Photo by Daryle Presley / RPS
AROUND THE DEPARTMENT
Wildlife Conservation Commission Honored as WAFWA Commission of the Year
Oklahoma’s Wildlife Conservation Commission was recognized as the Wildlife Commission of the Year for 2023 at the summer meeting of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA).
The honor is presented each year to the commission or board that made a significant contribution to the management, protection or enhancement of fish and wildlife resources within the past five years. It is meant to show appreciation for the work that commissioners do day in and day out to support the conservation mission of the wildlife agencies they oversee.
Oklahoma’s Commission Chairman Leigh Gaddis accepted the award at the event in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“It’s truly an honor for Oklahoma’s Wildlife Commission to be recognized, and it serves as a testament for all the hard work our eight commissioners put in all year long,” Gaddis said. “Serving as commissioners and working with such an outstanding state agency for the benefit of our wildlife and our sportsmen and sportswomen is actually a labor of love.”
Some of the Commission’s accomplishments cited in the award recognition included: beginning an aggressive campaign to bring public target shooting ranges to nearly 20 wildlife management areas statewide; helping to create the Oklahoma Land Access Program to open private leased land for hunting and fishing access; acquiring three new management areas, opening thousands of acres for public use; supporting the formation of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation as a private nonprofit fundraising organization; overseeing a complete renovation of the Wildlife Department’s headquarters building, a rebranding effort to solidify the agency’s values and image (which included a new logo), and the implementation of new, modern, customer-focused license sales system and mobile app.
Created in 1922, WAFWA now represents 24 states and Canadian provinces, an area covering nearly 3.7 million square miles of some of North America’s most wild and scenic country, inhabited by over 1,500 wildlife species. WAFWA’s goal has been to support sound resource management and build partnerships to conserve wildlife for the use and benefit of all citizens, now and in the future.
Packsaddle WMA Shooting Range Open for Shooters
ODWC held a ribbon cutting July 18 to celebrate the opening of brand new Packsaddle WMA shooting range. Approximately 40 attended, including special guests Representative Kenton Patzkowsky, 61st District; Wildlife Commissioner Rick Holder, District 7; Wildlife Commissioner Chad Dillingham, District 8; Former Wildlife Commissioner John Groendyke; and Beckham County 4H Shooting Team.
Hunter Ed Courses Firing Up Across Oklahoma
Fall brings the excitement of hunting season, and that excitement is fueled by hunter education courses that take place all across the state this time of year. Game wardens and other ODWC personnel lead these clinics through teaching, training and ever-important interactions with the public. Pictured above are recent photos from a hunter education course held at Afton and led by several District 1 game wardens, including Jason Adair (Ottawa Co.), Riley Willman (Delaware Co.), Austin Jackson (Craig Co.) and Lt. Joe Alexander (Osage Co.). The course at Afton is very hands-on, with field exercises to drive home the importance of safe firearm handling. To find hunter education courses visit the Go Outdoor Oklahoma Outdoor Calendar.
District 1 Game Wardens Attend Training
Heat Map Shows ODWC Dove Banding History
In the migratory birds shop, ODWC personnel have recently wrapped up mourning dove banding tasks for the year. This effort is part of a long running project and has been a reoccurring summer activity for several years. Below is a heat map that shows band return locations and hotspots for doves that were banded in Oklahoma between 2012 and 2022. Nearly 850 bands were reported/recovered during that 10-year span. And while most were reported within Oklahoma, some were recovered well outside the state. - Jason Rockwell (W), migratory game bird technician for the Wildlife Department.
2022 Game Harvest Survey Report Finalized
By Betsey York, Responsive Management Coordinator (CE)
Each year ODWC surveys a random sample of Oklahoma hunting license holders (~6,000 hunters) to learn about hunting participation, land use (public vs. private), game harvest, and more. This is a project that we have been doing in-house for the last 30 years and has provided us with tons of valuable data. We also dedicate space on the survey for special topics that vary year-to-year. For example, we have used this section to ask hunters whether they support or oppose a proposed rule change, to understand their preferences for deer management, and to evaluate marketing campaigns. If you are considering proposing rule changes, this is a good opportunity to get input from constituents in advance.
