provided by the Wildlife Department. For detailed instructions and to take
the survey, log on to the Wildlife Department’s Winter Bird Feeder Survey
website at
okwinterbirds.com.
The website is an extensive bird-watching resource that provides species
identification tips, bird diets, feeding behaviors and winter ranges as well
as links to other birding websites. The site also details how to draw birds
to backyard feeders using homemade bird attractants that are both healthy
and beneficial to wintering birds.
While anyone who has a bird feeder can participate in the 2011
Winter Bird Feeder Survey, certain efforts can be made to attract more birds
to feeders. Black-oil sunflower seed is a good choice for bird feeders
because of its high nutritional value that birds can use during the winter
and because virtually all seed-eating Oklahoma songbirds will eat it. Other
seed options are white proso
millet, nyjer or safflower. Suet cakes — animal fat that is sometimes
mixed with grains or peanut butter, are good for drawing in species such as
woodpeckers and birds that do not primarily eat seeds. Finally, a source of
water and cover such as brush piles or dense shrubs located near the feeders
help to draw more birds.
Though the highest numbers of birds were seen representing
species such as the American goldfinch,
dark-eyed junco, and
northern cardinal, participants also saw a range of other species, among
them bald eagles, American
robins, cedar waxwings, roadrunners,
brown thrashers, great
horned owls and more.
To learn more about the survey or to participate, log on to
okwinterbirds.com.
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2011-2012 Waterfowl
Stamp artwork selected
The 2011-2012 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp design competition
results are in, and first place goes to George Lockwood of Santa Ynez,
Calif. The wildlife artist’s winning painting portraying the
blue-winged teal will
be featured on the 2011-2012 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp.
Honorable mentions were awarded to
Richard Clifton of
Milford, Del., Tom Morgan Crain of Branson, Mo.,
and Wes Dewey of Chanute, Kan.
“We had 32 entries this year, and for the first time, we
provided an opportunity for the public to vote on their favorite through an
online survey,” said Micah Holmes, information and education supervisor for
the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation.
Duck stamp sales help finance many projects that benefit ducks
and geese. Since the duck
stamp program began in 1980, thousands of acres of waterfowl habitat
have been enhanced and restored through duck stamp revenues.
Entries were judged on public input, anatomical accuracy,
artistic composition and suitability for printing. The winner and honorable
mentions also will appear in a future issue of Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.
The white-fronted goose will be represented in next year’s
contest and will be featured on the 2012-2013 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp.
For more information, log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
George
Lockwood, 1st place
Caption: The
artwork of George Lockwood of Santa Ynez, Calif. portraying the blue-winged teal
will be featured on the 2011-12 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp. Lockwood’s painting
was chosen out of 32 entries in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation’s 2011-2012 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp design competition.
Richard
Clifton, honorable mention
Tom
Morgan Crain, honorable mention
Wes Dewey, honorable mention
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Wildlife Department hosting public hearings and online public comment period
Sportsmen have the opportunity to voice their thoughts on wildlife,
hunting and fishing related rule change proposals under consideration at public
hearing meetings in January or online now through Jan.
Several of the proposals involve adjustments to hunting season and
regulations — particularly turkey season in southeast Oklahoma.
To address population declines in southeast Oklahoma, one proposal
would shorten turkey season in the eight southeast counties and
wildlife management areas
from the usual statewide season of April 6 through May 6 to the Monday following
the third Saturday in April through May 6. Additionally, the
bag limit would be reduced
to one tom total for the eight southeast counties and then determined annually
and published in the current “Oklahoma Hunting Guide.”
Sportsmen can view a complete listing of proposed changes online at
wildlifedepartment.com.
“Public hearings are an opportunity to discuss items on an agenda
that could lead to changes in our hunting and
fishing regulations,” said
Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation. “We feel strongly that our constituents should have every
chance to provide their comments, so we are pleased to again offer an e-mail
option for those wanting to be heard on these specific subjects.”
Hearings will be held at 7 p.m. at the following locations:
January 4, 2011, 7 p.m.
McAlester – Kiamichi Technology
Center, 301 Kiamichi Dr. (SW corner of Hwy 69 and
Carl Albert Dr.)
January 6, 2011, 7 p.m.
Idabel – Kiamichi Technology
Center, 3205 Lincoln Road NE (three miles north on Hwy 259)
Oklahoma City – Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters auditorium, 1801 N.
Lincoln Blvd.
“If you are not able to make one of the public hearings, we
encourage you to provide your comments through wildlifedepartment.com anytime
before 4:30 p.m. Jan. 7, 2011,” Rodefeld said.
Additionally, those interested can submit written comments by mail
to the Wildlife Department’s main office in
Oklahoma City (P.O. Box
53465, OKC, OK 73152).
To log on to the online public comment forum or to view topics open
for comment, log on to the Wildlife Department’s website at
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
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