Page 9 - May/June 2022 Outdoor Oklahoma
P. 9

GAME BAG                                                     his concerns. Without hesitation, Fulton, based
                                                                            in Tulsa County, agreed to visit the facility and
                                                                            present Martin with a certificate we made. This
               A COLLECTION OF LETTERS                                      was not just a quick presentation; he stayed and
               TO THE WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT                                   visited with him and the family and even spoke to
                                                                            another fisherman in our care. I can’t tell you how
               We’d like to hear from you! Send your letters to Outdoor Oklahoma   much this meant to the resident, his family, and to
               Letters, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152, or send e-mail to   us to be able to witness it. Fulton is a true public
               donald.brown@odwc.ok.gov.                                    servant at heart.
                                                                                 Sincerely, Kelli A. Ludinich, BSN, RN, DCS,
                                   Dear Wildlife Department,                       Oklahoma Memory Care Institute, Tulsa
                                     Mr. Martin, a resident of Oklahoma Memory
                                   Care  Institute  in  Tulsa,  has  been  an  avid  hunter
                                   for years. Actually, his lifetime hunting and fishing   Dear Wildlife Department,
                                   license is No. 85. Martin was concerned about   I’ve been an Oklahoma resident, hunter and fish-
                                   hunting in Tulsa County without a valid doe or   erman all my life and just felt compelled to send this
                                   buck tag. I reached out this morning to Game War-  email to thank all the hard-working men and women
                                   den Brandon Fulton and told him of Martin and   of ODWC. All of you work very hard, and without a
                                                                                     lot of monetary compensation. From
                                                                                     the people who answer the phones,
                                                                                     the division heads I’ve spoken with,
                                                                                     and the Game Wardens I’ve met over
                                                                                     the years, you all do a tremendous job
                                                                                     with a passion for wildlife that shows
                                                                                     in how well wildlife is managed in our
                                                                                     state. Now it’s the end of deer season in
                                                                                     Oklahoma I’d like to express my thanks
                                                                                     for the way you structured limits. My
                                                                                     family eats mostly venison throughout
                                                                                     the year, and the ability to put more doe
                                                                                     meat in the freezer was great. I, like all
                                                                                     other deer hunters, are already looking
                                                                                     forward to next year.
                                                                                       I’m seeing deer shift more of their
                                                                                     movement until after dark. I don’t see
                                                                                     a need for raising limits but maybe run-
                                                                                     ning the season to the end of January
                                                                                     or the middle of February would help.
               Game Warden Brandon Fulton visits a resident at Oklahoma Memory Care Institute.             Jim Kelly


                                   FORMER ASSISTANT PROMOTED TO FISHERIES CHIEF


                                     Kenneth Cunningham has been named Chief of   Cunningham earned a bachelor’s degree in wild-
                                   the Fisheries Division of the Oklahoma Department of   life conservation from Southeastern Oklahoma
                                   Wildlife Conservation. He follows Barry Bolton, who   State University in 1986, and a master’s degree in
                                   retired in early 2022 after a 43-year career with ODWC.  fisheries ecology from Oklahoma State University
                                     As Chief, Cunningham oversees four state fish   in 1991.
                                   hatcheries, a research laboratory, and regional biol-  He began his professional career in 1990 when he
                                   ogists and technicians.                  was hired as a Fisheries Biologist by ODWC. In 2002,
                                     “It is a real privilege to be given the opportunity   he went to the Ohio Division of Wildlife to serve as
               Ken Cunningham
                                   to serve the sportsmen and sportswomen of Okla-  Fisheries Management Supervisor.
                                   homa in my new role,” he said.             Cunningham and his wife, Susie, reside on
                                     He became Assistant Chief of Fisheries in April   a hobby farm east of Noble, where they enjoy
                                   2014, after working six years for the New Mexico   fishing, gardening, chicken husbandry, dancing,
                                   Department of Fish and Game as its Assistant Chief   and spending time with their five children and
                                   of Fisheries Research.                   two grandchildren.


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