2022 Report Highlights:
- Overall, about 58% of survey participants indicated that they hunted in 2022, and participation rates varied by license type (annual/5-year, lifetime or senior).
- Twenty-seven percent of active hunters (those who hunted in 2022) used public land for their hunting in 2022.
- Feral swine are now the second most pursued species by licensed hunters in Oklahoma (15.2% of licensed hunters). They follow behind deer (47% of licensed hunters) and are ahead of ducks and turkey (11.2% and 10.7% respectively).
- Most hunters (52%) would support or strongly support paying a fee to access OLAP property.
- The plurality of license holders (45%) either support or strongly support the use of e-bikes on wildlife management areas.
- We asked hunters about several topics related to CWD and if they feel informed enough about them. Around a third of active hunters in Oklahoma do not feel that they have enough information about precautions hunters should take, what causes CWD, what ODWC is doing about CWD, and where deer with CWD have been found in Oklahoma.
- Generally, hunters agree that efforts should be taken to reduce the rate of CWD (84% agree or strongly agree). Thirty-two percent of hunters would have concerns about eating deer meat and 26% said it would impact their hunting activities. Fifty-seven percent of active hunters selected unsure about the regulations in western Oklahoma, and 47% selected unsure about if CWD poses a risk to deer but not to humans.
- Hunter and harvest estimates for several species are included in the report. Please take note of sample sizes, as in some cases sample sizes are quite small and can affect the reliability of the harvest estimates (e.g. woodcock).
Trends across Game Harvest Survey Years: Comparing Harvest between the Game Harvest Survey and E-Check
The Wildlife Department collects harvest information in two different ways for deer. E-check allows us to track harvest and the location of harvest in the state. The annual Game Harvest Survey allows us to estimate the number of active hunters for any given season as well as the estimated number of animals harvested. E-check is the most accurate number as it is receiving actual harvest information. The Game Harvest Survey is an estimate based on a sample of the overall hunting population. From this sample, we use calculations to extrapolate what the estimated harvest could be. The Game Harvest Survey yearly estimates should never be used as an accurate representation of harvest, it should simply be used as a trend line to see how harvest has changed over time (increasing, decreasing, or staying about the same), especially for those species that are not e-checked. As we are calculating the estimation, we can also calculate the amount of error within our calculations which shows a spread of what the accurate harvest could be. For example, Figure 1 depicts spring turkey harvest, with included 95 percent confidence intervals (shaded area) from 1995-2022 for resident hunters (annual, senior, and lifetime).
If we are only looking at the trend in Game Harvest Survey data, then we should be able to accurately match the trend shown in the deer hunter harvest that appears from e-check. Figure 2 shows the trend line in harvest collected via e-check (blue) and the game harvest survey (orange). The two trend lines have a Spearman correlation of 0.6499 meaning a strong positive relationship.
Finally, we can also use the e-check data and game harvest survey to assess similarities and differences in the number of deer harvested by individual hunters. This could be seen as a proxy for compliance if we assume that individual hunters are more likely to respond accurate amounts on the game harvest survey compared to what they would e-check. Although, it is also likely that some hunters may forget what they harvested when they talk to us after the deer season is over and accurately e-checked the correct number of deer in the moment.
To run this analysis, I matched up the customer IDs of each of those respondents to the game harvest survey that reported hunting during deer season with their information reported within e-check. I only looked at the total deer e-checked compared to the total reported deer harvested across all seasons rather than looking season by season. Of 1,233 reported deer hunters, 1,041 of these Game Harvest Survey respondents had an equivalent number of deer reported in e-check (84 percent). I subtracted the number of deer e-checked from the amount reported on the game harvest survey. This means that if the number is greater than 0, they reported more harvest on the survey than they e-checked. This occurred in 12 percent of respondents. If negative, this means that they e-checked more than they reported on their survey. This occurred in 3.4 percent of respondents. I was able to look at the differences in these numbers by license type, age, and the type of land they hunted for deer season.
