State Rep. Scott Fetgatter, R-Okmulgee, on Tuesday announced that deer hunting permits at the Deep Fork National Wildlife Refuge near Okmulgee will remain the same next year and will actually expand for youth and for turkey hunting.deep fork
Fetgatter said he heard from constituents that the 300 permits issued each year by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge, were in danger of being cut to 100. Current permits are issued by an in-person drawing held each September. The service wanted to make that an online process.
“People in my district were upset at being so drastically limited in the hunting they’ve become accustomed to at the refuge and in changing a process that assures fairness,” Fetgatter said. “I reached out to our state Department of Wildlife Conservation for help and am extremely glad they listened to our concerns and worked with us to secure a solution.”
A spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said they worked with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, with Rep. Fetgatter and with his constituents to address the issue. He assures there will be no change in the number of adult deer archery permits issued next year, and the service will expand the number of youth deer and turkey hunting permits.
“We are so appreciative of Representative Fetgatter for bringing this issue to the forefront," said J.D. Strong, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "Fortunately, all the parties involved were eager to find a solution that maintains the 25-year history of great hunting opportunities on the area. It is so important that we maintain as much as hunting and fishing access as possible so that the next generation can learn to love the great Oklahoma outdoors."