New Waterfowl Guide now available free at locations statewide

Duck and goose hunters can now pick up the newest copy of the free "2009-10 Oklahoma Waterfowl Guide." The free 20-page publication is available free anywhere hunting licenses are sold or online at wildlifedepartment.com.

The new "Waterfowl Guide" provides important dates and regulations for hunting waterfowl in Oklahoma, but hunters also can use the booklet to learn about hunting on Wildlife Department lakes and wildlife management areas as well as how to identify a variety of waterfowl. Detailed drawings and tips help hunters learn the differences in waterfowl species, and a hunting record log in the back of the guide helps hunters keep track of their hunting memories and successes.

Changes to this year's waterfowl season include expanded opportunities for pintails and canvasbacks as well as wood ducks. Oklahoma waterfowlers can hunt pintails and canvasbacks throughout the entire waterfowl season this year as well as take an additional wood duck as part of their daily limit of six ducks.

More information about the Wildlife Department is available by logging on to wildlifedepartment.com.

Hunter certification opportunities still available before deer gun season

Sportsmen have many chances to become hunter education certified between now and the opening of deer gun season, including 22 courses held across the state on Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 that offer last minute opportunities to become certified.

According to Lance Meek, hunter education coordinator for the Wildlife Department, courses offered Nov. 7 and Nov. 14 offer a last minute chance to become certified just in time for the deer gun season.

"People have busy schedules these days," Meek said. "These courses give people a chance to get their hunter education done even if they aren't able to get to a class before the last couple of weeks before deer season. While there have been more that 350 courses throughout the year, we have made a special effort to make sure no one will need to drive too far to find a class in the two weeks before deer gun season."

Wildlife Department updating sportsmen on Twitter

Sportsmen can now get the very latest, up-to-the-minute wildlife-related news updates through Twitter.

Twitter users can follow the Wildlife Department's frequent, brief updates to get information on subjects like last minute hunter education opportunities, hunting season updates, important reminders and even links to timely news stories that cover subjects like the first black bear harvested during Oklahoma's inaugural bear archery season.

"This is just another way to keep sportsmen informed in a timely manner, in addition to all of our other great information sources like wildlifedepartment.com, Outdoor Oklahoma magazine and TV, free weekly e-mail news releases and a range of other newsletters and publications," said Micah Holmes, information and education supervisor for the Wildlife Department.