Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

[Phil Lilley]

For Immediate Release

September 14, 2006

A service of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

News Contacts: Micah Holmes or Kristen Gillman (405) 521-3856

Web site: www.wildlifedepartment.com

Teachers and students eligible to win trips to Wyoming and New Mexico

Wildlife Department seeks artists for waterfowl stamp design

Department pre-employment exam to be held Friday, Sept. 29

Upcoming Hunter Education Classes

Outdoor Calendar

Fishing Report

Teachers and students eligible to win trips to Wyoming and New Mexico

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) and Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International (OSCSCI) are looking for Oklahoma's top conservation minded students and teachers. Through a youth writing contest and teacher application process by these two organizations, several students and an educator will win a trip of a lifetime.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to express their love for the outdoors and at the same time have a chance to win an awesome outdoor trip," said Colin Berg, education supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Winners in the 15-17 age category (one boy and one girl) will receive an all-expense-paid guided antelope hunt in New Mexico. Funding for the trips, including a full shoulder taxidermy mount of the youth's harvested antelope will be provided by the Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International.

Students in the 11-14 age category are competing for an all expense paid trip to the Apprentice Hunter Program at the YO Ranch in Mountain Home, Texas. The Safari Club International's Apprentice Hunters' Program is a unique, hands-on experience which covers a wide range of topics including; the ethical basis of modern sport hunting, wildlife management, field identification, and wild game cooking. The Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International will provide travel reimbursements to attend the weeklong course.

The four statewide winners and their legal guardians will be invited to Oklahoma City to attend an awards ceremony in March. In addition, the top 25 essay entrants will receive a one-year youth membership to Safari Club International. The winning student essays will be published in the OSCSCI newsletter "Safari Trails." Publication qualifies the winning entries for the National Youth Writing Contest sponsored by the Outdoor Writers Association of America. Several past national winners have come from Oklahoma.

"Students aren't the only ones eligible to win," Berg added. "One educator will be awarded an all-expenses-paid scholarship for an eight-day conservation education school at Safari Club International's American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) at Granite Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming."

The AWLS program is conducted during the summer and presents an outdoor program for educators which concentrates on natural resource management. Participants learn about stream ecology, map and compass, language arts and creative writing in an outdoor setting, fly tying, shooting sports, wildlife management, the Yellowstone ecosystem, camping, white-water rafting, educational resources and how to implement outdoor education ideas. Lodging, meals and training materials will be provided by Oklahoma Station Chapter Safari Club International. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will cover transportation to Jackson, Wyoming.

Both the essay contest rules and teacher scholarship applications are available from the Department's Web site www.wildlifedepartment.com/out_ed.htm. Essays and applications must be postmarked no later than Nov. 17, 2006, or delivered by 5 p.m. Nov. 17, 2006, in person to the Department of Wildlife's Jenks Office at 201 Aquarium Drive, in Jenks. Address entries to: Essay Contest, Attn: Education Section Supervisor, ODWC Jenks Office, P.O. Box 1201, Jenks, OK 74037.

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Wildlife Department seeks artists for waterfowl stamp design

The Wildlife Department is looking for redhead artists. Not red headed artists, but artists who can paint the diving redhead duck.

The redhead duck will be featured on the 2007 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp and the Wildlife Department is accepting entries for the stamp design competition. The winning art will be printed on the 2007 Oklahoma Waterfowl Stamp, which is required of most waterfowl hunters.

Duck stamp sales help finance many projects that benefit ducks and geese. Since the duck stamp program began in 1980, thousands of acres of waterfowl habitat have been created through duck stamp revenues.

The deadline to submit art is 4:30 p.m., October 27. Artwork may be of acrylic, oil, watercolor, scratchboard, pencil, pen and ink, tempera or any other two-dimensional media. The illustration must be horizontal, 6 1/2 inches high and 9 inches wide. It must be matted with white mat board 9 inches high by 12 inches wide with the opening cut precisely 6 1/2-by-9. Artwork may not be framed or under glass, but acetate covering should be used to protect the art. For complete entry guidelines, call (405) 521-3856.

