Lost Public Hunting Access

[jbullok]

Some of you may not be aware of what is taking place in Eastern Oklahoma, due to the incompetence of our Wildlife Department and the arogance of the Oklahoma Army National Guard there is an attempt to close down the 32,000 acre portion of the Cherokee Public Hunting Area as well as the WMA, here is a link to the Muskogee paper and also a letter to Representative Sherrer from LT Col Wright with their plans. As of now I have recieved no response from Wildlife officals to discuss this closure. If you care at all about this please contact your Representative and Wildlife officials and let them know this is an outrage...

http://muskogeephoenix.com/local/x993511767/Gruber-works-to-get-land-transfer-back

-----Original Message-----
From: Wright, Brent LTC OK-ARNG
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 8:49 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Camp Gruber Hunting (UNCLASSIFIED)

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: NONE

Senator Burrage,

With regard to your inquiry about public hunting and wildlife management areas in the vicinity of what is known as Camp Gruber. It is my intent that this email might alleviate your concerns.

The Oklahoma National Guard is taking the preliminary steps to re-acquire lands that were deeded from the Department of the Army to the Oklahoma Wildlife Department by revocable deed following World War II. The additional acreage will guarantee that our Soldiers can go to Camp Gruber and get the training they need to fight and win our Nation's battles.

Some inaccurate information was recently circulated that the Guard plans to take over the area and shut out hunters. Nothing can be further from the truth. The Guard has already begun discussions with the Oklahoma Wildlife Department to ensure hunters can continue to use the area to hunt and other recreational enthusiast retain their opportunity to enjoy this valued area. In fact, it is our hope that we can enhance some hunting and recreational opportunities on the land currently managed by the Wildlife Department.

In Oklahoma, Camp Gruber plays a tremendously important role in preparing our young men and women for combat. Soldiers, Marines, Sailors and Airmen have all received the valuable training they need at Camp Gruber to defeat our enemies and to survive on the battlefields in Southwest Asia.
When Oklahoma's own 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team prepared to deploy to Iraq in 2007, much of the unit's pre-deployment training took place in the woods and foothills at Camp Gruber.

The tools that the military uses today to defeat those that wish to harm us are constantly evolving. Some units need more training area to adequately prepare for combat than they did even 10 years ago. Expanding the maneuver and impact areas at Camp Gruber will guarantee that Oklahoma National Guardsmen and others that use the training site will be able to meet their wartime mission training requirements in the future. We can't wait for another 9/11 to wish we had made Camp Gruber more useable for our units.

Our future as a Nation depends greatly on keeping our military strong. We would greatly appreciate your support as we work with the Oklahoma Wildlife Department and Sportsmen to ensure Camp Gruber remains a viable option for training our Country's heroes, while at the same time a great place to take our children and grandchildren to hunt, fish and enjoy the outdoor recreational benefits of this area. Together we can make this work.

Very Respectfully,

BRENT W. WRIGHT, Lt Col, OKANG
State Resource Manager/Legislative Liaison Oklahoma Military Department
Voice: (405) 228-5134
Fax: (405) 606-7259
Email: [email protected]

 

[Danny]

Dude, was it really necessary to post this multiple times?

 

[jbullok]

Danny, its obvious that it really bothers you DONT READ IT THEN

 

[bigcountryok]

Jbullok,
Look, while I hate losing hunting land I'm not going to get into this argument at the moment because you are killing your own side by blatently coming here had breaking forum rules.

Take a step back. Make a good argument and don't discredit yourself by breaking the rules of the forum and acting inmature.

 

[Danny]

Danny, its obvious that it really bothers you DONT READ IT THEN

I can't help but read it. It's freakin' everywhere. At least put something new into the text to make it interesting, or to at least back up what you're trying to say. Did you even read the letter from the Lt. Col.? It doesn't support your rant. You're trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill, and failing badly.

Why don't you try explaining how the Wildlife Department is incompetent in this issue when it is the National Guard exercising it's right, and option, to resume control of land it deeded to them.

 

[jbullok]

Danny, first I dont want to argue with anyone. I am simply trying to do what I feel the ODWC has failed to do and that is inform the public, instead of John Q Taxpayer getting one handed to them again. Are you familiar with the history of this property at all ? I will assume that you are not. This property that has been funded by you and I, for decades, has had numerous donations from private non-profit organizations for habitat enhancement and other entities is being taken. Now, you may have thousands of acres of hunting lease property and this topic is irrelevent, but for those of us that have hunted this area for decades see it as a loss. Ten years ago we were sold a bill of goods on the Camp Gruber side and that whole process failed miserably. Several promises made and unkept. It is beyond me why at the very least the ODWC does not at least say something about the situation and let us know. I apoligize if I offended you, but to tell you the truth I am ticked off.

 

[Danny]

Danny, first I dont want to argue with anyone. I am simply trying to do what I feel the ODWC has failed to do and that is inform the public, instead of John Q Taxpayer getting one handed to them again. Are you familiar with the history of this property at all ? I will assume that you are not. This property that has been funded by you and I, for decades, has had numerous donations from private non-profit organizations for habitat enhancement and other entities is being taken. Now, you may have thousands of acres of hunting lease property and this topic is irrelevent, but for those of us that have hunted this area for decades see it as a loss. Ten years ago we were sold a bill of goods on the Camp Gruber side and that whole process failed miserably. Several promises made and unkept. It is beyond me why at the very least the ODWC does not at least say something about the situation and let us know. I apoligize if I offended you, but to tell you the truth I am ticked off.

I'm not offended. It's all good. But I still think you're making more out of this than what is there. When the deed to the property was established with the Wildlife Department, it was incumbant upon them to take care of it. That's what they did, with yours and my help. And no, I don't have thousands of acres of hunting property, leased or otherwise. In fact, I spend most of my hunting time in the very area you talk about, Cherokee PHA. I arrowed my first deer there, and I took my first wild turkey there. I am usually on that property several times a year.

We'll have to wait and see what becomes of this, but I'm willing to bet that for the most part, we won't see any real changes. It may close during the summer for training, but from what little information being made public, I don't think it will affect the majority of hunting at all.

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

To be clear here: Are we talking about the westerly Gruber areas adjacent to Cherokke, or actual Cherokee areas (the PHA and GMA)?