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A biologist and a hunter have a conversation in the field.
Just What Does a Wildlife Biologist Do?

Across the state of Oklahoma, there are only 45 wildlife biologist positions within ODWC. This deep dive explores the respective job duties.

A green toad with large eyes and a white belly lays on gravel.
Five Tips for a Better School Picture Day

We leaned on Oklahoma’s photogenic wildlife for school picture day tips to help find your smile, strike a pose, and stay your adorable and wild self.

A pair of Oklahoma prairie chickens in a field.
Efforts Continue to Monitor, Help Prairie-Chicken Numbers

Prairie-chicken numbers in Oklahoma have fallen over the last 30 years, but landowners and agencies are teaming up to restore grasslands and bring these iconic birds back.

Two women stand in an open forest while monitoring red-cockaded woodepeckers
Habitat Work Helps Threatened Red-cockaded Woodpecker Expand OK Range

A distinctive squeak in the tree canopy has led one U.S. Forest Service biologist on a journey of discovery and marked the return of the federally threatened red-cockaded woodpecker to Oklahoma’s Le Flore County.

Field technician Addison Galante uses tracking devices to locate the collared mule deer doe and fawn.
Wired for the Wild: Tracking Mule Deer in Oklahoma

Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) funds numerous research projects across the state, from the effects of weather and hunting on Northern bobwhite populations to the efficacy of trout stocking. Mule deer population evaluations are no exception.

Rattlesnake at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, photo by Jeremiah Zurenda
HOW TO: Avoid Unwanted Snake Encounters

Snakes aren’t on everyone’s must-see list, but the chances of an encounter increase as you spend more time in Outdoor Oklahoma. To get tips for avoiding negative snake encounters, we checked in with biologists and learned so much more about Oklahoma snakes.

A brown snake with a dark pattern coils and faces the camera.
Introducing Oklahoma’s Reptiles and Amphibians

Thanks to a mix of habitats and environmental conditions, Oklahoma’s reptiles and amphibians are 140 species strong. Learn more about resident turtles, snakes, salamanders, lizards, and frogs of our Wildlife Management Areas.

A brown and tan blotched snake is curled with its head pointing above the coil.
Highlights from Oklahoma’s History of Herpetology

The archived history of herpetology shows the compounding value of past reptile and amphibian conservation efforts and incredible potential for the future.

A man stands in the water with a net full of geese swimming before him.
Cackling Geese Tracked in Central Flyway Study

Researchers are tracking cackling geese wintering in a five-state study area to learn more about their movements and habitat preferences.

A small brown bat hangs upside down.
Study Focused on Bats and Disease-causing Fungus

Bat surveys were conducted to learn more about Oklahoma’s bat communities and hundreds of bats were swabbed for the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome.