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Message: <blockquote data-quote="dennishoddy" data-source="post: 2267919" data-attributes="member: 5412">The Lesser Prairie Chicken in Oklahoma  The lesser prairie chicken is identified as a species of greatest conservation need in Oklahoma and is a candidate for federal listing as threatened, range-wide. The sand shinnery and sand sagebrush native rangelands of northwest Oklahoma are crucial for survival of this species. The same area also provides some of Oklahoma&#8242;s most abundant sources of energy including wind, oil and natural gas. Efforts to harvest this energy are projected to rapidly intensify over the next few years.Researchers have found that lesser prairie chickens, particularly nesting hens, avoid vertical structures because they are often used as perches by predators such as hawks, eagles and owls. Habitat fragmentation caused by a number of factors including transmission lines, roads and highways, buildings and tree encroachment into prairie habitats, as well as conversion of native rangeland to cropland or non-native vegetation, can all be detrimental to lesser prairie chickens. Steps are being taken to avoid endangering Oklahoma&#8242;s few remaining lesser prairie chickens. The unique habitats found in northwest Oklahoma are invaluable to wildlife as well as to wind energy development, so the Wildlife Department and energy developers have to work together to ensure that our state&#8242;s wildlife heritage remains strong.We dont have the greaters in Osage county.In the 80's the population was so huge that opening day there was a shooter on every fence post for thousands of acres. Every 1/4 mile was a game warden in civilian clothes to make sure the rules were followed. That is a little BS, but it seem'd like it.  In the Hayday of the chicken shoots the local community's like Shilder and Grainola put on breakfasts, and lunch for the hunters.  people camped, and it was huge!The Eden ranch charged $4 per fence post. You got a little card to show to the folks that checked.My Great Uncle, and Great Aunt that I spent summers with in Grainola had a section of ground coming into the town, and had a section on the other side of town.During the nesting season for the birds, he did not allow anything but horses to work the cattle. The horses would side step the nests on the ground.The local ranchers all did the same. They took care of their birds. My relatives have passed  and the land is sold.I'm a friend of the ODW Game Ranger in Osage county.  He says the birds are coming back. They don't know what caused the decline after years of testing, but "coming back" works for me.</blockquote>

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