WEEK OF MAY 26, 2011
WEEK OF MAY 19, 2011
WEEK OF MAY 12, 2011
WEEK OF MAY 5, 2011
NatureWorks donates bronze wildlife statues to Wildlife Department
Motorists and pedestrians along Lincoln Blvd. and 18th St. are
now enjoying a momentary escape to the outdoors right in the middle of the
Oklahoma City Metro.
A plan by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to
make its headquarters in Oklahoma City more accessible to persons with
disabilities turned into a highly aesthetic redesign of the building’s front
entrance, which now showcases a new bronze monument depicting three
whitetail deer on the run.
The larger-than-life sculptures are a donation from NatureWorks,
a Tulsa-based conservation group that has supported a number of wildlife
conservation projects of the Wildlife Department. The artwork was created by
wildlife sculptor Stephen LeBlanc, who is passionate about the outdoors and
wildlife and has traveled extensively worldwide to view wildlife in natural
habitats.
“I was very fortunate to be chosen by NatureWorks to be able to
do this monument,” LeBlanc said, saying later that he feels “excited,”
“elated” and “very blessed” to be part of the project. LeBlanc makes his
home in Parker, Colorado.
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission adjourned its May
meeting with the dedication of the newly renovated entrance. The whitetail
statues are the latest of 22 heroic-sized wildlife monuments donated to
others by NatureWorks, many of which can be seen along the City of Tulsa’s
Riverside Drive.
“It’s an honor to be part of leaving what we think is a legacy
with the Department of Wildlife today,” said Dwayne Flynn of NatureWorks.
“It’s just the right monument for all the conservation work done by the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife with the whitetail deer. We hope that this
gift will inspire those young and old to get involved with wildlife
conservation.”
NatureWorks, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
wildlife conservation and education. Projects such as the Department's
paddlefish management program, duck stamp print program and centennial duck
stamp print have benefited from NatureWorks' support as well as habitat work
at the Harold Stuart Waterfowl Refuge Unit within the Deep Fork Wildlife
Management Area (WMA) and the Grassy Slough WMA. NatureWorks is also an
important supporter of the Wildlife Department's Hunters Against Hunger
program — in which hunters can donate their legally harvested deer to feed
hungry Oklahomans, and they have funded a project that puts Outdoor Oklahoma
magazine in every school and library in the state.
Additionally, every year NatureWorks hosts the annual
NatureWorks Art Show and Sale, in which artists from across the United
States and abroad are brought together to display their work. The event is
known as one of the best wildlife art shows in the country, widely
recognized for its outstanding art plus the opportunity it provides for
visitors to meet directly with artists. Art sales help generate matching
grants to assist a variety of state wildlife conservation projects.
In other business, the Commission approved a new cooperative
agreement with Weyerhaeuser Company to continue providing public hunting and
fishing access on southeast Oklahoma’s Three Rivers Wildlife Management
Area.
Hunters and anglers visiting Three Rivers WMA after June 1,
2011, should be aware that the boundaries of the WMA have changed. Updated
boundary maps will be made available by that date, and a map of Three Rivers
WMA showing the boundary changes that will be effective June 1 is available
online at wildlifedepartment.com. Changes to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs)
that took effect in 2008 will remain, and the Land Access Permit required to
use the area will remain at $40 for Oklahoma residents ages 18-64 and $10
for a resident three-day permit for non-hunting and non-fishing activities.
The cost for the Land Access Permit for non-residents will remain at $85.
“Weyerhaeuser Company is very pleased to continue working with
the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation to provide quality wildlife
conservation and hunting and fishing recreational opportunities to the
public,” said Matt Williams, Weyerhaeuser timberlands manager for the
Arkansas and Oklahoma region. “The Three-Rivers Wildlife Management Area,
comprising over 200,000 acres of Weyerhaeuser timberland in southeastern
Oklahoma, is an outstanding example of how a forest products company, a
state agency and the general public can come together and find a solution
that meets their common objectives.”
To learn more about the Three Rivers WMA and other public
hunting and fishing areas across the state, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
The Commission also approved the adoption of a social media
policy that will allow the Wildlife Department to pursue certain outreach
opportunities.
Additionally, Greg Sexton, game warden stationed in Jackson Co.,
was recognized for 25 years of service to the Wildlife Department. Sexton
began his career as a wildlife management area assistant in northwest
Oklahoma and then transferred to the Wildlife Department’s Law Enforcement
Division, where he has served for 23 years.
