Wildlife conservation organizations

[Buck98]

I've done what I can to support wildlife my whole life. I'm rather partial to elephants. You can't go wrong supporting elephants.
Welcome to ElephantVoices

The hardest part about hunting elephants is carrying the decoys!!!!!

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Is that the same as donating to the ODWC via their webstore/buying raffles and stuff?

It is similar.

Working Together for Conservation | OWCF

As one of the most ecologically diverse states in the nation, it is essential that Oklahomans of every walk of life collaborate to conserve our state’s unique wild spaces and strong outdoor traditions.

okwildlifefoundation.org

 

[Bocephus123]

The hardest part about hunting elephants is carrying the decoys!!!!!

Just dress up like one!!

 

[HoLeChit]

I look at all "huntable" bird species like this, and tend to compare them to other "huntable" animals like this. Considering in OK we don't have issues with animal populations other than game birds, quail/pheasant/turkey, they're purely food for other animals and continue exist because of sheer numbers, they're towards the bottom of the food chain. They have numerous predators from egg to adult, if they become too numerous disease occurs, birds disease easily, the cycle continues.

What's happening now and has been with quail, pheasant and turkey, which don't "migrate" has only declined over the last many years, despite great efforts and money, they continue to decline. Waterfowl.....save the nesting areas(NOT in OK) and there will be more birds, great, but unlike the quail, pheasant and turkey, they do migrate and imo Oklahoma is NOT long the primary destination route any longer. Why spend money on waterfowl that simply don't come here any longer? Spend it on something that might possibly do some good in OK. That said, QU hasn't improved quail hunting here, Pheasants Forever hasn't improved pheasant hunting here, NWTF has done a lot in the restoration of turkeys in OK......decades ago, but the turkey decline we have going on now is unlike anything we've seen in our lifetime. NWTF still doesn't have the answers as of yet. If I can help a local program of any kind that helps local hunters, local kids, local wildlife I'll pick that every time over a mutli-million dollar entity who's success is flying somewhere else for others to hunt. It's no different than supporting "mom and pop's" stores and local businesses.

Wildlife conservation is a national concern though. Just because you cant go in your backyard and shoot a bighorn sheep or grizzly bear doesn't mean you shouldn't care for or contribute to their conservation. Furthermore, even if money donated to conservation doesn't land in Oklahoma, it benefits other areas. If suddenly Texas had a huge boom of public hunting land availability and if all of a sudden public hunting there was top notch, people would have less of a reason to come to Oklahoma, thus reducing traffic and hunting pressure on our animals, making things better for purely Oklahoma based hunters and fishermen. The opposite is also a factor. If all of a sudden the states surrounding Oklahoma have zero hunting/land to hunt on, I guarantee we would have an unreal number of people coming to Oklahoma to hunt. So even if dollars go elsewhere for conservation, they can still benefit Oklahomans. I'm willing to bet the DU and QU land that I have hunted on here in Oklahoma was paid for by people in other states. Also, I do occasionally go hunting in other states when I have the luxury, so even if my money goes to help preserve grasslands in Kansas, I'll likely get to benefit from it eventually.

 

[Okie4570]

Wildlife conservation is a national concern though. Just because you cant go in your backyard and shoot a bighorn sheep or grizzly bear doesn't mean you shouldn't care for or contribute to their conservation. Furthermore, even if money donated to conservation doesn't land in Oklahoma, it benefits other areas. If suddenly Texas had a huge boom of public hunting land availability and if all of a sudden public hunting there was top notch, people would have less of a reason to come to Oklahoma, thus reducing traffic and hunting pressure on our animals, making things better for purely Oklahoma based hunters and fishermen. The opposite is also a factor. If all of a sudden the states surrounding Oklahoma have zero hunting/land to hunt on, I guarantee we would have an unreal number of people coming to Oklahoma to hunt. So even if dollars go elsewhere for conservation, they can still benefit Oklahomans. I'm willing to bet the DU and QU land that I have hunted on here in Oklahoma was paid for by people in other states. Also, I do occasionally go hunting in other states when I have the luxury, so even if my money goes to help preserve grasslands in Kansas, I'll likely get to benefit from it eventually.

