Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Public Hearing Set Nov. 6 on Proposed Rule Changes

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation sent this bulletin at 10/28/2025 08:40 AM CDT

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Public Hearing Set Nov. 6 on Proposed Rule Changes

Wildlife Commission Also Welcomes Online, Mail-in Comments

Each year, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation proposes changes in Title 800, the administrative rules that govern hunting, fishing and Wildlife Department operations. Members of the public have the opportunity to voice their comments on this year's proposed rule changes at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.

For an agenda of the public hearing, go to wildlifedepartment.com/public-meeting and click on “Rule Change Proposals 2026 Agenda.” To read all of the proposed rule changes in their entirety, go to wildlifedepartment.com/public-meeting and click on the Title 800 chapter links.

The public hearing will be held at the John D. Groendyke Wildlife Conservation Building, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd. in Oklahoma City.

Many of the proposed changes are simple housekeeping matters such as spelling corrections, while other proposals are more substantial. Among this year's proposals are:

Establishing rules on when and how a UAV (drone) can lawfully be used in scouting for and recovering downed wildlife.
Allowing daily waterfowl blinds only (no season-long blinds) on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or Bureau of Reclamation areas (already in effect as an emergency rule and now to be considered as permanent).
Allowing hunters to import intact cervids when going to a taxidermist in good standing with the Secretary of State and that follows proper disposal procedures for carcasses (already in effect as an emergency rule and now to be considered as permanent).
Requiring nonresidents entering or using ODWC-owned or -managed lands in pursuit of any game bird to possess a valid game bird permit, with the price set at $100 (already in effect as an emergency rule and now to be considered as permanent).
Requiring nonresidents to indicate their intention to access any wildlife management area for any activities by checking-in to an online system (already in effect as an emergency rule and now to be considered as permanent).

In addition to the in-person public hearing, comments on any of the proposed rule changes may be submitted by:

Filling out the online public comment form by clicking “Leave Your Comments” at wildlifedepartment.com/public-meeting. The online comment period will close at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025.
Writing your comments in a letter and mailing to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Re: Public Comment, P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73152. Letters must be postmarked by 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, 2025.

All public comments are reviewed by the members of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission. Discussion and possible action on these rule changes are planned during the regular Commission meeting Monday, Dec. 8, 2025.

This season, take advantage of liberal bag limits and open days for antlerless harvest because hunters in the know take a doe! Learn more about the benefits of antlerless harvest.

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