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., June 6
at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters
(auditorium), located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln,
Oklahoma City.
Photo Caption: A new monument has
been added to the entry of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
headquarters in Oklahoma City. The artwork, created by sculptor Stephen LeBlanc,
was donated to the Wildlife Department by NatureWorks, a Tulsa-based
conservation organization that has been involved in a number of Wildlife
Department conservation efforts.
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Wildlife Department boosts southwest Oklahoma bass and crappie angling
As water temperatures continue to warm, anglers at southwest
Oklahoma’s Ft. Cobb and Lawtonka lakes are going to find plenty of new potential
bass and crappie honey holes all around the banks of the reservoirs.
Fisheries personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation have been submerging hundreds of cedar trees in the shallows of the
two lakes in the last few months, adding to a total of almost 1,600 trees that
have been submerged there over the last three years.
“Fort Cobb has been a great fishery for hybrid striped bass and
saugeye over the last few years but has lacked an abundance of structure that
largemouth bass and crappie prefer,” said Ryan Ryswyk, southwest region
fisheries biologist for the Wildlife Department.
In 2009, fisheries personnel placed about 250 shallow cedar tree
brush piles in several coves of the lake in an effort to draw fish to
concentrated areas and improve angling success. The piles were placed at depths
ranging from two to six feet, and more and more trees were added over time.
In addition to positive feedback and reports from anglers,
biologists observed better success in their management surveys.
“Our electrofishing survey that spring showed that the largemouth
bass were indeed attracted to those piles,” Ryswyk said. “Our catch rates
doubled from previous years when we electrofished the newly installed brush
piles.”
In April of 2010, angler Charles Coffman of Ardmore landed a
10.6-lb. lake record largemouth bass from one of the areas of the lake targeted
with shallow-water brush piles, confirming to fisheries biologists that their
efforts were helping anglers enjoy better fishing opportunities.
Because of their success, fisheries personnel continued to add more
cedar brush piles, and Ryswyk reported that after doubling their electrofishing
catch rates in 2009, they have since doubled them again.
According to Ryswyk, similar habitat work is also now underway at
Lake Lawtonka, with about 200 cedar trees submerged in shallow water areas
already.
“We like the results we are seeing at Ft. Cobb — both sampling and
angler success — and hope to replicate those results at Lawtonka,” Ryswyk said.
Already Lawtonka anglers are reporting successful crappie fishing
around the brush piles, and fisheries personnel for the Wildlife Department
sampled a 10.1-lb. largemouth bass from a brush pile area in one cove.
“It seems the additional cedar trees have been doing what we had
hoped,” Ryswyk said. “Cedar tree brush piles themselves are not a new idea, but
placing them in shallow water is a new strategy that is proving successful,”
Ryswyk said. “These shallow water piles provide shallow structure for species
like largemouth bass and crappie to spawn on or around. Fisherman can easily see
the tops of these cedar trees sticking out of the water and can target these
places to land their next fish. As the water temperature continues to warm,
these areas should prove to be great crappie spots this spring.”
On the west side of Ft. Cobb, areas where anglers can find shallow
brush piles placed by the Wildlife Department include the Area 5 boat ramp cove,
the Fly Inn 2 boat ramp area, and the cove 1/2 mile north of Fly Inn 2.
On the east side of the lake, brush can be found near the Crow’s
Roost East boat ramp, ¼ mile north of Crow’s Roost West boat ramp, boundary line
cove, Kardokus cove, and the south bank of Marina Cove. Anglers also can fish
brush piles from the Oney fishing dock near Crow’s Roost East Boat ramp or the
fishing dock in Marina cove near the main boat ramp.
According to Ryswyk, anglers should be able to take advantage of
these brush piles “no matter the method, either by bank, fishing dock, or boat.”
Invasive cedar trees spread fast and, for the amount of nutrients
and space they take up, they offer few benefits to wildlife that cannot be
obtained from noninvasive native trees. As a result, one of the best places for
cedar trees, if not treated with prescribed fire, is at the bottom of a lake
where fish will use them as cover. There, they not only provide habitat, but
they also provide fishing opportunities for anglers while benefiting
land-dwelling wildlife. According to Ryswyk, cedar trees placed in the lakes
come from locations such as wildlife management areas managed by the Wildlife
Department, state parks and municipal properties.
