Page 2 - Outdoor Oklahoma - May/June 2021 Issue

Panoramas

ow does someone become a hunter and/or angler? My interest and luckily meeting the right people were what it

For decades, the simple answer was family tradi- took for an outdoorsy city kid to become a self-sufficient, passionate
tion, but as America has grown and technology hunter and angler.
Hhas changed, so too have the demographics of Opportunity, with support, is the key phrase in the R3 world. But
outdoor enthusiasts. what opportunity and what type of support? Not
America’s wild lands and waterways become less every person is going to have the inherent passion
wild every day as urban developments, agricultural or interest in becoming a hunter or angler even with
expansion and energy efforts continue to encroach opportunity and support. This is where ODWC’s

on the places where these family traditions were Learn to Hunt, Learn to Fish, and Mobile First
born. Future generations of hunters and anglers will Catch Center programs along with ODWC per-
not look, hunt and fish like those who forged the sonnel will play critical roles.
pathway for outdoor recreation. We need to cast a wide net in urban areas of
But as a Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation the state. With ODWC’s online license system,
(R3) coordinator, I see this as a golden opportunity. our wide net can be narrowed to distinguish
Skylar St.Yves
I was raised in Seattle in the 1990s and 2000s, a those with an active interest and provide specific
sprawling metro area that has a rich history of hunting and fishing. It support for them. But people don’t wear shirts that say, “I’m
didn’t seem unusual to fish rivers and creeks under busy overpasses or interested in hunting or fishing, please take me!” ODWC’s online

hunt public land dissected by major interstates. While aesthetically licensing system will help us get over the hurdle of identifying
awkward, the joy of the activity outweighed the perception. the “please take me” folks from the “thanks for the chance, but
Had I not had the chance to hunt and fish in that urban envi- it’s just not for me” folks.
ronment as a youth, would I have picked up those activities when Support through mentorship is a key, and our new urban hunting
I moved to an inherently rural setting in Oklahoma as a young and fishing initiatives, along with our new virtual learning oppor-
adult? Likely no. Therein lies the challenge for fish and wildlife tunities, will allow us to connect the “please take me” folks with the
agencies today. “I want to continue the heritage” folks.

Americans are becoming increasingly urbanized and reliant on The landscape is changing and so too are America’s future hunt-
technology, but should not simultaneously be losing their symbiotic ers and anglers. Together, old and young, past and present, we will
connection with nature. The landscape has changed, but the oppor- embrace an inclusive environment that builds, supports and evolves
tunities have not the interest and passion of our outdoor community’s next chapter!
I was not a complete angler when I arrived in Oklahoma. I still
needed a push, which came on a spring fishing trip with my dad’s
coworker. He took me to Lake Thunderbird, where I was introduced
to white bass fishing and jug-lining. The smoldering flame of my
fishing passion had been reignited. Skylar St.Yves, Fishing R3 Coordinator

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