Stickers! $2 Each or 3/$5
Sales Benefit the ODWC State Charitable Campaign
Every year, state employees have the opportunity to designate funds to one or more charities at the workplace through the state campaign, governed by a board of directors made up of state employees. Funds designated help support hundreds of charities that have met the criteria as set forth by the state of Oklahoma. To purchase your stickers (size is approx. 4” X 2"), contact Amanda Thomas (CE) or Heather Del Moral (CE).
Pradco Outdoor Brands Offers ODWC Employee Discount
PRADCO Outdoor Brands is happy to present all Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation employees with a 40 percent discount on all LURENET fishing products, including 20 well-known brands in fishing tackle. The discount does not apply to PRADCO’s hunting products: Moultrie, Summit, Code Blue or Knight & Hale.
Simply create an account on the site using your @odwc.ok.gov email address. FREE Shipping on all orders over $35. The 40 percent discount is in perpetuity as long as you have a valid @odwc.ok.gov email address. Courtesy of Skylar St. Yves, former ODWC Fishing R3 Coordinator, now serving as brand manager - Bobby Garland Crappie Baits. Happy Fishing!
Assistance Available for Public Calls about Coyotes
Did you know USDA Wildlife Services offers assistance with public calls about coyote/human conflict situations? If a constituent reaches out about coyotes attacking or killing pets or livestock, or if they themselves have been bitten, please direct them to call USDA Wildlife Services at 405-521-4039. This includes urban incidents.
RBFF Releases 2023 Special Report on Fishing
The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) recently released its 2023 Special Report on Fishing The report contains detailed information and trends on fishing participation by gender, age, ethnicity, income, education and geographic region. The report is conducted annually by RBFF and the Outdoor Foundation. Click on photos for quick facts, or see the full report below.
Meet the ODWC's Newest Employees
Brooke Beverly
Hatchery Research Biologist
Brooke recently joined the team at the Durant Hatchery as a research biologist. She currently resides in Pottsboro, Texas. She went to Stephensville High School and then earned a bachelors degree in wildlife, sustainability and ecosystem sciences at Tarleton State University. She also completed her masters degree at Tarleton State, where she completed a thesis on map turtles.
Before joining the ODWC, she found herself working on a Texas Parks and Wildlife and USFWS Section 6 Grant for her thesis, while also teaching freshman biology labs.
Brooke has a fiance, Chad, and two dogs name Remy and Ruger, all of whom she enjoys hiking and camping with in her free time. She also has a cat name Abi.
"It's my favorite because it is a very grounding time, and I love to sit by a campfire or see a cool view," she said.
In her free time, she's attempting to visit every state park in both Texas and Oklahoma. She also likes to pen pal and make soaps in her free time. She loves herpetology and has helped with numerous snake, lizard and turtle projects.
The best part about working for the Wildlife Department is being outdoors and trying new things.
Abigail Johns
Hatchery Research Technician
Abigail Johns hails from Knob Noster, Mo., but now resides in Atoka and is stationed at the Durant Hatchery. She attended Knob Noster High School in Missouri and earned a bachelors degree in fisheries at Oklahoma State University.
Before joining the Wildlife Department, she found herself finishing her college degree and her two-year tenure as president of the OSU American Fisheries Society student subunit. She was also an intern at H.B. Parsons Fish Hatchery during college.
Naturally, Abigail enjoys fishing. She also enjoys walking her dogs, Cow and Piggy, and watching movies. She's remodeling her home in her spare time.
Having grown up in a military household, Abigail had the unique experience of living in Japan for four years.
Abigail is excited to gain knowledge and new experiences in her new career at the Wildlife Department.