For more information about fishing in Oklahoma, log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
Crappie
success
Photo Caption: John Perry holds up
a nice stringer of crappie that was caught by rod and reel while fishing the
shallow water piles in Robinson’s Landing at Lake Lawtonka. Fisheries personnel
with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have been placing
shallow-water cedar tree piles in Lawtonka and Ft. Cobb lakes over the last few
years in hopes of drawing fish to concentrated areas where anglers can enjoy
more fishing success.
Largemouth bass sample during ODWC electrofishing surveys
Photo Caption: John Perry,
fisheries technician at the Wildlife Department’s Manning Fish Hatchery, holds a
10.1-pound largemouth bass that was sampled from a shallow water brush pile at
Lake Lawtonka this spring while conducting electrofishing surveys. Fisheries
personnel have been placing cedar tree brush piles in shallow areas of Lawtonka
and Ft. Cobb lakes in southwest Oklahoma to draw fish to concentrated areas,
resulting in new fishing opportunities.
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Hackberry Flat WMA to
host family outdoor day
Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area in southwest Oklahoma serves
as an outdoor destination every day of the week, but each year it also opens for
a special day in the outdoors designed to bring Oklahomans closer to nature and
increase interest in wildlife and conservation.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and Friends of
Hackberry Flat are hosting Hackberry Flat Day Saturday, May 14 from 9 a.m. to 3
p.m. at the Hackberry Flat Center located near Frederick. The event is designed
for the entire family, and events include everything from wildlife tours to
shotgun shooting.
Though the official event starts at 9 a.m., the day gets an early
morning start at 6:30 a.m. with a birding tour for intermediate and advanced
birdwatchers. Birding tours for beginners are offered at 9:30 a.m. and again at
1 p.m. Wetland hayrides into the wildlife management area start at 9 a.m. and
continue on the hour until the last hayride at 2 p.m. Archery and shotgun
shooting will be available, as will a number of other activities, such as
learning the tricks of catching crayfish — also known as crawdads — with the
Oklahoma Conservation Commission, getting close-up views of Oklahoma sport fish
in an aquarium, viewing wetland wildlife in a wetland classroom, playing the
“Who Eats Who in the Prairie” game presented by the Oklahoma Wildlife and
Prairie Heritage Alliance, and trying out the hands-on activities provided by
Quartz Mountain Nature Park.
An interactive exhibit about bats in Oklahoma will be presented by
Alabaster Caverns State Park, and a range of items made from bison parts will be
furnished by the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site. Back by popular
demand, families will have the opportunity to build a bird house to take home
and place on their property. The Friends of Hackberry Flat and Frederick FFA
members will offer the bird house make-n-take programs at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. and
1 p.m. to the first 10 families at each of the programs.
The Friends of Hackberry Flat will have the official Hackberry Flat
t-shirts for sale inside the Center, and new this year, the First Christian
Church Youth Group will have a concession set-up to sell hot dogs, chips and
drinks to visitors as they raise funds to help with their mission and projects.
Participants of the Hackberry Flat Day activities are exempt from
hunting or fishing license requirements and Wildlife Conservation Passport
requirements.
All activities will begin at the Hackberry Flat Center, a facility
that provides wetland classroom experiences for school groups, programs on
wildlife and wildlife-related activities as well as meeting facilities for
resource-oriented programs, workshops and meetings. Directions to Hackberry Flat
can be found at
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com . For more information, call
the Frederick Chamber of Commerce at (580) 335-2126 or Melynda Hickman, wildlife
diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department, (405) 990-4977.
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Last call for May 15 controlled hunts application deadline
Sportsmen who have not submitted an application for the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s controlled hunts program
are running out of time. Online applications for the hunts will be
accepted through Sunday, May 15.
Offering once-in-a-lifetime elk and antelope hunts, highly
sought-after buck hunts, and a range of other quality deer and turkey
hunts, the controlled hunts program is a valuable resource for
sportsmen, and the application process take just a few minutes.
The online application process must be completed through the
Wildlife Department’s website at wildlifedepartment.com. The cost is $5.
“For just $5, you can get drawn for a bull elk hunt in
Oklahoma’s rugged Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge,” said Melinda
Sturgess-Streich, assistant director of administration and finance for
the Wildlife Department. “The same $5 can put your name in the hat for
an antelope hunt in the Panhandle, a deer hunt in some of the best
habitat in the state, or even a unique gobbler hunt. You just can’t beat
this opportunity.”
