Page 10 - Sept/Oct 2020 Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

A COLLECTION OF LETTERS TO THE WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
Game Bag We’d like to hear from you! Send your letters to Outdoor
Oklahoma Letters, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK
73152, or send e-mail to donald.brown@odwc.ok.gov.

Dear Wildlife Department, Dear Director J.D. Strong,
We had our annual noncom- I want to express my sincere
mercial breeder inspection appreciation to Mr. James Williams,
this June. Game Warden Cody Game Warden for Latimer County,
Youngblood, new to Cherokee for his invaluable assistant to Ms.
County, came out on his first Loran Mayes, park manager of
day back from paternity leave Robbers Cave State Park.
to help get us squared away For a number of years, this
early in the month! The natural- state park’s nature center has dis-
ist at another park left his posi- played venomous snakes as one
tion in a critical time of year, so of its interpretive exhibits. With
I alerted their manager about a recent change in the nature cen-
the inspection and licenses she Cody Youngblood ter’s staffing, Ms. Mayes made the James Williams
needed to work on. They also had large venomous snakes decision that this was the appropriate time to remove these
and needed a solution for them! Youngblood helped put us snakes from the facility. There were five venomous snakes on
in contact with Game Warden James Williams, who was display; the eastern diamondback rattlesnake and water mocca-
extremely helpful. sin were quite large.
These wardens go above and beyond to help us at Oklaho- Upon being contacted by Ms. Mayes, Williams not only pro-
ma State Parks. Loran Mayes, Robbers Cave manager, said vided approval for the snakes to be released in a remote location
it best yesterday when she was talking to me about how these of the Robbers Cave Wildlife Management Area, but took an
community relationships are so important to have before a active leadership role in removing the snakes from the nature
crisis or even a small matter to get things resolved quickly center and in releasing them into the wild. The state park didn’t
and correctly. have anyone who was qualified, or comfortable, in handling
I also regularly contact biologists Mark Howery, Matt these snakes.
Fullerton, and Curtis Tackett with questions. They are a Thank you so much for conveying my and Ms. Mayes’ appre-
vital resource to us with their knowledge on the natural ciation to James Williams for going above and beyond the call
world as well as correct protocols and procedures. We are in helping us.
often trying to help people ID snakes instead of killing any- Kris Marek, Director, Oklahoma State Parks
thing that slithers. They go above the call of duty to help my
volunteers and staff.
We hope that together we can help each other fulfill our Dear Wildlife Department,
agencies’ missions. We will miss seeing everyone at the Wild- Huge “thank you” to Oklaho-
life Expo, but know that we consider so many members of your ma Game Warden Marvin Stan-
ODWC staff to be vital team members to us at Oklahoma State ley, based in Cherokee County,
Parks. Not only are they great at their jobs quantitatively, but for making sure phones, IDs,
they are quality people who are always helpful and make sure cash and cards were returned
to tell us to let them know anytime we need help. when our lost dry box was
Angelina Stancampiano, Three Forks Nature Center located after the canoe flipped.
Stanley was able to contact
Northwest Arkansas author-
Dear Wildlife Department, ities, who looked me up to let
I wanted to let you know that we finally made it out to me know our lost property had
Heyburn Wildlife Management Area and camped one night. been found. Stanley met us so Marvin Stanley
Area Biologist Matt Mattoida was so helpful. He brought us we didn’t have to drive the whole way. On top of that, we just
some firewood and explained how to get to a waterfall, which assumed he found the dry box on his rounds. No, he confis-
was probably the highlight of the trip. Well, that and hearing a cated it from two guys who were divvying it up! Thank you,
barred owl! I wish we were still there. Thank you for your help! Officer Stanley; the world needs more of you!
Tricia Hines, GIS Coordinator/Policy Analyst, Oklahoma P.S. Please always wear your life vests. Water safety is no joke.
House of Representatives Dianna K. Winters-Lewis, via Facebook

8 Off the Beaten Path

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