I can see that if you have a heart for a species with limited numbers. I'd be thousand times more on board with donating to the prairie chicken cause in OK over sheep and bears in another state though. Everyone's preferences vary, as long you're happy with where it's going that's all that matters. You asked for ideas, see what you started!!!

 

[HiredHand]

The NRA still has some good programs. The NRA-ILA is the lobbying arm of the NRA that most people tend to think about when they hear NRA.

Oklahoma land is something like 97% privately owned. Quail need native prairie habitat, not grazing pasture or land that full of non-native species. Native prairie is almost completely gone.

 

[retrieverman]

While I get your view point, I would like to point out that non resident hunters, the explosion of lease hunting everything and guide services catering to those folks have made the costs rise for residents who like to hunt and fish. Other states have actually started restricting and discouraging non resident hunters , because they compete with residents for the same tags and permits .

Wyoming is a good example and honestly I would rather lose the out of state dollars and the non resident hunters. To the money isn't worth the harm they cause to the locals

First off, I don’t care what state you live in or where you hunt, the cost has gone up. I’m going to step out on what I think is a pretty solid limb and say that the ODWC isn’t unhappy with the license revenue out of staters bring in and doesn’t want to see that revenue stream end. As an out of state land owner, I pay more in license fees in a year than a resident hunter will pay in 6 years, and I do so to hunt my own place and generally only kill one buck a year and catch a few catfish.

I‘ve seen people on here want to claim that out of staters (specifically Texans) get a bargain by hunting in Oklahoma, and that’s the biggest load of crap ever. I’m just going to use deer hunting as an example. An Oklahoman can hunt deer in TX from Oct 1-Jan 29 for a $315 license and can take 5 deer, and to hunt from Oct 1-Jan 15 in Oklahoma costs me $900 if I hunt all 3 methods. What a bargain.

 

[Jared]

I‘ve seen people on here want to claim that out of staters (specifically Texans) get a bargain by hunting in Oklahoma, and that’s the biggest load of crap ever. I’m just going to use deer hunting as an example. An Oklahoman can hunt deer in TX from Oct 1-Jan 29 for a $315 license and can take 5 deer, and to hunt from Oct 1-Jan 15 in Oklahoma costs me $900 if I hunt all 3 methods. What a bargain.

A non-res can hunt and take 6 deer including 2 antlered for a $300ish archery license. Yes thats a bargain compared to lots of other states.

 

[WoodsCraft]

First off, I don’t care what state you live in or where you hunt, the cost has gone up. I’m going to step out on what I think is a pretty solid limb and say that the ODWC isn’t unhappy with the license revenue out of staters bring in and doesn’t want to see that revenue stream end. As an out of state land owner, I pay more in license fees in a year than a resident hunter will pay in 6 years, and I do so to hunt my own place and generally only kill one buck a year and catch a few catfish.

I‘ve seen people on here want to claim that out of staters (specifically Texans) get a bargain by hunting in Oklahoma, and that’s the biggest load of crap ever. I’m just going to use deer hunting as an example. An Oklahoman can hunt deer in TX from Oct 1-Jan 29 for a $315 license and can take 5 deer, and to hunt from Oct 1-Jan 15 in Oklahoma costs me $900 if I hunt all 3 methods. What a bargain.

Nothing personal but if you're not a resident of the state be thankful you get to hunt here at all. As for your complaints about the cost of a non resident license in Oklahoma.. Might I suggest you save your money and hunt in Texas .

The money non residents being isn't worth the trouble they bring. I can't tell you how many non residents I remember having to run off family land in years gone by because well it wasn't posted so they thought it was fair game and was adjacent to land someone from out of state purchased or it was adjacent to a friends land.

I would be tickled to see Oklahoma engage in Wyoming style policies to further tighten down on non residents or go Kansas style back when they prohibited out of state deer hunting entirely. The juice just isn't worth the squeeze .

 

[Oklahomabassin]

This definitely went off the rails.