Page 11 - 2018 SEPT/OCT Outdoor Oklahoma

Game Warden’s Journal

ACCOUNTS FROM THE FIELD BY THE PUBLIC
SERVANTS WHO ENFORCE THE FISH AND
WILDLIFE LAWS OF OKLAHOMA.

Oklahoma Game Wardens were proud to participate in the
National Wild Turkey Federation’s first Jakes Day event in
Tulsa. The day was filled with many activities designed to bring
families together to enjoy the outdoors. One popular activity
was shooting clay pigeons as part of the Wildlife Department’s
Shotgun Training Education Program. Game Wardens staffed
the STEP area and provided instruction to all the shooters.

In late July, Game Wardens
Tyler Howser and Brayden
Hicks, both based in Caddo
County, were notified of a
very unusual catch! Kenne-
dy Smith of Lindsay, caught
a pacu on a nightcrawler in
Marina Cove at Fort Cobb
Lake. She was fishing with
her grandparents.
Pacu is an invasive spe-
cies closely related to pira-
nha. Unlike piranha, pacu
primarily feed on plant
material but are consid- On July 15, Game Warden Paul Welch, based in Osage Coun-
ered omnivorous. Pacu are ty, observed two men holding a stringer of fish on the bank at
naturally found in freshwa- Skiatook Lake. When the men noticed the game warden, they
ter lakes and waterways in appeared to hide the fish and walk away. Welch was able locate
South America, but they have been caught in a few fisheries the stringer of fish that held three smallmouth bass and a large-
in Oklahoma. The non-native pacu most likely get into Okla- mouth bass. The biggest bass on the stringer was about 8 inches
homa waters when people buy them as pets and then release long. When questioned, the men admitted to using a speargun
them when they outgrow their tank. Pacu can grow to 3.5 feet to take the fish. A citation was issued for using an illegal means
and weigh more than 80 pounds. of take and for possession of undersize smallmouth bass.
Anglers who catch pacu in Oklahoma are asked to remove
them from the water and contact their local game warden. They (Reports from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
can cause damage to the local ecosystems. Conservation-Game Wardens Facebook page.)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Please help make a difference! When violators break the law, they steal fish and wildlife from you! Report viola-
tions anonymously by calling Operation Game Thief at (800) 522-8039. You could earn a cash reward.

September/October 2018 9

OutdoorOK-2018-September-October.indd 9 8/13/18 4:17 PM