07-17-2007, 12:10 AM
Quail Forever donation accepted; early migratory bird regulations set
Oologah Wildlife Management Area's quail habitat will improve thanks to a generous donation to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to accept a donation of $2,500 from the Indian Territory Chapter of Quail Forever at its regular meeting July 9 in Oklahoma City. According to its Web site, Quail Forever is "dedicated to the conservation of quail, pheasants and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs."
"This is a great donation from Quail Forever," said Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Wildlife Department. "These types of efforts and contributions from groups like Quail Forever help the Department provide better habitat for wildlife and better hunting for sportsmen."
The $2,500 will be used to help purchase a no-till drill and a 12' disc to conduct quail habitat improvement activities on Oologah WMA. Oologah WMA covers 12,941 acres in Nowata and Rogers counties in northeastern Oklahoma.
The Commission also voted to apply for a donation of 605 acres of property from the General Services Administration (GSA) in eastern Osage Co. The land is the last remnant of the former Candy Lake project currently being disposed of by GSA through the National Park Service's Federal Lands to Parks Program. The Commission's approval completes the application process for the Department to be considered for receiving the land donation.
Peoples said the land, if donated to the Department, would be used for controlled youth hunts and will be open for small game hunting as well. He said it also offers several benefits for sportsmen.
"This land is close to the Tulsa metro, it offers fishing access to Candy Creek and it's within a 35-mile radius of seven other wildlife management areas," Peoples said.
In other business, the Commission voted to establish hunting regulations for September teal and September special resident Canada goose, dove, rail, gallinule, woodcock and common snipe. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers populations and habitats for establishing hunting seasons on migratory game bird seasons that open prior to Oct. 1 at an annual meeting in June each year. The Service publishes the federal hunting season frameworks for these species soon after this meeting, and state conservation agencies like the Wildlife Department can then make their season selections within the federal framework guidelines.
"There are only a couple of slight changes to dove and resident Canada goose regulations," Peoples said. "The slated changes increase opportunity for doves in southwest Oklahoma and potential for success during the resident Canada goose season. For doves, there is a newly-established southwest zone that will have a reduced daily bag limit of 12 doves rather than the 15 permitted everywhere else statewide. The bag reduction allowed us to add an additional 10 days in December and January in the southwest zone. Hunters participating in the resident Canada goose season will be allowed to hunt with unplugged shotguns, hunt 30 minutes after sunset and use electronic calls."
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is slated for 9 a.m. Aug. 6 at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
-30-
Clinton attorney named to Wildlife Commission
Clinton attorney Mart Tisdal has been named by Gov. Brad Henry to serve the remainder of the district seven Wildlife Commission term vacated by Wade Brinkman's resignation.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Commission district seven includes Ellis, Dewey, Roger Mills, Custer, Beckham, Washita, Kiowa, Greer, Jackson, Harmon and Tillman counties.
Tisdal, whose current appointment on the Commission runs until 2011, was born and raised in Clinton and founded Tisdal Law Firm, a general practice legal office which has oil and gas, environmental law and complex litigation among its areas of focus. He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to receiving numerous professional awards, he has served as the president of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. He is also a veteran, having served on active duty in the U.S. Army, field artillery, from 1971-73.
An avid quail hunter, Tisdal says he has many fond memories of growing up in western Oklahoma.
"I started out hunting quail with my dad and granddad when I was about seven or eight years old," he said. "My first shotgun was a .410, but I quickly graduated to a 20-gauge Browning Auto Five which I still use to this day. My dad, at 87 years young, accompanies us on several family quail hunts each year. He can still shoot with the best of them."
In addition to training what he calls his "four hard-headed pointers," Tisdal enjoys turkey hunting, fishing, golf, running, snow skiing, and just being outdoors. He also has a keen interest in wildlife conservation. Tisdal and his wife, Marian, have a daughter, Julia, and son, Logan. He says sharing Oklahoma's outdoor heritage with the next generation is an important part of the future of conservation.
"Preserving and passing on the outdoor tradition is important to me," he said. "We need to ensure even greater open access to outdoor opportunities, and market those opportunities in such a way that we continue, and even improve upon, our outdoor traditions.
"I think our outdoor opportunities exist today because of many people who have worked for the Wildlife Department and dedicated their careers to that cause. Certainly, there are ways to expand those opportunities, and I think that should always be a part of the agenda."