Kent Schneider
Hatchery Technician
While he currently resides in Ada and is stationed at the Holdenville Hatchery, Kent was raised in Camp Verde, Ariz., where he attended Camp Verde High School. He earned his associates degree of applied science in aquaculture from College of Southern Idaho and a bachelors degree in fisheries resources from the University of Idaho.
He was a groundskeeper for East Central University before coming on board with the Wildlife Department.
Kent is married to his wife, Marie, and has two children: a daughter, 7, in second grade; and son, 4, in pre-K.
When it comes to outdoor activities, Kent enjoys hiking and shooting.
"I love hiking because I like being out in nature and spotting animals," he said. "I also love shooting because it is a great social activity to do with my family."
The shooting pastime was passed down to Kent from his grandfather.
Besides hiking and shooting, Kent has been learning to program and enjoys playing with websites, reading and writing, keeping exotic animals, and also raising farm animals.
When asked the best thing about his new career with the ODWC, Kent says "a little bit of everything."
"I love the diversity of experience when working in wildlife conservation. Other than that, I love feeding the fish," he said.
Treager Stout
Federal Aid Grants Assistant
Treager resides in Choctaw and is stationed at the ODWC headquarters office in Oklahoma City.
Raised in Arizona, Treager earned a bachelors degree in organizational leadership from Southern Nazarine University and has an AAS as an instructor of military science and AAS in Information Systems Technology from Air University.
Treager worked for the United States Air Force as an airborne mission systems specialist aboard the E3 Sentry (AWACS) and as a radio operator for the Air Force Special Operations Command. He retired after 20 years of service.
Treager likes hiking and gardening, and plants a variety of fruit-bearing bushes and trees. He also enjoys training his labs to keep squirrels out of his garden and away from his bird camera, which he enjoys checking for new visitors.
Treager also enjoys attending hockey games, especially OU, UCO, and Oklahoma Warriors games. He's even traveled to Beijing, China, to watch his son play hockey for an international tournament invite team.
Treager and his wife have a daughter and two sons ranging from 18 to 26 years old.
When asked the best part about his new job, Treager cited a sense of familiarity: "Finding a workplace similar to the armed forces in terms of a governmental structured body, containing many different facets of operation, all moving to support a stated purpose."
Cheyenne Gonzales
Wildlife Diversity Biologist
Cheyenne Gonzales started with the ODWC in June. Raised in San Antonia, Texas, she now lives in Oklahoma City.
Cheyenne earned a bachelors degree in wildlife biology with a minor in anthropology from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.
Prior to working for the Wildlife Department, Cheyenne worked seasonal technician positions, mainly focused on reptiles and amphibians.
Cheyenne enjoys camping, hiking, searching for herps and arachnids, and swimming (especially in rivers!).
"I really enjoy these activities (when it's not a million degrees outside), because it allows me to connect with nature," Cheyenne said.
Outside of the outdoors, Cheyenne is into photography, reading, estate sales, live music, drawing and painting, and watching TV.
Cheyenne studied abroad in Ecuador during her senior year of college.
"We visited the Amazon Rainforest and the Galapagos Islands, among other destinations," she said. "I'm confident that no other experiences in my life (thus far) could top this!"
When asked about something ODWC coworkers might find surprising about her, Cheyenne noted that she once died her hair bright green.
"But maybe that's not surprising," she added.
Cheyenne's partner, Colton, is a PhD student at Oklahoma State University studying arachnid nutritional ecology. Cheyenne has three pets, Finn, Marceline and Ponyo.
Cheyenne says the best part about her new job is that she's constantly learning new things and expanding her knowledge in wildlife biology.
Samuel Johnston
Fisheries Biologist
Samuel currently resides in Broken Arrow and is stationed in Porter.
He recently earned a masters degree in wildlife and fisheries resources from West Virginia University. Before that he earned a bachelors degree in fisheries management Lake Superior University in Michigan, where he was raised.