Entries should be sent to the Duck Stamp Competition Coordinator, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. Fed Ex, UPS and other ground deliveries should be sent to 1801 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City, OK 73105.

Entries will be judged on anatomical accuracy, artistic composition and suitability for printing. The winner and three honorable mentions will appear in a future issue of "Outdoor Oklahoma" magazine.

A non-refundable entry fee of $20 (cash, money order or cashier's check) must accompany each entry. No entries will be accepted after 4:30 p.m., Oct. 27. The winning entry will become the sole and exclusive property of the Wildlife Department.

For more information about the contest call (405) 521-3856.

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Department pre-employment exam to be held Friday, Sept. 29

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will hold a standardized pre-employment examination Friday, Sept. 29, at the Tom Steed Development Center Auditorium at Rose State College.

"If you have considered working for the Wildlife Department as a fisheries or wildlife biologist, technician, game warden, or hatchery manager, I would highly encourage you to take the test," said Kyle Eastham, human resources administrator for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "This is the required first step in our hiring process. If you don't take the test you won't be considered for the positions."

Individuals may take the exam once in a 12-month period, and test scores are valid for 12 months from the test date. Applications for employment will be sent to individuals with the top 25 scores. Taking the exam does not guarantee employment, nor does the exam necessarily indicate the Department currently has openings. Interviews will be scheduled only when an opening is available.

"You may have heard that it's hard to get a job with the Wildlife Department. And while it is competitive, I anticipate some retirements and promotions so there will likely be a number of openings in the coming year," Eastham said.

The exam will cover state and federal wildlife laws and regulations, fisheries and wildlife management, Oklahoma geography and biological and environmental sciences relating to fish and wildlife.

The Tom Steed Development Center Auditorium is north of Interstate 40 at the intersection of I-40 and Hudiburg Rd. in Midwest City. The doors will close promptly at 10 a.m. Those arriving after 10 a.m. will not be permitted to take the exam. The free exam is open to anyone who meets the education requirements for the tested positions.

For more information about the exam or hiring process, contact the Wildlife Department's Human Resources office at (405) 521-4640 or check the Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com/employ.htm.

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UPCOMING HUNTER EDUCATION CLASSES

Course locations are listed by town, followed by date, course location and time. If a phone number is listed, pre-registration is required. Courses are a minimum of 8 hours and are free. Students must pass an exam with a score of 70 percent. For updated information on upcoming courses, check our Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunted.htm

September

19: Hunter Education Home Study, ODWC Office, Jenks; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (918) 299-2334.

19: Hunter Education Home Study, Sportsman's Warehouse, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 302-4800.

20 & 21: Hunter Education: Blaine County Fairgrounds, Watonga; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. both nights.

21: Hunter Education Home Study, H & H Gun Range, OKC; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (405) 947-3888.

21: Hunter Education Home Study, Tulsa Tech Center, Peoria Campus; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (918) 299-2334.

22 & 23: Hunter Education: Oklahoma City Gun Club, OKC; Sept. 22 (5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.) and Sept. 23 (8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.).

23: Hunter Education: Elks Lodge, Sand Springs; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; (918) 299-2334.

23: Hunter Education: Kiamichi Tech Center, McAlester; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

23: Hunter Education: Green Country Tech Center, Okmulgee; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

23: Hunter Education: Red Castle Gun Club, Sand Springs; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; (918) 299-2334.

23: Hunter Education: Custer Co Fairgrounds, Clinton; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

23: Hunter Education: Northeast Area Tech Center, Kansas; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

25, 26, 28: Hunter Education: Bass Pro, Broken Arrow; 6 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.; (918) 299-2334. Must attend all three nights.

25: Hunter Education Home Study, Bass Pro, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 218-5200.

25 & 28: Hunter Education: Public School, Bokoshe; 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. must attend both nights.

26: Hunter Education Home Study, ODWC Office, Jenks; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (918) 299-2334.

28: Hunter Education Home Study, Tulsa Tech Center, Peoria Campus; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (918) 299-2334.

28 & 30: Hunter Education: Kiamichi Tech Center, Stigler; Sept. 28 (6 p.m. - 10 p.m.) and Sept. 30 (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.).

