Horny toads, bobwhites and long-range strategies

On the surface, horned lizards and bobwhite quail don’t seem to have much in common. But the one-shared response you will get from most Oklahomans is that there used to be more of both of them in past decades.

It wasn’t that long ago when, much to the dismay of most mothers, youngsters would bring home a horned lizard from the vacant lot down the street. But today a horned lizard, or horny toad as they are often called, is harder to find than an eight-track cassette.

Bobwhite quail, too, used to be in seemingly limitless supply - at least many hunters remember it that way. There was a bird dog in every backyard and a covey in virtually every fencerow. But, the times they are a changing. Although quail have been on the rebound the last couple of years, the species has witnessed a downward population trend over the last half century.

The need for large blocks of contiguous habitat is another commonality these two share. Changing agriculture practices, sprawling suburban communities and many other factors mean ever smaller islands of quality habitat, which means less and less habitat for birds and lizards.

Now for the good news. The Oklahoma conservation community is not sitting on their hands and watching the demise of these and other wildlife species. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, in collaboration with wildlife stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, farm and ranch groups, conservation and sportsmen’s groups, academic professionals and other Oklahomans, is now on the onset of an ambitious new project to further understand these two species and take the steps needed to restore and enhance their habitat. The group is creating a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy that will address the needs of all fish and wildlife species in the state.

Instead of focusing on just a single species in an isolated area, the plan will focus on the steps needed to protect, restore and enhance specific habitat types like tall grass prairie, thereby benefiting these two species and many, many more.

Hunters, anglers and boaters have traditionally funded the majority of fish and wildlife conservation. This funding has provided the means to restore deer populations, stock striped bass and many other successful conservation efforts. Unfortunately, this funding has not been enough to address the needs of all 800 plus wildlife species in Oklahoma. That is the case nationwide, and state fish and wildlife agencies have been working for 20 years to fill this funding gap. This new strategy is designed to find a way for a diverse group of wildlife stakeholders to work together towards common conservation goals.

The Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy is now on the brink of the next critical step in the process - public meetings. The opinions and desires of sportsmen, birdwatchers, landowners and anyone else with an interest in wildlife are an important component of the strategy.

Public meetings will be held across the state during the first week of March in Oklahoma City, Woodward, Lawton, McAlester, and Tulsa. Anyone with an interest in wildlife is invited to attend and voice their opinions on a variety of topics. Individuals can also express your thoughts about the strategy by logging on to wildlifedepartment.com.

All of the regional meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and end at 8:30 p.m. Specific meeting sites are:

March 1: Oklahoma City, Metro Tech Spring Lake Campus, Business Conference Center, 1900 Springlake Drive

March 2: Woodward, City of Woodward Building, Pioneer Room, 1219 Eight Street

March 3: Lawton, Cameron University, Shepler Mezzanine, North of F Street, between the North and South Shepler Dormitories

March 4: McAlester, Ramada Inn, 1500 S George Nigh Expressway

March 5: Tulsa, OU Tulsa, Schusterman Center, 4502 East 41 Street

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