Vance, Carpenter win tight contest in tournament
The angling during the weekly Tuesday Night Tournament on Lake Murray continued to be very competitive last week as the top three teams in the field of 29 boats were separated by a mere .81 of a pound.
Jarrod Carpenter and Mark Vance took home the top money with a total weight of 6.99 pounds. The father-son team of Gary and Greg Keith were just out of first place with a second-place weight of 6.84 pounds.
Lance Hartman and J.D. Kent finished up in third place with a stringer weighing in at 6.18 pounds.
Randy Newcomb and Roy McMillian had the big bass of the event which weighed 2.36 pounds.
For more information on the Lake Murray Tuesday Night Tournaments, call Kenneth Hunter at (580) 226-1975 or Bill McLaughlin at (580) 223-3641.
New Three Rivers Agreement approved by commission
At its May meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to accept a new land use agreement with Weyerhaeuser Company for the Three Rivers Wildlife Management Area in McCurtain County.
Under the new three-year agreement, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will lease 250,190 acres at 50 cents per acre per year for recreational public access as the Three Rivers WMA. As in the past, a land access permit will be required of users.
Beginning Aug. 1, the cost of that permit will increase to cover the cost of the new lease. Oklahoma residents ages 18 to 63 are required to purchase the annual land access permit, which will be available for $40 at any vendor that sells hunting and fishing licenses. A three-day, non-hunting and non-fishing permit will be available to Oklahoma residents for $10. A non-resident permit will be $85 per year, with no exemptions. Permits purchased prior to the price increase will be valid through the end of the year.
Additionally, ATV use will only be allowed during deer season (Oct. 1-Jan. 15), and only by licensed deer hunters. The following guidelines will apply to ATV use on the area:
n Any hunter while operating an ATV/ORV at any time must comply with daylight florescent orange requirements as required for deer gun seasons. If a crash helmet is worn, only the fluorescent orange chest covering is required.
n ATV/ORV use is restricted to WMA roads that are on the current Three Rivers WMA map unless otherwise closed.
n Only unaltered standard manufactured ATV/ORVs with a 700 cc motor displacement or less are allowed.
n ATV/ORV use shall be restricted to a maximum speed of 25 mph.
n ATV/ORV operators and passengers younger than age 18 must wear a crash helmet that complies with standards established by 49 C.F.R., Section 571.218.
n Passengers in addition to the operator are not allowed on ATV/ORVs unless that ATV/ORV has been specifically designed by the manufacturer to carry passengers in addition to the operator.
n Leaving any ATV/ORV unattended on Three Rivers WMA without the owner’s name and address conspicuously attached is prohibited.
n Use of ATV/ORVs off of delineated roads for retrieval of lawfully taken and tagged deer is permissible only with the following restrictions.
n ATV/ORVs shall not travel more than 1/2 mile from the nearest road.
n ATV/ORVs shall not cross rivers and streams unless on a road with constructed stream crossing structures.
n ATV/ORVs used for deer retrieval shall not be used in areas otherwise closed to the use of motor vehicles.
Williams said the company looks forward to building on the success of the last 10 years, which has included both opportunities for sportsmen and benefits for conservation.
Williams said the Department’s agreement with Weyerhaeuser involves what may be the largest property in the country of its kind where a private timberland company and public entity have entered into a cooperative agreement to allow public access.
Richard Hatcher, assistant director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, said the encouraging thing about the new agreement is that both the Wildlife Department and Weyerhaeuser are very committed to maintaining the strong tradition of public hunting and fishing in the area.
Though there are different terms and conditions with the new agreement than there has been in previous agreements, Hatcher says it’s important for sportsmen to look at the big picture.
Located in McCurtain County, Three Rivers WMA comprises thousands of acres of timberland in the rugged hill country of the Ouachita Mountains. Each year, about 15,000 users purchase a land access permit. The area is a popular spot among deer hunters. Last year, hunters harvested more than 1,200 deer on the area.
Land-access permit holders also have access to the nearby Honobia Creek WMA, an additional 75,000 acres of land.
For more information about the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife, log on to www.wildlifedepartment.com.
5-year hunting, fishing license to benefit sportsmen
Ask Oklahomans how much money they spend on their favorite pastime — whether it is golf, shopping, video games or another activity — and you will quickly learn that hobbies can cost big bucks. Sportsmen are no different, spending money on the latest gear, hunting leases, outdoor apparel and gasoline and food for their outings. But starting in January 2009, Oklahoma sportsmen will have the option of getting a great bargain by purchasing a five-year hunting, fishing or combination license at a fraction of the cost of buying an annual hunting and fishing license each year.
State Rep. Randy McDaniel (R) recently authored House Bill 2667, which was recently signed into law by the governor, creating five-year hunting, fishing or combination licenses that will be available to sportsmen in 2009. Senator John Ford (R) was the Senate author.
The bill sets the fee for these licenses at $88 for a five-year fishing license, $88 for a five-year hunting license and $148 for a combination license, which also includes the five-year fishing and hunting legacy permit. Normally, hunters and anglers pay $5 each year for the legacy permit, or $25 over five years.
Sportsmen who hold a five-year license will still be required to purchase other applicable annual permits such deer and turkey licenses, appropriate waterfowl stamps, land access permits and other permits where required.