Before coming to the ODWC, Samuel was a graduate research assistant at WVU while earning his masters degree. Prior to that, he worked on freighters on the Great Lakes during summer and winter breaks while earning his undergraduate degree. He would sail for up to four months at a time.
Kayaking and hunting are among Samuel's favorite outdoor activities.
"I've always loved being out in and around the water, and kayaking is just a great way to get out on the water," he said. "I also have always loved hunting for deer, as it's a family tradition to fill the freezer with venison."
If Samuel is not outdoors, he enjoys playing video game and dabbling in 3D printing.
Samuel says the best part about his new job so far is seeing all the different species of fish that are native to Oklahoma.
Shout Outs!
Jesse Handke (W)
"Hello, My Name is Dole Carr and I just want to commend Jesse Handke for the help he provided. My wife and I are 75 years old, and I have a heart condition. We were out by Copan Osage plains park and had a flat tire in 105-degree temperatures. We watched many vehicles go by before Mr. Hanke stopped and asked if he could help. He assisted us to his truck with the air conditioner running while he proceeded to fix our flat tire. We offered to pay him, and he refused. We just wanted someone to know that Mr. Handke should be commended for his actions of saving us. We are very thankful for his help." - Dole Carr
Tim Campbell (LE)
"We just wanted to say thank you for Mr. Campbell coming and saving the little bird at our school! Wonder nature school is so appreciative of him going out of his way, doing what he normally doesn't, to help our students feel like the bird was going to be safe." - Kaylynn Vandenakker
"Outdoor Oklahoma" TV Crew
"I started watching Outdoor Oklahoma and The Wallace Wildlife Show with my Grandpa as far back as I can remember. We were fortunate to have Don Wallace film a number of quail hunts on and around our land in Harmon county. We even allowed the arch rival Barry Switzer in the neighborhood. I'm not a big fan of all the new, commercialized hunting shows. Outdoor Oklahoma is still my favorite." - Ron Smith
ODWC Social Media Team
"I just wanted to give you a huge kudos for your social media work. My 25-year-old daughter forwarded me over a dozen memes, all posted by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. She found these all on Tumblr. Her comment to me is, ‘Oklahoma is knocking it out of the park with this memes!' You definitely hit her demographic. I got to admit, most of theme that she shared with me prompted me to chuckle. I shared your hard work with the Missouri Department of Conservation's media team to let them know what you all were up to. Nice Job! And thank you for advancing conservation in a creative and memorable way." - Justine Gartner, State Forester/Forestry Section Chief, Missouri Department of Conservation
Amanda Thomas (CE), Josh Richardson (W), Lance Meek (CE), Heather Del Moral (CE), Betsey York (CE)
Shout out to Amanda Thomas, Josh Richardson, Lance Meek, Heather Del Moral, Betsey York and her plus one Dave for coming together to cook a meal at the Ok Kids Korral in June. This volunteer opportunity was made possible because of the ODWC charitable team. As always, if you would like to be part of our team just reach out to Kristen Gillman to help plan fun future events. The Toby Keith Foundation, founded the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City. They facilitate lodging, food and transportation to and from hospital for the kids with cancer and their families while they stay across the street from the Children’s Hospital.
The HR Corner is a section in the WOG where HR shares tips, tricks, reminders, etc. for all things related to Human Resources. This month covers timesheet deadlines and upcoming events."
Deadlines
- September Timesheet Deadlines: All employees (full-time and part-time) must have all September hours entered and submitted by noon on Monday, Oct. 2. All supervisors must have all timesheets reviewed and approved by end of day on Monday, Oct. 2.
Retirement Seminar
- Enrollment for the ODWC Retirement Seminar on Sept. 28 is now open in Workday Learning. Please see the all user email from Mary Streber for details.
Open Enrollment for Benefits
- Open enrollment for 2024 Benefits will begin Oct. 1. Please watch for an Inbox Task in Workday and an email from Mary Streber.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Different Together While Making a Difference
By Jamie Green, Human Resource Management Specialist
This is a recurring new Diversity section of the WOG where I will share all things related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This month I will cover the basic definition of what DEI means and the DEI July Calendar.
