Page 10 - 2019 JUL/AUG Outdoor Oklahoma

Game Bag

A COLLECTION OF LETTERS TO THE WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT
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 Director J.D. Strong,
Yesterday I had an encounter with an injured hawk, a Coo-
pers hawk I believe, and thanks to ODWC Game Warden Tim
Campbell, it was a delightful and rewarding one.
My next-door neighbors first had the hawk in their yard,
and in an effort to get it to hop—its wing was hurt—up to and
over their back fence to the creek, they sent it to my yard. I
have two dogs. One, a 15-pound doxie, and so I kind of wanted
the hawk gone, but safely gone!
For a while it was about 12 feet up in a tree, and during that
time a nice animal control officer came to contemplate possi-
ble action to recover it, but it was too high up. After she left,
the bird eventually fluttered to the ground. I called animal Dear Information & Education Supervisor Colin Berg and I&E
control again, but they were closing. They suggested I call Specialist Shawn Gee,
Game Warden Campbell, which I did. We cannot thank you enough for a FANTASTIC night of
I live up near Penn Square Mall, and Game Warden Camp- fishing. Your program is so great, and we had a blast. I really
bell was in Norman. Still, after 6 p.m. on a Friday evening, he appreciate you coordinating the night for us to film. Plus, the
came to help. After admiring the handsome bird for a time, whole presentation was so fun and engaging! Bravo to the
trying to figure out how to capture it, Game Warden Campbell whole team!
devised a method, and it worked beautifully. He transferred I’m looking forward to sharing this story with our viewers
the bird into a box with holes in it, and it is now at the vet. I all across the state. Thank you for all you do. I’m looking for-
pray that it will heal and survive. If it does not, I know that ward to doing many more stories with you all (and returning
we tried. to a fishing clinic this summer, too!)
Truly, Game Warden Tim Campbell went the extra mile in Thanks again!
caring about and for this beautiful hawk. And incidentally, Julie Chin, “Discover Oklahoma” TV show
he was exceedingly professional, courteous and pleasant.
I am so appreciative and wanted you to know what a fine EDITOR’S NOTE: Gee held a family fishing clinic in Jenks
employee you have. Thanks so much to Tim Campbell and recently, with “Discover Oklahoma” featuring the event for TV
the ODWC! (view it at https://youtu.be/HuYU9rlJENg). About 25 people
Margaret Cox, Oklahoma City participated, and they caught many fish. Chin said she would
be signing up her family for one of the summer fishing clinics.

Dear Wildlife Department,
I want to send a huge thanks to Richard Beagles and Eric Dear Outdoor Oklahoma,
Suttles, Wildlife Biologists, for their assistance and involve- Just wanted to pass on some good news. Last season, I had
ment at the Wildlife Outreach Meeting at the Veterans War the privilege of helping Bobby Armstrong put on a “Learn to
Community south of Wilburton. Both of their comments and Turkey Hunt” workshop in the Elk City area. Well, this season
input were perceived very well, so thanks for their knowledge I heard from multiple people who attended the workshop to
and willingness to share. I have received some comments back let me know about their first turkey hunting season on their
from a couple of the members and they are also very thankful own and on public land. It was great to hear their stories of
and wanted me to pass the message along. Thanks. success and lessons learned in the field on their own. A weekend
Dustin Lamoreaux workshop turned out some lifelong turkey hunters and public
Oklahoma Coordinating Wildlife Biologist land users.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever Marcus Thibodeau, ODWC Wildlife Biologist

8 Off the Beaten Path