Okla. (KXII) – Midway through several big hunting seasons, Oklahoma is struggling with a shortage of game wardens.

Oklahoma Senator David Bullard (R-Durant) said that game wardens have an important job to do.

“Those game wardens are there to protect us and protect the wildlife that are on our property from being poached,” he said. “The number one deer stand in Oklahoma for a lot of years was the right or left seat of a pickup truck.”

While there’s still some of that going on, he said it’s not anywhere near how it used to be.

“That’s due in large part to the wildlife department doing their job, being out and about,” Bullard said.

Now, that security could be in jeopardy.

Oklahoma currently has 12 open positions for game wardens – the most vacancies in a long time.

“When that law enforcement presence is not there, people are going to take advantage of it,” he said.

Bullard said one of the reasons the state is having a hard time filling those positions is because they’re simply not paying enough.

“If you’re paying competitive wages, and we’re not right now in the wildlife department, then you’re going to have a hard time recruiting,” he said.

Part of the problem is that the wildlife department is funded solely through ticketing, licenses and fees.

“They haven’t had an increase in licensing or fees in 23 years,” Bullard said.

Bullard said the ship has sailed on any more fee increases for the time being, but they could revisit the compacts they have with local tribes.

“The tribe has been great partners with us, especially on licensing and fees,” he said. “Bring that back up to help – that would be enough money there to give a substantial raise to all of our wildlife agencies and and to our game wardens.”

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Navy won its rivalry game with Army West Point, but there’s one more game left on the schedule and one more shot at some history for the Midshipmen.

Navy is preparing to face Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday, their first appearance in a bowl game under second-year head coach Brian Newberry. Kickoff is set for noon eastern.

If the Midshipmen (9-3) are able to beat the Sooners (6-6), it would mark the sixth time in school history that they won at least 10 games in a season, joining the teams from 1905 (10-1-1), 2004 (10-2), 2009 (10-4), 2015 (11-2) and 2019 (11-2).

Navy needs to put its blowout win over Army out of its minds. The Sooners, while not the OU that most are used to, will still be a formidable opponent. But there will be change under center after the transfer of quarterback Jackson Arnold.

No such issues with Navy quarterback Blake Horvath, as he looks to cap off the season with an incredible performance in the postseason.

Here is a preview of the game.

Armed Forces Bowl

Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas

Time: noon, ET, Friday

TV: ESPN

Radio: WBAL 1090 AM / 101.5 FM (flagship), Navy Football Radio Network.

Coaches: Navy: Brian Newberry (14-10 at Navy, overall); Oklahoma: Brent Venables (22-16 at Oklahoma, overall).

Fun fact: Newberry played high school football at WestMoore High School in Oklahoma City, about an hour and a half away from Oklahoma’s campus in Norman.    

All-Times Series: Navy leads series, 1-0.

Last meeting: Navy 10, Oklahoma 0 (1965 in Norman, Okla.).

Series notes: This is Navy’s first bowl game against OU, but not its first bowl game against an SEC school. The Midshipmen played Ole Miss in the 1955 Sugar Bowl. Navy has played Missouri and Texas, but neither was in the SEC at the time.

Last Week: Navy def. Army, 31-13 (Dec. 14); Oklahoma lost to LSU, 37-13 (Nov. 30).

About Navy: Navy’s win over Army allowed the Midshipmen to claim the Commander in Chief’s trophy and you can’t doubt the accomplishment. Navy won the two service academy games by a combined 45 points. That’s just domination.

Last week, Midshipmen defensive back Rayuan Lane III accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl, just the fifth Navy player to accomplish that feat. He’ll play in this game and then take his shot at getting drafted into the NFL.

Along with chasing 10 wins, Horvath is chasing the single-season touchdown pass record at Navy. He’s tied it with 13, putting him in the company of Ricky Dobbs. He tossed two touchdowns against Army.

About Oklahoma: Even though OU only finished .500, this game marks a rare chance for Navy to measure itself against one of the game’s historic programs.

Oklahoma is the sixth-winningest program in FBS history with 950 wins and is playing in a bowl game for the 26th straight season, with a record of 31-25-1. OU’s 58 bowl appearances are the fourth-most in FBS.

The first year in the SEC was a gauntlet for the Sooners, who faced eight ranked opponents during the season. But, their win over No. 7 Alabama probably robbed the Crimson Tide of a chance to play in the College Football Playoff.

Next Up: The season concludes for both teams.  

Join News 9 Sports Director Dean Blevins, News On 6 Sports Director John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland for this week’s edition of the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz.

Sunday, December 22nd 2024, 11:25 pm

By:

News On 6,

News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY –

This week on the Oklahoma Ford Sports Blitz, Dean Blevins, John Holcomb, and Toby Rowland begin the show with their opening takes.

Toby’s Top 3

OU, OSU, TU Recap

Viewer Question

Thunder Update: Caruso 4-Year Contract Extension, No Christmas Game

OU, OSU, TU, ORU Basketball Recap

OSU Wrestling Beats Virginia Tech

Play The Percentages