Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation proposes changes in Title 800, the administrative rules that govern hunting, fishing and Wildlife Department operations. The public comment period for this year’s proposed rule changes opened Dec. 1 and will close at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 7, 2022.
Many proposed changes are simple housekeeping matters, while some are more substantial. Some of this year’s rule change proposals:
- Remove the statewide minimum length limit (14 inches) on largemouth bass and smallmouth bass, replacing it with a bag limit of six in aggregate, of which only one may exceed 16 inches. Learn more about this proposal here.
- If the above bass length limit is passed, provide a free black bass tournament exemption permit that requires all fish to be released after weigh-in.
- Close quail season on January 31 of each year and open trapping to statewide trapping regulations from February 1 to the end of February on western Oklahoma WMA’s.
- Some revisions to legal means of take for furbearers and increase river otter bag limit from 4 to 6.
To read all of the proposed rule changes, go to www.wildlifedepartment.com/public-meeting.
Anyone wishing to make comments on any of the proposed rule changes may do so in one of three ways:
- Fill out the online public comment form at www.wildlifedepartment.com/public-meeting. The online public comment period closes at 4:30 p.m. Jan. 7, 2022.
- Write your comments in a letter and mail to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Re: Public Comment, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. Letters must be postmarked by Jan. 7, 2022.
- Voice your comments in person during a public hearing beginning at 7 p.m. Jan. 6, 2022, at the John D. Groendyke Wildlife Conservation Building, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.
All public comments are collected and reviewed by the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. Commissioners are expected to consider the proposed changes at their regular meeting set for Feb. 7, 2022.
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