Please comment your opinion on the link in the first post.
Senate Bill 566 allowing outfitters access to public land hunting areas.
- Thread starter dennishoddy
- Start Date
Holy crap. What were they thinking?! The public parcels in Oklahoma are much too small to support outfitted hunting. We aren't talking millions of acres of forest with wilderness areas like the Rockies that often require local paid help to even access parts of public land!
Honestly I see it being more of an issue with bird hunters than big game. Think of all the people that will take money to take someone to your favorite duck or quail spot. You don't have to be licensed to guide in Oklahoma, as far as I know, post on craigslist get paid a few extra bucks to take someone out bird hunting for the morning! What a disaster.
Furthermore does this include the new private lands leased for public hunting???? If so that will completely kill that program. No landowner will lease his ground for public access to watch others make money off of it!
If the governor doesn't veto this the only response the ODWC could have is literally make all public grounds limited access (controlled hunt) during all big game seasons and maybe even some waterfowl/upland seasons.
Honestly I see it being more of an issue with bird hunters than big game. Think of all the people that will take money to take someone to your favorite duck or quail spot. You don't have to be licensed to guide in Oklahoma, as far as I know, post on craigslist get paid a few extra bucks to take someone out bird hunting for the morning! What a disaster.
Furthermore does this include the new private lands leased for public hunting???? If so that will completely kill that program. No landowner will lease his ground for public access to watch others make money off of it!
If the governor doesn't veto this the only response the ODWC could have is literally make all public grounds limited access (controlled hunt) during all big game seasons and maybe even some waterfowl/upland seasons.
I don’t see why not, especially if your a future resident.
Let's stay on top of this, folks. I sent my opinion to the Governor, and I ask each of you to please do the same. It looks like it has been sent back to the Senate, but let's be sure the Governor never lets it become law!
http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=SB566&Tab=0
And, thank you, Dennis, for bringing this up!
http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=SB566&Tab=0
And, thank you, Dennis, for bringing this up!
I agree this is FUBAR and needs to not be allowed. But I cant imagine an outfitter wanting to use public land because of the already high numbers of other hunter present at any given time?
Haven't had a chance to read it yet, but the public lands may become posted if leased by the outfitter? Seems like that would be a great way to screw the general public, so that would be my guess. But like I said, I haven't read it yet.
Edit:
Well that was short and lacking. Can see this being a big CF.
Plain and simple ... MONEY! If an out of state hunter knows nothing of what's available in Oklahoma, but wants the chance to hunt some new ground, hook up with an outfitter and off you go! He has no idea what he's walking into, but some people would be more than happy to take the money and dump you on the ground!
I don’t see the state actually leasing out public lands, but what I do see happening is the outfitters going around the state to the land owners in OLAP and leasing the land out from under the state. That seems like the most logical to me.
So, if it went back to the senate should we be contacting our senators? Will it be voted on again?
I don't know for certain, but I would recommend you contact your state Senator. I did. Find them and their contact info here ...
http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/Default.aspx?selectedtab=0
Find your state Representative here ...
https://www.okhouse.gov/Members/Default.aspx
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