The controlled hunts program offers a wide variety of highly
desirable hunts through a random drawing. Opportunities offered through
the program include hunts on Department or other government-owned or
managed lands where unrestricted hunting would pose safety concerns or
where overharvest might occur.
All applicants, including lifetime license holders, must pay
the $5 application fee to enter the controlled hunts drawings. The fee
is paid only once per person per year regardless of the number of
categories entered.
Applications are offered online through a secure process
that only accepts applications once they have been filed correctly, and
a print-out confirmation page is available for sportsmen to document
their submitted application.
For complete application instructions, including tips on
enhancing your chances of being selected as well as a full listing of
available hunts for elk, deer, antelope and turkey, log on to
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
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May 15 marks squirrel season
opener
When spring turkey season closes May 6 of each year, some hunters
fold up their camouflage clothing and store away their shotgun and gear until
dove season. Others keep them out, knowing that the state’s important,
long-standing squirrel season opener arrives just nine days later.
Squirrels have long been valued by Oklahoma hunters for the generous
hunting opportunities they provide, the hunting challenge they pose, and for
their tasty, lean meat.
Squirrels are readily available on public and private lands all
across the state. Hunters can harvest 10 squirrels daily and enjoy nearly nine
full months (May 15-Jan. 31) of hunting opportunity.
Oklahoma is home to two species of squirrel that are legal to hunt —
the eastern gray squirrel, which inhabits the eastern portion of the state, and
the fox squirrel, which is found statewide in suitable habitats. Gray squirrels
are apt to quickly move throughout treetops, often escaping before a hunter
pulls off a successful shot. Fox squirrels, on the other hand, are keen at
hiding and remaining still and undetected.
“Sometimes it’s just the slightest movement, a strand of fur on a
squirrel’s tail, or the outline of the animal’s ear against the sun that reveals
the location of a squirrel in a tree,” said Michael Bergin, information and
education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and an
avid squirrel hunter. “One great thing about squirrel hunting is that you can go
during every season of the year, be it during the mild temperatures of late
spring or on a sunny but cold January day. You can really learn a lot about the
woods as well as scout for other hunting seasons. I have discovered several
places where I could hunt deer and turkeys by hunting squirrels in those areas.”
Sportsmen use several approaches to hunt squirrels, among them
calling, stalking, still hunting or relying on dogs trained to hunt and locate
squirrels. Both shotguns and .22 rifles are good choices for hunting small game.
When deciding where to hunt squirrels, a hunter should consider food
sources that are available during the time of year that a hunt is planned. Foods
attractive to squirrels include a variety of seeds, nuts, berries, insects,
pinecones and buds from a variety of plants and trees. Depending on the time of
year, some foods are more readily available than others. This spring, hunters
should watch for mulberry trees and other fruit trees.
“If you find the right wild fruit tree and sit down in the area, you
could harvest several squirrels in one morning hunt,” Bergin said. “In the early
fall and late in the season, I like to hunt squirrels using dogs, particularly
in areas with hickory, oak and pecan trees.”
Any one of a number of manufactured squirrel calls also can be
effective, depending on the time of year in which the call is most likely to be
used by squirrels in the woods. Some may be better for locating a general area
that squirrels are using, while others draw attention and lure squirrels into
shooting range. Hunters who use dogs generally send their dogs in the direction
they wish to walk, and then follow behind while the dog locates a squirrel,
alerting the hunter of their find by “barking treed.”
Regardless of method, hunters have no shortage of squirrel hunting
opportunities. Excellent squirrel hunting can be found on a number of wildlife
management areas statewide, depending on which species sportsmen hope to find.
Additionally, squirrel meat makes excellent table fare and is
popular for use in a variety of recipes and dishes. Celebrated squirrel dishes
include fried with biscuits and gravy or served with dumplings, among others.
Squirrel meat is lean, and when cooked properly, should be tender and white to
gray in color.
To hunt squirrels in Oklahoma, hunters need a resident or
non-resident hunting license, unless exempt. Resident hunters younger than age
16 can hunt squirrels without a license. Seasons on public lands may vary from
statewide season dates. For full details and regulations consult the current
“Oklahoma Hunting Guide” or log on to the Wildlife Department’s website at
www.wildlifedepartment.com.
