During its regular Jan. 6 meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission received a status report on hunting and fishing license sales since the Oklahoma Wildlife License Modernization Act (Senate Bill 941) took effect July 1.

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Chief of Administration Andrea Crews detailed how SB 941’s consolidated license and fee structure has affected the number of licenses sold and revenue in the first half of the fiscal year, compared to the same period last year

After analyzing 32 license types altered, added or consolidated by SB 941, including licenses for residents and nonresidents, overall sales had decreased year over year, while revenue increased compared to fiscal year 2024. Crews pointed out that many factors have affected sales and revenue to a greater degree in the first six months after SB 941, and she expects a better indication of SB 941's impact as sales and revenue normalize going forward.

SB 941 was designed to streamline ODWC’s hunting and fishing license system. Highlights include:

• Consolidating more than 50 hunting and fishing licenses into about 15.
• Defining all “youth” as anyone younger than 18, whether resident or nonresident.
• Creating a single youth super hunting license that takes the place of about 15 types of youth hunting licenses.
• Providing resident deer hunters one license for all deer they are allowed to harvest in a season (previously offered only on nonresident licenses).
• Increasing license costs for nonresidents hunting deer and waterfowl in Oklahoma.
• Adding the black bear hunting license to the privileges of the lifetime hunting and lifetime combination licenses.

ODWC Director Wade Free, in his regular report to the Commission, said courtesy docks had been installed at Stroud Lake and at Collier’s Landing on Lake Ellsworth as part of the Fisheries Division’s fishing and boating access program. Also, Free highlighted other recent accomplishments by ODWC’s Administration, Law Enforcement, Wildlife, and Communication and Education divisions.

In other business, Commissioners:

• Heard from Chance Allison of Finley & Cook PLLC about results of ODWC’s 2024 financial audit. Auditors found no discrepancies, said the audit process went very well, and thanked ODWC personnel for their great cooperation during the process.
• Approved issuing special hunting permits for the harvest of one elk and one pronghorn, within regular seasons and areas, and authorized those permits be used to raise funds by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Foundation during its annual Call of the Wild Gala, okwildlifefoundation.org/call-of-the-wild-gala set for Feb. 28 in Oklahoma City.
• Approved modifications to ODWC’s vehicle policy.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department, and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Oklahoma Senate.

The next regular Wildlife Commission meeting is set for Feb. 3 at the John D. Groendyke Wildlife Conservation Building, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.

A video of the Jan. 6 meeting is available on the Outdoor Oklahoma YouTube Channel at youtube.com/live/c2JzwomiFig?si=ig12NprH2sEmRlnm&t=31.

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