Oologah Wildlife Management Area's quail habitat will improve thanks to a generous donation to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to accept a donation of $2,500 from the Indian Territory Chapter of Quail Forever at its regular meeting July 9 in Oklahoma City. According to its Web site, Quail Forever is "dedicated to the conservation of quail, pheasants and other wildlife through habitat improvements, public awareness, education and land management policies and programs."
"This is a great donation from Quail Forever," said Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Wildlife Department. "These types of efforts and contributions from groups like Quail Forever help the Department provide better habitat for wildlife and better hunting for sportsmen."
The $2,500 will be used to help purchase a no-till drill and a 12' disc to conduct quail habitat improvement activities on Oologah WMA. Oologah WMA covers 12,941 acres in Nowata and Rogers counties in northeastern Oklahoma.
The Commission also voted to apply for a donation of 605 acres of property from the General Services Administration (GSA) in eastern Osage Co. The land is the last remnant of the former Candy Lake project currently being disposed of by GSA through the National Park Service's Federal Lands to Parks Program. The Commission's approval completes the application process for the Department to be considered for receiving the land donation.
Peoples said the land, if donated to the Department, would be used for controlled youth hunts and will be open for small game hunting as well. He said it also offers several benefits for sportsmen.
"This land is close to the Tulsa metro, it offers fishing access to Candy Creek and it's within a 35-mile radius of seven other wildlife management areas," Peoples said.
In other business, the Commission voted to establish hunting regulations for September teal and September special resident Canada goose, dove, rail, gallinule, woodcock and common snipe. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers populations and habitats for establishing hunting seasons on migratory game bird seasons that open prior to Oct. 1 at an annual meeting in June each year. The Service publishes the federal hunting season frameworks for these species soon after this meeting, and state conservation agencies like the Wildlife Department can then make their season selections within the federal framework guidelines.
"There are only a couple of slight changes to dove and resident Canada goose regulations," Peoples said. "The slated changes increase opportunity for doves in southwest Oklahoma and potential for success during the resident Canada goose season. For doves, there is a newly-established southwest zone that will have a reduced daily bag limit of 12 doves rather than the 15 permitted everywhere else statewide. The bag reduction allowed us to add an additional 10 days in December and January in the southwest zone. Hunters participating in the resident Canada goose season will be allowed to hunt with unplugged shotguns, hunt 30 minutes after sunset and use electronic calls."
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is slated for 9 a.m. Aug. 6 at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
-30-
Clinton attorney named to Wildlife Commission
Clinton attorney Mart Tisdal has been named by Gov. Brad Henry to serve the remainder of the district seven Wildlife Commission term vacated by Wade Brinkman's resignation.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. Commission district seven includes Ellis, Dewey, Roger Mills, Custer, Beckham, Washita, Kiowa, Greer, Jackson, Harmon and Tillman counties.
Tisdal, whose current appointment on the Commission runs until 2011, was born and raised in Clinton and founded Tisdal Law Firm, a general practice legal office which has oil and gas, environmental law and complex litigation among its areas of focus. He earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to receiving numerous professional awards, he has served as the president of the Oklahoma Bar Foundation. He is also a veteran, having served on active duty in the U.S. Army, field artillery, from 1971-73.
An avid quail hunter, Tisdal says he has many fond memories of growing up in western Oklahoma.
"I started out hunting quail with my dad and granddad when I was about seven or eight years old," he said. "My first shotgun was a .410, but I quickly graduated to a 20-gauge Browning Auto Five which I still use to this day. My dad, at 87 years young, accompanies us on several family quail hunts each year. He can still shoot with the best of them."
In addition to training what he calls his "four hard-headed pointers," Tisdal enjoys turkey hunting, fishing, golf, running, snow skiing, and just being outdoors. He also has a keen interest in wildlife conservation. Tisdal and his wife, Marian, have a daughter, Julia, and son, Logan. He says sharing Oklahoma's outdoor heritage with the next generation is an important part of the future of conservation.
"Preserving and passing on the outdoor tradition is important to me," he said. "We need to ensure even greater open access to outdoor opportunities, and market those opportunities in such a way that we continue, and even improve upon, our outdoor traditions.
"I think our outdoor opportunities exist today because of many people who have worked for the Wildlife Department and dedicated their careers to that cause. Certainly, there are ways to expand those opportunities, and I think that should always be a part of the agenda."