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Young wildlife best left
alone this spring
As spring moves closer to summer, Oklahomans will inevitably begin
to see a variety of young wildlife, be it young birds, squirrels, and even
fawns. Sometimes wildlife offspring will appear to be abandoned, and it is
common for outdoor enthusiasts to try to help them. But biologists with the
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation say these youngsters are better
left alone.
“If you find newborn wildlife while in your yard or in the woods
that appears to be alone, chances are an adult animal is nearby and is simply
waiting for you to move along so they can take care of their young,” said
Melynda Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department. “It
is common for fawns to be left in a safe place while does feed nearby, and
interfering with that always causes more harm than good. It’s also best to leave
birds, young squirrels and other wildlife alone as well.”
In Oklahoma, most fawns are born in May and June and start becoming
visible in mid to late June.
Young birds and squirrels can be blown out of their nests during
storms as well, and even though they may appear to be alone and distressed or in
need of help, an adult animal will often find and care for them.
Biologists say it can actually be more stressful on young wildlife
if people try to help.
“It’s good when well-meaning sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts want
to help, but sometimes the best help we can offer young wildlife is to leave
them alone and let nature run its course,” Hickman said.
In most cases, it also is illegal to pick up wildlife. Log on to
www.wildlifedepartment.com for
more information about wildlife conservation in Oklahoma.
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Selman Bat
Watch registration available May 31
A blackening of the evening sky as at least a million bats
emerge from their cave is a spectacle Oklahomans can see in their home
state this summer.
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation’s Selman
Bat Watches will be held the last four weekends of July at the Selman
Wildlife Management Area near Freedom, where the Selman Bat Cave
attracts migrating Mexican free-tailed bats every year just as it did
100 years ago. Each night, the bats emerge from the cave to feast on
literally tons of insects, offering a visual spectacle to onlookers in
the process. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and
under.
Each night’s viewing activities will be limited to 75
visitors who are randomly drawn from a pool of mailed in registration
forms. Hopeful viewers must print, complete and mail their registration
form to the Wildlife Department at Bat Watch Program, P.O. Box 53465
Oklahoma City, OK 73152 between May 31 and June 7. Only mailed in
registration forms post-marked by June 7 will be accepted, and
instructions for completing the form should be read carefully to ensure
correctly completed registration. Successful registrants will receive an
e-mail confirmation and a packet in the mail.
“Given the popularity of this event, the Department is using
this approach to streamline its registration process,” said Melynda
Hickman, wildlife diversity biologist for the Wildlife Department.
More information and details about the Selman Bat Watch can
be found online at wildlifedepartment.com.
The Wildlife Department purchased the area around the bat
cave in 1996 because of its ecological importance to the Mexican
free-tailed bat. According to Hickman, the cave is important because it
is one of only five major sites in Oklahoma that is used by females to
raise their young.
Hickman says the bats serve as free pest control. The bats
spend daylight hours inside the cave. But most of the action is after
sunset.
“Studies tell us that the bats at Selman Bat Cave eat about
10 tons (20,000 pounds) of insects, moths and beetles every night,”
Hickman said.
The bats' evening emergence is the highlight of a Bat Watch,
but there is more to the evening than simply watching bats. Buses take
visitors to the Selman Wildlife Management Area, usually closed to the
public, where they learn facts about bats and the prairie community.
There also is an optional nature hike before the bats emerge. On Friday
and Saturday evenings, staff and telescopes from the University of
Central Oklahoma's Selman Living Laboratory will be at the observatory
to assist stargazers.
Additionally the Bat Watches benefit the local economy by
drawing tourists from a multi-state region into Oklahoma. Hickman said
Oklahomans enjoy a rare opportunity to get close to wild bats and to
share their importance to the environment and the economy.
For more information, call (405) 424-0099 or log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
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Wildlife Department spring electrofishing survey turns up massive
striper
Fisheries personnel with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation have repeatedly surveyed a number of large fish during
their annual electrofishing surveys being conducted this spring,
emphasizing to anglers that now is a great time to be fishing.
Several big largemouth bass have already been sampled by
biologists from lakes like Arcadia, Lawtonka and Watonga this spring,
and the newest big fish to add to the list of those sampled this year is
a 41.5-inch striped bass estimated to weigh 51.5 lbs. based on
measurements taken during the survey.