28: Hunter Education Home Study, Sportsman's Warehouse, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 302-4800.

30: Hunter Education: Eastern Oklahoma County Tech Center, Choctaw; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; (405) 390-9591.

30: Hunter Education: Conners State College, LLC Auditorium, Warner; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

30: Hunter Education: Civic Center, Medford; 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

30: Hunter Education: NSU Net Building Auditorium, Tahlequah; 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

30: Hunter Education: Elementary School Library, Madill; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (580) 320-2951.

30: Hunter Education: County Fairground, Okemah; 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

30: Hunter Education: Senior Citizen Center, Cherokee; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

October

3: Hunter Education Home Study, Sportsman's Warehouse, OKC; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. (405) 302-4800.

3: Hunter Education Home Study, ODWC Office, Jenks; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (918) 299-2334.

4 & 5: Hunter Education: Blaine County fairground, Watonga; 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. must attend both nights.

5: Hunter Education Home Study, H & H Gun Range, OKC; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (405) 947-3888.

5 & 7: Hunter Education: Kiamichi Tech Center, Stigler; October 5 (6 p.m. - 10 p.m.) and October 7 (9 a.m. - 1 p.m.).

6 & 7: Hunter Education: Murray County Expo Center, Sulphur; October 6 (6 p.m. - 8 p.m.) and October 7 (8 a.m. - 3 p.m.).

7: Hunter Education Home Study, H & H Gun Range, OKC; 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. (405) 947-3888.

7: Hunter Education: High School Bldg. #7, Jenks;. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.; (918) 299-2334.

7: Hunter Education: Northeast Tech Center Main Campus (Hwy 20 between Claremore and Pryor), Claremore; 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.;

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER

23-25: Future Bass tournament trail at Lake Texoma. The tournaments will be a team format. Team members may be two adults or one adult partnering with an angler younger than 18. To compete as a youth angler, an individual must be 17 before Sept. 24, 2006. Awards will be given at each event for the top team with a youth angler, including a $4,000 Bass Cat boat at the September championship. For more information, contact Joe Copeland, (580) 759-2088.

23: National Hunting and Fishing Day, formalized by Congress in 1971, was created by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to celebrate conservation successes of hunters and anglers. For more information about National Hunting and Fishing Day log on to nhfday.org.

For a complete listing of upcoming outdoor activities and events, go to wildlifedepartment.com and check out the Outdoor Calendar.

FISHING REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 13, 2006

CENTRAL

Overholser: White bass being caught off windy points on spinnerbaits. Channel catfish slow on worms and dough baits in the lake and below the dam. Crappie being caught on jigs around dock. Report submitted by Kelly Roberson, game warden stationed in Oklahoma and Canadian counties.

Thunderbird: Elevation 7 ft. below normal and clear. Crappie good on minnows around structure at 6-9 ft. White bass fair to good off points and drop offs on medium diving crankbaits, in-line spinners and sassy shad. Channel catfish good on cut bait and stinkbait late evening and night. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County.

Wes Watkins: Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water 74-87 and murky. Catfish very good on chicken livers, minnows, fresh cut bait and stinkbaits in main lake channel by the dam tower and in deeper water back west in feeder creek channels. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around structures at 7-10 ft. Largemouth bass fair to good on soft plastics, especially darker colored plastics, Carolina rigging and Texas rigged good around road beds north of the south boat ramp and along main lake creek channel and along old railroad berm, with some topwater action around weedy beds and mossy areas on lighter colored crankbaits. Report submitted M. M. Fowler at St. Gregory.

NORTHEAST

Carl Blackwell: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 78 and murky. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around docks. Striped bass hybrids fair on live bait and trolling with downriggers at 20 ft. Report submitted by Jon Cunningham, game warden stationed in Payne County.

Eucha: September 11. Elevation 11 ft. below normal, water 70 and murky. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around brush and structure at 12-14 ft. Largemouth bass fair on plastic worms. Catfish fair using cut shad. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Ft. Gibson: Water 83 and clear. Largemouth bass good on spinners in flooded areas and brush. White bass good on spinners trolling off points. Crappie good on jigs and minnows at 10-15 ft. Report submitted Marvin Stanley, game warden stationed in Wagoner and Muskogee counties.

