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Game Warden’s Journal ACCOUNTS FROM THE FIELD BY THE PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO ENFORCE THE FISH AND WILDLIFE LAWS OF OKLAHOMA Several Oklahoma Game Wardens from District 7 assisted with the annual Elk City Fishing Derby this summer. Almost 600 people participated in the event! Prizes and $700 in cash and were given to participants! As a bonus, Grant’s Auction and Realty gave away two lifetime fishing licenses! More impor- tantly, many children got to experience the thrill of catching their first fish and get outdoors! In June, Game Wardens Brady May and Tony Clark (based in Cherokee County) and Cody Youngblood (based in Adair County) conducted a Shotgun Training and Education Pro- gram for students in the Tahlequah Police Department’s Junior Police Academy. The Game Wardens introduced the students to shooting shotguns. The academy introduces students to different aspects of law enforcement and safety. They were selected based on essays they wrote to explain why they wanted to attend. Among the activities were a CPR class, a tour of the 911 call center and county jail, a session with police K9s, an ATF explosives class, training in self-defense, and a ropes course. In learning about firearms, the students started with hand- guns and rifles and concluded with the STEP event. The Game Wardens are hopeful that this academy makes a positive impact on these young people. In June, Oklahoma Game Wardens, Texas Game Wardens and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Rangers participated in a joint effort on Lake Texoma. The agencies worked together to make hundreds of contacts on the 89,000-acre lake shared by Oklahoma and Texas. It’s the 12th-largest lake operated by the Corps of Engineers. The striped bass fishery is world class, and the lake has over 1 million visitors every year. As a result, numerous cases were filed in Oklahoma and Texas courts. Additionally numerous verbal warnings were given for lesser infractions. This was the first of many joint efforts planned to protect the wildlife in and around Lake Tex- oma. Special thanks go out to our legal, licensed sportsmen and sportswomen for funding and supporting endeavors like these! (Reports from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation-Game Wardens Facebook page.) EDITOR’S NOTE: Please help make a difference! When viola- tors break the law, they steal fish and wildlife from you! Report violations anonymously by calling Operation Game Thief at (800) 522-8039. You could earn a cash reward. 6 Off the Beaten Path