In the previous WOG, we gave a brief definition of Diversity - the quality of being different or unique at the individual or group level. It includes a spectrum as “diverse” as one can imagine that which reflects each of us as individuals. This month we are going to dive in on Diversity in the workplace.
Dealing with diversity at work, you might interact with coworkers of different genders, age group, faiths and so on. While those three examples are the first things that come to mind when we talk about diversity, there’s more than that.
When talking about workplace diversity you must think about all the different characteristics that employees (could) have. We have the protected characteristics, race, age, gender, and sexual orientation. Then we have all the different characteristics such as experiences, talents, skills, opinions, and personalities. These differences are less obvious and require the organization’s effort and proactiveness to shine.
So, remember when talking to a new coworker or getting to know a tenured coworker these things are what make us all different and everyone should be able to feel equally involved in and supported in all areas of the workplace.
The link to the DEI calendar for August and September are below. (Hover your mouse over the right or left side of the page to flip the pages).
You can look forward to different topics each month in the WOG, the DEI calendar of monthly information, as well as information on the development of our DEI training program, with courses that will be available to attend in the future. I welcome your feedback, and if you would like to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion or if you have ideas or suggestions for the program, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Jamie.green@odwc.ok.gov or (405) 522-1453.
LDP Level One – Emerging Leadership
Congratulations to the following employees for completing the ODWC Leadership Development Program (LDP) Level One – Emerging Leadership in the months of July and August: Jason Badley (LE); Michael Baker (LE); Eric Barnes (LE); Jennifer Benge (CE); David Bogner (F); Colby Gainer (F); Cheyenne Gonzales (W); Trey Hale (LE); Jacob Harriet (LE); Darrin Hill (CE); Mark Howery (W); Austin Jackson (LE); Brad Magby (LE); Tammy St. Yves (W); Jonathan West (F); Michael Williams (F); Riley Willman (LE); Betsey York (CE); Cody Youngblood (LE); Michael Zimmerman (LE); Eric Brennan (F); David Garrett (LE); Madison Mitchell (F); Zachary Paulk (LE); Mary Streber (A); Curtis Tackett (W); and Alex Talbert (F).
LDP Level Two - Mid-Level Leadership
The LDP Level Two Class of 2025 has been selected. Participants from each Division include:
Administration: Drew Stegall, Mary Streber; Communication & Education: Jennifer Benge, Betsey York; Fisheries: David Bogner, Eric Brennan, Colby Gainer, Austin Griffin, Jon West; Law Enforcement: Jason Badley, Mike Baker, Eric Barnes, Trey Hale, Austin Jackson, JD Stauffer, Billy Bob Walker, Cody Youngblood, Michael Zimmerman; Wildlife: Jerrod Davis, Mark Howery, Tell Judkins, Jason Rockwell, Tammy St. Yves, Curtis Tackett, and Marcus Thibodeau.
Director's Report
Commission Recognizes Awardees
The spotlight was on award winners at the regular August meeting of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission held Aug. 21 in Oklahoma City. Leading the pack was Game Warden Riley Willman, based in Delaware County, who was recognized as Oklahoma’s 2022 Game Warden of the Year by Shikar-Safari Club International. Other awardees recognized were the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission as WAFWA Commission of the Year; Biologist Anthony Rodger (F) as Fisheries Professional of the Year; Brett Cooper (W) as Wildlife Biologist of the Year; Nathaniel "Junior" Kester (W) as Wildlife Technician of the Year; Human Resources Officer Karla Beatty (A) as the Spirit of ODWC Award recipient; and C&E's Smokey Solis, Blake Podhajsky, Darrin Hill, Todd Craighead and Sarah Southerland for winning nine awards in national competition with other state wildlife agencies at the annual conference of the Association for Conservation Information. Commissioners also recognized Law Enforcement Division Operations Manager Marni Loftis and Game Warden Phillip Cottrill Jr., based in Major County, each for 20 years of service. Finally, the Commission recognized the ODWC's 2023 Landowner Conservationists of the Year Award recipients. To view more photos and read the full story, click below.