The big striper was sampled during electrofishing surveys
below Lake Eufaula, and if an angler were to catch the fish, it would
beat the current state record by an estimated four pounds. The current
rod-and-line state record striper tipped the scales at 47 lbs., 8 oz.
when Louis Parker caught it from the Lower Illinois River in 1996.
According to this week’s fishing report from the Wildlife
Department, fisheries personnel who are conducting electrofishing
surveys are not the only people who should be out on the water this week
looking for Oklahoma’s big fish. Striper and striped bass hybrid fishing
is reportedly good at Overholser, Sooner, Canton, Texoma, Foss, and Ft.
Cobb Lakes, and catfish are biting at lakes all over the state as well.
In fact, this week’s fishing report shows most species of
fish are biting at lakes all over the state this week, such as at Hefner
Lake in Oklahoma City, where white bass fishing is reportedly good on
small spinnerbaits, crappie fishing is good on minnows and jigs at eight
to 15 feet along the dam, catfish are biting good on cut bait, and
bluegill fishing is excellent on worms and small jigs all around the
lake.
Every week the Wildlife Department’s fishing report provides
a listing of lakes and the current fishing conditions at that location.
“This time of year is magical for fishing in Oklahoma,” said
Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for the Wildlife
Department. “The fishing report shows ‘good fishing’ at least 80 times
for a number of species at lakes across the state this week, and
‘excellent’ fishing is reported in a number of places as well.”
The reports are compiled by Wildlife Department employees
and volunteers and cover lakes and other waters throughout every region
in the state. Information such as lake levels, water temperatures,
species being caught, locations with best fishing action and successful
baits is included in the reports. Anglers can receive the fishing report
by subscribing to the Department’s weekly news release at
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com
Photo Caption: During a recent electrofishing survey below Lake Eufaula,
fisheries personnel with the Wildlife Department surveyed this striped
bass, estimated to weight more than 51 lbs. and serving as a reminder to
anglers that now is the time to be fishing. Pictured holding the
possible new state record striped bass is Richard Snow, fisheries
research technician for the Wildlife Department.
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Free
family fishing clinics slated throughout summer
Oklahomans can learn to fish this summer at a number of free
family fishing clinics held by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation in Oklahoma City and Jenks.
Through the Wildlife Department’s Aquatic Resources
Education Program (AREP), kids and adults can take just a few hours to
attend a fishing clinic, and come out with a knowledge of such topics as
fish identification, knot-tying, fish cleaning and cooking, fishing
tackle selection, equipment use, water safety, outdoor ethics and more.
Most clinics, including those held at the Wildlife Department’s Arcadia
Conservation Education Area in Edmond and at the Zebco Casting Pond in
Jenks, include hands-on fishing opportunities at stocked ponds.
The AREP program is designed to help people get a start in
the sport of fishing so they can take advantage of the many fishing
opportunities available to them throughout the state.
According to Damon Springer, aquatic resource education
coordinator for the Wildlife Department, the free clinics benefit
families trying to learn about the sport as well as those looking for
easy and affordable opportunities to spend time with family.
Most clinics will be held at the Wildlife Department’s
Arcadia Conservation Education Area in Edmond or the Zebco Casting Pond
in Jenks. Others will be held at local ponds in Oklahoma City. A full
listing of AREP clinics can be viewed on the Wildlife Department’s
website at wildlifedepartment.com. Pre-registration is required to
attend an AREP class and can be done by calling the contact number
listed with each clinic.
The Aquatic Resources Education Program is the Department's
means to promote the sport of fishing and aquatic resource awareness as
well as a way to give youth, regardless of family situation, an
opportunity to learn how to fish and to gain an understanding of
Oklahoma's aquatic environments.
Developed in 1988, the program's objectives are to increase
the understanding, appreciation, and awareness of Oklahoma's aquatic
resources; facilitate the learning of angling skills, outdoor ethics,
and sport fishing opportunities in the state; enhance urban fishing
opportunities; develop adult fishing clinics and provide information on
specialized fishing techniques.
For more information about the Aquatic Resources Education
Program, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
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Go fishing for free June 4-5
Reports of good angling from all over the state indicate summer
fishing is coming into full swing, and Oklahoma anglers can get in on the action
for free June 4-5 during Free Fishing Days. A state fishing license is usually
required for most anglers to go fishing, but during Free Fishing Days, a license
will not be required to fish in Oklahoma.
