Page 7 - 2019 NOV/DEC Outdoor Oklahoma

western parts of our state, we also see a variety of hunting
opportunities. The diversity of our wildlife populations is a NRA viA FACEBOOK
great opportunity for the rural areas of our state, and it also
helps with land prices and land values, which contributes to
ad valorem tax dollars for our rural communities.

What does it mean to be a Top 10 state?
Being a Top 10 state is our aspirational goal. That is
our beacon. And as the governor or chief executive of
the state, when I lay out that vision, what that does is it
starts giving everyone a road map and a game plan. And
so all my different agency heads, whether its Wildlife or
Tourism or Commerce or Transportation, they now start
coming to me saying, “Governor, if we are going to be
Top 10 in road conditions … here’s what we’ve got to do.”
And that's what I love, because now they are
comparing to other states, and we’re saying we are 28th
now, the governor wants to be Top 10, here’s where we
have to improve. … We have a fantastic state, and I like
to remind everybody that Oklahoma is a step above
every other state.

What makes Oklahoma a Top 10 state when it
comes to outdoor opportunities?
Oklahoma is such a diverse state when it comes to
outdoor opportunities. We have bighorn sheep and
antelope in the Panhandle, black bears in the southeast,
and pheasant and quail across the state. We also now
have elk in Oklahoma, and obviously some world-class Gov. Stitt and his son Drew on a quail hunt.
deer hunting. We are one of only a couple of states left
that actually has a growing hunting population, and our PROvidEd
hunting license numbers are increasing.

What’s your vision for the future of
conservation in Oklahoma?

I want to make Oklahoma a Top 10 state that ensures
Oklahomans and sportsmen alike can continue to enjoy
our rich wildlife and outdoor opportunities. We have
our Oklahoma Fishing Trail that we want to continue
to promote, especially since we have some of the best
bass fishing in the country. We also want to continue
to monitor our big buck population to encourage more
hunters. It helps with leases and land values when
people can come and enjoy the outdoors in Oklahoma.
So, by ensuring we have a thriving wildlife population, it
encourages more people to be drawn to our great state.
Now that you’ve been bear hunting, what’s the
next outdoor-related adventure you want to try?
I’m gearing up for deer season! I will probably
take my son and go sit in a deer stand this fall over
Thanksgiving break.

(Blake Podhajsky, Information and Education Specialist,
assisted with this article.) Gov. Stitt and his son Remington enjoy some fly fishing.

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