Capt. Marni Loftis Recognized for 20 Years
Phillip Cottrill, Jr. Recognized for 20 Years
Game Bag
This is where we share photos of YOUR outdoor adventures! If you have photos of you and your family enjoying the outdoors that you would like to share, send them to michael.bergin@odwc.ok.gov.
Jennifer Benge's Mountain Adventure
Birthdays
- BANTA, JOHN DAVID 8/21/23
- BARTNICKI, JORY 8/28/23
- COPELAND, NATHANIEL 8/19/23
- DAVIS, TINA 8/22/23
- DELMEDICO, ANTHONY 8/1/23
- DREYER, ADAM 8/15/23
- FARQUHAR, COLBY 8/29/23
- FIELDS, SHANE 8/30/23
- FRANCE, MICHAEL 8/30/23
- GILLHAM, JAMES 8/24/23
- GILLMAN, KRISTEN 8/12/23
- GREEN, LARRY 8/9/23
- HILL, DARRIN 8/15/23
- HORTON, RUSS 8/17/23
- HOWSER, TYLER 8/1/23
- JOHNSON, LAUREN 8/4/23
- JONES, CODY 8/17/23
- LOUDERMILK, SHAY 8/13/23
- LUETKEMEYER, CHERYL 8/16/23
- MESKIMEN, BRIAN 8/7/23
- MILLS, TRISTAN 8/11/23
- MURRAY, MARK 8/7/23
- MURRAY, DAVID 8/30/23
- NABONNE, JOSEPH 8/10/23
- PERRY, JOHN 8/24/23
- PHILLIPS, CHANCE 8/3/23
- PODHAJSKY, BLAKE 8/28/23
- RAASCH, TANNER 8/30/23
- REEL, MYLES 8/11/23
- RICHARDSON, JOSHUA 8/17/23
- ROBINSON, GABRIELLE 8/15/23
- ROLLING, RYLEE 8/13/23
- SCHOONOVER, KELVIN 8/22/23
- SPRINGWATER, TERRY 8/31/23
- TAYLOR, CALEB 8/8/23
- WALDORF, CHASE 8/12/23
- WALKER, BILLY BOB 8/11/23
- WILDER, MARK 8/1/23
- BROWN, JAMES BRANDON 9/8/23
- CAMPBELL, TIM 9/8/23
- COFFEY, ANDREW 9/5/23
- CRAMER JR, BUD 9/9/23
- DOSSEY, AARON 9/23/23
- EMMONS, GARY 9/3/23
- FIELDER, ZACK 9/9/23
- FOSTER, JIMMY 9/5/23
- GAINER, ELAINE A 9/15/23
- HAWKES, ZEKE 9/21/23
- HENRY, JERRY 9/27/23
- JOHNSON, KYLE 9/15/23
- JOHNSTON, BRADLEY 9/10/23
- LAWSON, KEN 9/1/23
- LOFTIS, MARNI 9/22/23
- PERRY, RUSSELL 9/22/23
- PLUNKETT, MIKE 9/25/23
- ROCKWELL, JASON 9/25/23
- SCHOOLEY, JASON 9/8/23
- STARKS, TREVOR 9/11/23
- STREBER, MARY 9/13/23
- TAYLOR, MICHAEL 9/10/23
- WALKER, MARK 9/2/23
- WHEELER, JUSTIN 9/11/23
* Photo by Sarah Keys / RPS
July/August Personnel Action Items
New Hires
- Kent Schneider – Hatchery Technician, Holdenville Hatchery, 7/5/23
- Sam Johnston – Fisheries Biologist, Streams Program, Porter Office - 8/1/23
- Treager Stout – Grants Assistant, Central Office, 8/1/2
Promotions