Anglers who don’t know where to start can turn to the Oklahoma
Department of Wildlife Conservation’s weekly state fishing report to find just
the right place to go. This week’s report says largemouth bass fishing is good
at Lake Arcadia in Edmond on crankbaits and spinnerbaits; channel catfish
angling is good at Lake Hefner, and the Lake Overholser report says crappie
fishing is good all over the lake. In the northwest, reports for Canton Lake
show good walleye fishing on night crawlers in the upper end of the lake;
Bluegill fishing is good on worms and crickets around grass beds at northeast
Oklahoma’s Lake Eucha; and white bass are being caught on topwater lures and
wiggle-tailed 1/8-oz. grubs at Lake Arbuckle; and in the southwest, Ft. Cobb
anglers are catching saugeye on crankbaits and night crawlers in the mornings
and evenings. A saugeye is a hybrid cross between a walleye and a sauger that
are raised at Wildlife Department fish hatcheries and stocked at various lakes.
“Fort Cobb has been a great place to saugeye fish for the last few
years,” said Ryan Ryswyk, southwest region fisheries biologist for the Wildlife
Department. “In fact, it holds the current state record saugeye at 10 pounds 10
ounces caught in 2006. Saugeye are great tasting fish just like the walleye but
are able to better tolerate the muddy water found in many Oklahoma lakes.”
Every week the fishing report provides a listing of lakes and the
current state of angling success at that location. The reports are compiled by
Wildlife Department employees and volunteers and cover lakes and other waters
throughout every region in the state. Information such as lake levels, water
temperatures, species being caught, locations with best fishing action and
successful baits is included in the reports. Anglers can receive the fishing
report by subscribing to the Department’s weekly news release at
wildlifedepartment.com
“Free fishing days are great for anyone just wanting to try their
luck at fishing for the first time or just wanting to get back into it again,”
said Damon Springer, Aquatic Resource Education coordinator for the Wildlife
Department. Springer also said anglers can use Free Fishing Days as an
inexpensive way to take someone to fishing and a great opportunity for families
“to get out and enjoy something together in the outdoors.”
Oklahoma offers fishing in lakes and rivers, but also in urban
waters designated by the Wildlife Department as “Close to Home Fishing”
locations. Although state fishing licenses are not required during Free Fishing
Days, anglers should note that certain city permits may still apply to specific
fishing areas. Additionally, anglers fishing Lake Texoma should be aware that
Free Fishing Days applies for all of the lake on June 4 but only on Oklahoma
portions of the lake on June 5. This week’s fishing report says largemouth and
smallmouth bass fishing is good now at Texoma on deep-diving crankbaits,
spinnerbaits and plastic combination baits. Additionally, good fishing at Texoma
is being reported for striped bass, white bass, crappie, sunfish, blue catfish
and channel catfish.
Oklahoma was the first state in the nation to offer free fishing
days about 30 years ago and has since been followed by dozens of other states
that have established similar days.
For more information about fishing in Oklahoma, log on to the
Wildlife Department’s website at wildlifedepartment.com.
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Oklahoma students perform well at national archery competition
Oklahoma students continue to show the nation that, when it comes to
the National Archery in the Schools Program, they are a strong contender in
competition. The program held its national tournament May 13-14 in Louisville,
Ky., and Oklahoma students claimed some high rankings among students across the
nation. One of those was a second place ranking in the middle school girls
category taken by Cheyenne Keith of Greenville Middle School, and another was a
fourth place in the high school boys category taken by Brydon Edmonds from
Chickasha High School.
Keith’s second place win in a category of 999 middle school females
shows the nation that Oklahoma students can compete at the highest level, as
does Edmonds’ fourth place win among 1,236 high school male shooters.
Additionally, Chickasha Elementary School placed fourth as a team in the
elementary school category, while Zaneis Middle School took sixth place in the
middle school category. These successful individual and team showings continue
to solidify the legacy being built by Oklahoma students in competition through
the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program.
Just last year, then 5th-grader Meredith Noland from Chickasha took
her second consecutive national championship, and other first place wins and
high standings have been claimed by Oklahoma students in recent years as well.
“We send our heartfelt congratulations to all of the students who
represented our great state in the national competition,” said Justin Marschall,
Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools coordinator for the Wildlife
Department. “It is amazing to see the instant bond and mutual respect that this
program builds between students.”
Marschall went on to encourage Oklahoma students who participate in
the program to “continue challenging themselves in archery and in life.”