Grand: Elevation below normal. Channel catfish fair at 15 ft. on juglines baited with cut and whole shad. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around fishing dock. Report submitted by Jim Littlefield, game warden stationed in Delaware County.

Greenleaf: Elevation 1 ft. below normal and clear. Largemouth bas fair on spinnerbaits and salt craws along shoreline. Catfish fair on shad and stinkbait on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around fishing docks and brush structure. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

Hudson: Elevation normal and clear. Largemouth bass good on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish good on cut shad and liver. Crappie fair on minnows in shallow coves. Report submitted by Steve Loveland, game warden stationed in Mayes County.

Kaw: Elevation 1 1/2 ft. below normal, water 78 and clear. White bass fair in the tailwaters on white jigs and good on the lake on jigs and crankbaits in Sarge Creek area. Blue catfish fair on juglines baited with shad in Coon Creek. Report submitted by Marshall Reigh, game warden stationed in Kay and Grant counties.

Keystone: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 70-75 and clear to murky. Largemouth bass fair on topwaters and plastics from the surface to 12 ft. off points and ledges in creeks. Smallmouth bass slow on crankbaits and finesse jigs at 6-12 ft. off points and bluffs. Spotted bass fair on topwaters and small crankbaits from the surface to 10 ft. off main lake points and bluff. White bass good on rooster tails and white crankbaits at 4-8 ft. off main lake points. Striped bass below the dam fair on topwaters and bucktails from the surface to 12 ft. off main lake points. Channel catfish good on worms and stinkbaits at 6-10 ft. in coves and creeks. Blue catfish fair on punch baits and shad at 8-12 ft. in river channel flats. Flathead catfish slow on goldfish and shad at 10-15 ft. off steep rock banks. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10-15 ft. around brush piles and docks. Report submitted by Larry Sellers, Woody's Bait and Tackle.

Sooner: White bass fair along the dam on topwaters and good on live baits in deeper water. Report submitted by Doug Gottschalk, game warden stationed in Noble County.

Spavinaw: Elevation 7 ft. below normal, water 73 and murky. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around dam areas. Largemouth bass fair on plastic baits. Catfish fair on cut shad. Report submitted by Dwight Moore, City of Tulsa Fisheries.

Tenkiller: September 11. Elevation 6 ft. below normal, water 78 and clear. Crappie fair in docks on minnows at 10-15 ft. White bass fair on the flats and the islands on spoons or spinners. Catfish fair on juglines or flip flops on cut baits at 30-40 ft. Sunfish good in docks on worms or small minnows at 10-20 ft. Report by Monte Brooks, Cookson Village Resort.

Webbers Falls: Elevation 1 ft. below normal and murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastic worms along shoreline and riprap. Catfish being caught on cut bait and stinkbait on bottom. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 7-12 ft. Report submitted by Lark Wilson, game warden stationed in Muskogee County.

NORTHWEST

Canton: Elevation 5 ft. below normal. Walleye, white bass and striped bass hybrids good on drifting shad, slabs and trolling crankbaits. Channel catfish good on live bait and stinkbait. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs around deep brush piles. Report submitted by Mark Walker, game warden stationed in Blaine County.

SOUTHEAST

Blue River: Elevation normal, water 76 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on minnows and flies. Catfish fair on liver and worms. Report submitted by Charles Baker, technician at Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area.

Broken Bow: September 11. Elevation 6-7 ft. below normal and clear. Largemouth bass fair off points early mornings and late evenings on soft plastics and good after dark on motor oil colored 10 inch worms Texas or Carolina rigged. Crappie fair on minnows or jigs around standing timber. Catfish good on trotlines and juglines baited with cut bait or sunfish. Report submitted by Dru Polk, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Eufaula: Elevation 3 ft. below normal and clear. Largemouth bass fair on plastic baits at 6-10 ft. off windy points. White bass good on slab spoons at 8-15 ft. off the flats. Blue catfish fair on shat at 10-20 ft. drifting the flats. Crappie fair on minnows at 10-20 ft. around standing timber. Report submitted Ed Rodebush, game warden stationed in McIntosh County.