- Mark Wilder – Hatchery Technician to Assistant Hatchery Manager at Durant State Fish Hatchery, 7/1/23
Resignations/Terminations
- Skylar St. Yves – Communication & Education Specialist, Central Office, 7/14/23
- Devin Jordan – Hatchery Technician, Durant SFH, 7/21/23
- Annie Ensey – Accounting Assistant, Central Office, 8/4/23
- Keith Waag – DP/GIS, Wildlife Division, 8/17/23
- Daniel Perkins – Warden, Jackson County, 8/21/23
Reelin' in the Years
Includes July & August 2023
- ALEXANDER, JOE PAUL 17
- BAKER, MICHAEL 15
- BENNETT, SETH 2
- BICKERSTAFF, BEN 20
- BLACKBURN, TUCKER 4
- BROWN, BRANDON 25
- BROWN, JESSICA 3
- CAMPO, LEAH 21
- DESHAZER, DALTON 1
- DINKINES, BILL 32
- DOSSEY, AARON 9
- GILLHAM, JAMES 17
- GOGGIN, JESSE 1
- HARRIET, JACOB 4
- HAWKES, ZEKE 9
- HENRY, BREK 29
- HILL, DARRIN 18
- JOHNSON, KYLE 21
- JOYNER, KELLI 9
- KEMPH, RYAN 17
- LEHRMAN, BRANDON 29
- LOFTIS, MARNI 20
- LOOKABAUGH, SHARON 16
- MCALLISTER, JOSEPH 10
- PENWRIGHT, MATTHEW 5
- PRESLEY, LINDSEY 16
- REID, MONTE 29
- ROBERTSON, DAVID 33
- RODEFELD, NELS 29
- RODGER, ANTHONY 8
- SHANHOLTZER, TAMMY 2
- SHIMP, LOGAN 4
- STITES, DALE 15
- STRANG, CHAD 20
- TAYLOR, LUKE 18
- THOMAS, AMANDA 11
- UMBER, BRET 16
- WILLIAMS, JAMES 17
- WILLMAN, RILEY 4
- WOOD, MACK 6
- YOUNGBLOOD, CODY 15
- BAILEY, KARLIN 34
- BARBER, DALLAS 6
- BERSCHE, JAKE 6
- BROWN, DON 11
- BROWN, JEFF 38
- CARROLL, MIKE 19
- CARTWRIGHT, TOM 37
- CASTRO, ZACKARY 3
- COOPER, BRETT 9
- COUCH, ALLEN 19
- CRAMER JR, BUD 21
- CRAMER, JARED 16
- DEALY, JONATHAN 3
- DELMEDICO, ANTHONY 2
- DENSOW, SHERYLANN 31
- DREYER, ADAM 3
- EMMONS, GARY 21
- FARRAR, BENNY 33
- FLUMAN, COLTER 14
- FREE, WADE 40
- GRACE, SPENCER 17
- GREEN, LARRY 34
- HANDKE, JESSE 3
- HEADRICK, JEFF 34
- HENRY, JERRY 38
- HORTON, RUSS 35
- JONES, CODY 12
- LOUDERMILK, SHAY 6
- MARTINEZ, ORLANDO 6
- MCCOLLOUGH, DENNIS 28
- MILLS, TRISTAN 3
- PALLETT, MATTHEW 4
- PEARSON, BLAKE 16
- PENNINGTON, JEFF 31
- POWELL, BRIAN 4
- REICHENBERGER, MARK 34
- REIGH, MARSHALL 19
- SAGER, CLIFTON 21
- SMITH, DAVID 37
- SOLIS, SMOKEY 3
- SOUTHERLAND, SARAH 3
- SPRINGER, DAMON 24
- TABOR, SIDNEY 5
- TOBEY, TODD 36
- WALDORF, CHASE 1
- WELCH, PAUL 21
- WILCOX, GARY 34
- WILDER, MARK 2
* Photo by Jason Manous / RPS