Page 69 - 2018 NOV/DEC Outdoor Oklahoma

But we also add color bands that denote the year the bird
was hatched. This lets us visually track the birds as they Century-old McCurtain
mature and hopefully establish new territories on the Wilderness Benefits Larger
wilderness area.”
Extracting the week-old chicks from their nest cavity Wildlife Community
can be difficult. It also requires perfect timing. Before
handling the chicks, biologists coat their hands in corn- With the creation of the McCurtain County
starch so that oils from their skin aren’t transferred to Wilderness Area in October 1918, the Oklahoma
the mostly naked chicks. This year, 16 nestlings were Department of Wildlife Conservation invested in a
banded and returned to their nest cavities. legacy of land management that continues today.
The state’s first management area, 14,087 acres in
Fall: Habitat Maintenance far southeastern Oklahoma, stands out as the larg-
Once the chicks were banded, Barnes and Shope est remaining patch of mature shortleaf pine-hard-
turned their attention to habitat and cavity maintenance. wood forest in the nation.
Towering pines mingle with a variety of oaks and
Supplemental cavity inserts were placed to help birds other hardwoods on the area’s sometime steep
overcome the labor-intensive challenge of drilling a cav- slopes. Grasses and wildflowers flourish under-
ity. Metal restrictors were added to natural cavities so neath the lofty giants. This open, park-like scene,
that the entrance holes wouldn’t be expanded by other reminiscent of the southern forest’s historical condi-
woodpecker species. And southern flying squirrels and tion, is favored habitat for the federally endangered
red wasps were evicted from cavities so the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. And while this wood-
woodpecker could continue to persist on the area. pecker’s life cycle shapes much of the Department’s
Beyond cavity tree maintenance, the management
team also works year-round to maintain the open for- workload in this wilderness area, the management
team knows woodpeckers aren’t the only beneficia-
est conditions the birds require. Luckily, the wilderness ries of their daily efforts.
area’s largest neighbor is the U.S. Forest Service, and “When we provide habitat for the woodpeckers,
both agencies share management goals, and in some we’re providing habitat for a number of other spe-
cases, resources. cies, from insects to game birds like turkey and quail,
“Partnering with the U.S. Forest Service allows us
to provide three and a half times more habitat for the to larger mammals like deer,” said Clay Barnes, a
wildlife biologist for the Wildlife Department who
red-cockaded woodpecker, and really for a broader wild- oversees the area. “So many species are thriving
life community,” Barnes said. “You can really see a differ- under the umbrella of woodpecker management.”
ence where we’ve focused management efforts. It really After years of active management, biologists and
gives the area life.”
hunters have noticed an increase in the area’s wild-
life. “Surveys have shown a positive response in
CLAY BARNES/ODWC many songbirds. And deer and turkey hunters reg-
ularly observe and harvest their game as part of the
area’s limited controlled hunts program.
So what’s in the recipe that creates the open habitat
and resulting wildlife boost? Biologists such as Barnes
and his predecessors have been applying prescribed
fire across the area on a three-year rotation.
“We know the area has had a long fire history,
both from natural lightning fires and man-made fires
started by Native Americans. We’re just continuing
that history.”
Users may experience the open forests and
local wildlife with a visit to the McCurtain County
Wilderness Area’s nature trail, on the area’s western
unit. Hiking and backpacking permits for the area
east of Broken Bow Lake may be secured by con-
tacting the area’s biologist at least two weeks before
planned arrival.
All visitors are required to possess a conservation
passport or valid Oklahoma hunting or fishing license
to enter the management area.
— Jena Donnell
A newly finished tree cavity insert is ready for nesting woodpeckers.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018 41