Hugo: Elevation slightly below normal, water 85 and murky. Largemouth bass fair on spinnerbaits. Channel catfish fair on liver. Report submitted by Wendell Smalling, game warden stationed in Choctaw County.

Konawa: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 78 and clear. Largemouth bass good on topwater lures along windy points and weed beds at 5-8 ft. Channel catfish good on chicken liver along the dam at 10-15 ft. Report submitted by Daryl Howser, game warden stationed in Seminole County.

McGee Creek: Elevation 3 ft. below normal, water 84 and clear. Largemouth bass fair on soft plastic lures at 10-20 ft. off rocky points Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 10-20 ft. around cedar brush off main creek channels. Channel catfish fair on juglines and trotlines on live bait at 10-20 ft. Report submitted by Arthur Joe Young, game warden stationed in Atoka County.

Lower Mountain Fork River: Trout fair to excellent. Good flies to use included Wooly Buggers, Colorful Streamers, Caddis imitations, and many others. There are at least three species of mayfly hatching now. The powerhouse has been releasing water daily, beginning in the afternoon and continuing for about four hours. Report submitted by Sid Ingram, Beavers Bend Fly Shop.

Pine Creek: Elevation normal and clear. Bass fair on four inch plastic centipede worms when jigged off the bottom. Crappie fair on minnows around submerged timber. Catfish excellent on sunfish on trotline in the upper end of the lake. Report submitted by Mark Hannah, game warden stationed in McCurtain County.

Robert S. Kerr: Elevation normal, water 77. Largemouth bass fair at 4-6 ft. using spinnerbaits and plastic baits fishing the weed and rock cover. Crappie being caught at 10 ft. using minnows fishing the old creek channels. White bass fair in the early morning and late evening on the surface to 10 ft. in Applegate Cove. Flathead and blue catfish fair at 20-30 ft. in the old river channel. Report submitted by Rick Olzawski, game warden stationed in Haskell County.

Sardis Lake: Crappie good along structure on minnows and jigs and off bridges. Largemouth bass fair on shallow running crankbaits and spinnerbaits running shallow. Report submitted by Allen Couch, game warden stationed in Pushmataha County.

Texoma: Elevation 4 ft. below normal, water 86 and clear. Largemouth and smallmouth bass has been fair to good on surface baits and crankbaits from the surface to 10 ft. around riprap and fish structures. Striped and white bass has been fair to good on surface baits, sassy shad, slabs and live bait from the surface to 20 ft. the fish are still scattered around the lake with good numbers being caught from Platter Flats to the dam. Channel and blue catfish fair on cut shad at 5-15 ft. at Johnson and Newberry creeks. Crappie fair on minnows and jigs at 5-10 ft. at Widow Moore and Rock creeks. Boaters should be cautious and proceed slowly due to the low lake level. Report submitted by Danny Clubb, game warden stationed in Bryan County.

Wister: Elevation 1 ft. below normal, water 79 and murky. Largemouth bass fair at 8-12 ft. on plastic worms around standing timer. Crappie good on jigs at 3-6 ft. around stump beds. Report submitted by D.G. Belcher, game warden stationed in Latimer and LeFlore counties.

SOUTHWEST

Altus-Lugert: Elevation 33 ft. below normal. Walleye, striped bass hybrids and white bass are being. Catfish are also still biting. The Main boat ramp is still out of cement. The Main boat ramp has run out of cement. Boats are still being launch from the packed sand. Report compiled by Quartz Mountain Grocery.

Ellsworth: Elevation 14 ft. below normal and murky. Catfish fair off rocky points on cut shad. Report submitted by Mike Carroll, game warden stationed in Comanche County.

Foss: Elevation 3 1/2 ft. below normal and clear. White bass, walleye, crappie and saugeye slow. Catfish fair. Report submitted by Eric Puyear, B & K Bait House.