Family-Outdoors

Map of USA with Oklahoma highlighted (Photo credit: Wikipedia) CENTRAL Arcadia : November 13. Elevation normal, water 46 and murky. All fishing fair to good. Report submitted by Sheila Hutton, gate attendant. Draper : December 2. Elevation below normal, water clear. All fishing slow. Report submitted by Tony Woodruff, game warden stationed in Cleveland County. Hefner : December 3. Elevation dropping, water 44-47 and clear. Largemouth bass slow. Smallmouth bass slow. White bass and striped bass hybrids good on white grubs and jigs at 12-25 ft. along the dam. Channel and blue catfish fair on cut bait along the dam. Crappie good on minnows and jigs at 20-24 ft. along the dam. Walleye slow on grubs at 8-12 ft. along the dam. Report submitted by Lucky Lure Tackle. Overholser : December 3. Elevation normal, water 49 and clear. Crappie and white bass fair on bright colored artificial lures at the west pier. Catfish slow to fair on cut shad. Report submitted by Jarrod Dav...

by Doug Reeves, assistant chief, DNR Wildlife Division I stood at the edge of a field not far from my home on a recent frosty fall morning. The sun, which was just coming up, was shining brightly and the sky was clear. I stood in the quiet stillness for a bit and felt the sun on my face as I just watched for signs of life in the field. A movement caught my eye, just 8 feet away or so. There, on a stump at the edge of the fencerow, was a tiny, chocolate-dark bird. It too was soaking in some sun and preening just enough to draw my attention. A winter wren! This one appeared even darker in color than most I had seen previously. I watched it briefly, marveling once again at how small winter wrens are and how dark they appear. The bird appeared completely unconcerned that I was on the scene. Its tail was cocked straight up much of the time, and the one shiny little eye that I could see glistened. There was serenity in the moment. [ Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ]...