Oklahoma

38 Prairie Dogs In Yukon Moved To Natural Habitat In Northwestern Oklahoma

Published

1 year ago

July 25, 2024

38 Prairie Dogs In Yukon Moved To Natural Habitat In Northwestern Oklahoma

The ultimate fate of a prairie dog colony in Yukon is now known.

These wild animals have been a hot topic for years as new developments kept forcing them to migrate to the Northwest near Route 66. Last week, many people noticed cages at the location off of Sara Road, wondering what was happening.

According to the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, some of them were relocated to a new home. “All right guys now don’t take off,” said Kathy Barrett, who feeds the prairie dogs every day. “Come on, we’re not going to bother you.”

Barrett says she loves animals but has developed a soft spot for an urban colony of black-tailed prairie dogs in Yukon.

“They are my babies, but everybody has a responsibility to wildlife,” said Barrett.

Last week, the ODWC says it worked with a research team from the University of Louisiana to capture 38 prairie dogs using baited traps.

“While the prairie dogs were under anesthesia, they drew blood samples and they took a small tissue sample for their data to look at genetics and disease resistance,” said Kurt Kuklinski, Wildlife Diversity and Research Supervisor for the ODWC.

Kuklinski said his team then took the animals in carriers to a former colony site in northwestern Oklahoma.

“It’s not good for the prairies to be missing such an awesome creature on the landscape,” said Kuklinski.

He says by putting them back in their natural habitat, the hope is they will thrive.

“Where they are right now in that urban environment, they’re not able to expand their colony beyond that single lot and they face threats from traffic and can’t move and do well as a colony there,” he said. “Where we’ve re-located them, they’ve got hundreds to thousands of acres to expand.”

As for the rest of them in Yukon, several hundred prairie dogs remain and will still pop up for visitors like Reina Flores.

“You see how they stand? And there’s some over,” Flores pointed out. “They look like they’re dogs, they stand up, they’re very cute,”

And as Barrett says, very resilient.

“They’re survivors, that’s for sure,” she said. “I want it to continue, I want people to have the joy of seeing wildlife and just getting back to nature.”

The Department of Wildlife says none of the prairie dogs were harmed during the move. They say it could take years to move the rest of them out of Yukon.

Photos courtesy of ODWC.

Source link

Click to comment

Oklahoma

Suspect in custody after deadly shooting in Oklahoma City following heated argument

Published

11 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Suspect in custody after deadly shooting in Oklahoma City following heated argument

OKLAHOMA CITY, (KOKH) — Oklahoma City police responded to a fatal shooting in the 2600 block of N. Kelly Friday evening.

According to OKCPD, the shooting occurred at around 6:20 p.m.

When officers arrived, they located one adult male with gunshot wounds at the scene. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital where he later died during surgery.

Police believe the shooting was a result of a verbal argument that escalated into a fistfight and then a shooting.

The suspect has been taken into custody and transported to police headquarters for questioning.

This is a developing story; please check back for updates.

For more local news delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter by clicking here.

Source link

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys play in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Published

23 hours ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys play in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma State Cowboys (9-0) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (6-3)

Oklahoma City; Saturday, 1 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma takes on Oklahoma State at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

The Sooners are 6-3 in non-conference play. Oklahoma is 1-0 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Cowboys are 9-0 in non-conference play. Oklahoma State ranks eighth in the Big 12 with 16.9 assists per game led by Jaylen Curry averaging 5.1.

Oklahoma averages 84.7 points, 8.3 more per game than the 76.4 Oklahoma State gives up. Oklahoma State scores 16.3 more points per game (91.3) than Oklahoma gives up to opponents (75.0).

TOP PERFORMERS: Nijel Pack is scoring 17.2 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Sooners. Tae Davis is averaging 13.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 53.3%.

Vyctorius Miller is averaging 15.9 points for the Cowboys. Parsa Fallah is averaging 14.6 points.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Source link

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Football Schedule Revealed

Published

1 day ago

December 11, 2025

Press Room

Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Football Schedule Revealed

The Oklahoma Sooners are trying to finish the 2025 college football season with a championship run that begins with a first-round playoff matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide on Dec. 19 in Norman. After a 10-2 season, the Sooners found out during the SEC schedule reveal when they’ll play their 2026 opponents.

New to the SEC schedule this year is a nine-game conference slate. Also, Oklahoma will begin at least a four-year stretch with permanent rivals Texas, Missouri, and Ole Miss.

The Sooners open the season with nonconference matchups against UTEP, Michigan, and New Mexico. Michigan will be breaking in a new head coach after the surprising dismissal of Sherrone Moore.

Oklahoma will go on the road for their first conference game, taking on the defending SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 26. That marks the first time the Sooners will play in Athens for the first time in the history of the program. The Bulldogs own the only win in the series, which came in the infamous 2017 Rose Bowl. If the Sooners were to play the Dawgs in the 2025 College Football Playoff, it would come in the national championship game.

After the trip to Georgia, Oklahoma will have its only bye week of the season before facing the Texas Longhorns in the Red River Showdown on Oct. 10 in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. The Sooners will return home to play the Kentucky Wildcats on Oct. 17. Kentucky will have a first-time head coach in Will Stein, leading the Wildcats to Norman for the first time since 1980.

Then, Oklahoma will go to Starkville to take on former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Oct. 24 before closing the month welcoming another former assistant in Shane Beamer and the South Carolina Gamecocks on Oct. 31.

Then begins the month that will decide the Sooners’ College Football Playoff fates. They’ll open November with a road trip to the Swamp to take on the Florida Gators on Nov. 7. The last time the Sooners took on the Gators, Oklahoma earned a 55-20 win in the 2020 Alamo Bowl.

The Sooners will then return home on Nov. 14 to take on the Ole Miss Rebels in Norman for the second year in a row. Oklahoma lost a heartbreaker to the Rebels at the end of October, but that gave way to a magical November run that catapulted the Sooners into the College Football Playoff.

After the Rebels come to town, the Sooners will welcome the Texas A&M Aggies on Nov. 21. Texas A&M hasn’t been to Norman since a 41-25 win by Oklahoma. Landry Jones threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns, and Blake Bell ran for two scores out of the Belldozer package.

The Sooners will then close the season on the road against the Missouri Tigers. The former Big 8 and Big 12 foes have split their two contests as members of the SEC, each team winning at home. Oklahoma owns a decisive 68-25-5 record over the Tigers dating back to 1902.

There will be big expectations for the Sooners coming off of a 10-2 season and a College Football Playoff berth. They’ll bring back a lot of talent from this year’s roster, but 2026 will provide new challenges.

Oklahoma Sooners 2026 Schedule

Sept. 5 vs. UT-El Paso Miners in Norman, Okla.
Sept. 12 at Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Sept. 19 vs. New Mexico Lobos in Norman, Okla.
Sept. 26 at Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, Georgia
Oct. 3 BYE WEEK
Oct. 10 vs. Texas Longhorns in Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas
Oct. 17 vs. Kentucky Wildcats in Norman, Okla.
Oct. 24 at Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss.
Oct. 31 vs. South Carolina Gamecocks in Norman, Okla.
Nov. 7 at Florida Gators in Gainesville, Fla.
Nov. 14 vs. Ole Miss Rebels in Norman, Okla.
Nov. 21 vs. Texas A&M Aggies in Norman, Okla.
Nov. 28 at Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Missouri

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Source link