This year’s national tournament drew about 6,730 youth shooters, of
which 251 were from Oklahoma.
Students involved in the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools
Program hone their concentration skills by shooting at targets from 10 and 15
meters, attempting to place their arrows into a three-inch diameter bullseye for
points. Students of all ages, sizes and athletic abilities can compete at the
same level for high standings and personal success.
Oklahoma students qualified for the national competition based on
their individual and team scores from the Oklahoma National Archery in the
Schools State Shoot held in March at the Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma
City. More than 1,150 students gathered at the site for the state shoot to wrap
up a season of archery practice and competition at their respective schools and
to determine qualifiers for the national tournament.
Oklahoma is in its seventh year of participation in the Oklahoma
National Archery in the Schools Program, and about 270 schools are currently
participating.
The Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools Program, administered
by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, is part of a national
organization that introduces students to the sport of archery, in which students
of all athletic abilities can learn and excel. The Archery in the Schools
curriculum is designed for 4th-12th graders and covers archery history, safety,
techniques, equipment, mental concentration and self-improvement.
A limited number of grants are available each fiscal year for
schools interested in implementing the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools
Program. Teachers interested in learning more about the program or starting the
program at their school should contact Marschall at (405) 522-1857.
For more information about the Wildlife Department, log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.
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Two
non-residents charged with paddlefish violations
Two men have been charged with three counts each relating to
paddlefish possession violations following a traffic stop near Blackwell in
April.
Anatoly Natekin, 36, and Fedor Natekin, 27, both of Kent, Wash.,
have been charged with three counts each, including illegally transporting
paddlefish eggs with the intent to leave the state, unlawful possession of more
than three pounds of processed paddlefish eggs, and conspiracy to commit a
misdemeanor.
A rental vehicle occupied by the two men was pulled over by the
Oklahoma Highway Patrol on I-35 April 23. Inside the vehicle were 305 pounds of
caviar packaged in unmarked jars and several pounds of fish fillets, all
believed to be harvested from paddlefish. The charges for possessing more than
three pounds of paddlefish eggs and transporting them with intent to leave the
state each carry a maximum penalty of one year in jail and $10,000 in fines. In
addition to fines and possible jail time, courts are required to order violators
to pay restitution payments in all fish and wildlife cases.
Native to Oklahoma, paddlefish swim upstream in rivers and
tributaries each spring to spawn, particularly in those rivers that empty into
lakes in northeast Oklahoma where most paddlefish angling activity takes place.
Anglers who flock to northeast Oklahoma each spring to fish for the spawning
paddlefish are legally allowed to possess no more than three pounds of
paddlefish eggs — which can be used as the primary ingredient for caviar
products — and crossing state lines in possession of paddlefish eggs also is
illegal.
Game wardens with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
were called to the scene, and the two men were taken to the Kay County Jail in
Newkirk. They were released April 26 after posting bond of $5,000 each. Their
next court appearance date is set in September, and the evidence was cataloged
and is being stored until the trial.
“If convicted, these wildlife violators could face significant
consequences for their actions,” said Bill Hale, assistant chief of law
enforcement for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “This is an
extreme case of violating our state’s fish and wildlife laws, but this is a good
time to remind our state’s many law abiding anglers to read all regulations
before going fishing this season. The Wildlife Department’s ‘Oklahoma Fishing
Guide’ tells you all you need to know, and it is available free anywhere that
fishing licenses are sold and online at wildlifedepartment.com.”
Oklahoma draws paddlefish anglers from across the nation. The sport
has grown into a booming recreational pastime in northeast Oklahoma, and the
Wildlife Department has found a way to manage the fish and learn about the
anglers who catch them to sustain long-term angling opportunities through its
Paddlefish Research and Processing Center. The center is a site where anglers
can bring their paddlefish to be cleaned and processed for free in exchange for
biological data from the fish. Fisheries personnel with the Wildlife Department
use the data to help manage the state’s unique paddlefish population, and eggs
from female fish brought to the center are collected and sold worldwide as
caviar, the proceeds of which are used by the Wildlife Department to fund the
paddlefish program.
The Wildlife Department is the state agency charged with conserving
Oklahoma’s fish and wildlife and is responsible for enforcing laws related to
hunting and fishing. More information about the Wildlife Department, including
regulations for hunting and fishing in the state, is available at
wildlifedepartment.com.
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