Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation serves as the agency responsible for managing and protecting fish and wildlife in the state. The agency is funded by hunter and angler license fees and receives no general state tax appropriations. Founded in 1909, and created as a constitutional agency by a vote of the people in 1956, the agency's employees now:

• Manage over 80 Wildlife Management Areas totaling over 1.6 million acres of land in the state for public use.
• Oversee four state fish hatcheries that help produce the majority of fish stocked in Oklahoma public waters annually.
• Facilitate ODWC’s educational programs, including shooting sports, archery in the schools, aquatic education and hunter safety courses, reaching 50,000+ students each year from more than 550 schools in the state.
• Serve as guardians of fish, wildlife and public safety for the state with 120 game wardens including one in each of the state’s 77 counties.