ATTENTION OKLAHOMA HOG HUNTERS

[Matt Gregory]

I am a coonhunter reaching across to hog hunters

IMPORTANT ELECTION TO OKLAHOMA HOUNDSMEN ON NOV. 6th

As many of you know Oklahoma's right to retrieve was reversed by HB1249 which was authored by Wade Rousselot from District 12. 80 representatives were in favor of this bill.
So if you are undecided on who to vote for in your district on Nov. 6th - please keep in mind of this bill and how your representative voted : http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb1249

Oklahoma Houndsmen have had zero success on getting this bill modified to protect the houndsmen's rights.

I am working with Rousselot's opponent David Tackett- He strongly agrees with our position and is fully committed to modifying this law to support our hunting rights.

If you know of any houndsmen from District 12 - please have them go to http://www.wagonercoonhunters.com for more information.


Matt Gregory

[Riley W]

Thanks for posting This up o did not know  about all of This

[Marty Lester]

It has made crimimals out of honest ranchers and dog men every time their horse, cow, goat, or dog gets on their neighbors property. We really need to get this thing reversed. I am talking to people with Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma Cattlemans Assn. But it is an uphill battle. It was initially started as a way to keep rustlers from gaining access to cattle in private pastures. Farm Bureau initally got it started and then the Timber companies helped push it through.  But it is just as illegal to steal cows now as it was before this got passed. From what I can gather the Timber companies in Eastern Okla wanted this thing passed so they could lease out hunting leases on land that had been put in a tax shelter (classified as wasteland instead of producing agriculture for tax purposses)in exchange for getting it classified as waste land the land was suppossed to be made available for public access. Now that same land has been sold to a sister company and they have leased it out, fenced it with taxpayer money and removed public access. I pay a lot more per acre in taxes for my ranching land than the timber companies pay for theirs. I think that we need to demand that the waste land exemption be removed from tax rates on private land state wide. And we also need to repeal this version of  hb1249. I will be going to the Okla Farm Bureau convention next weekend. And would appreciate any help I could get on this. my phone # is 580-372-3950

[tuskbuster]

i dropped farm bureau like a hot rock when i found out they were behind it.our rep Don ARMES was in there also and now i hear hes havein second thoughts

[Marty Lester]

I was told that Farm Bureau went into this with good intentions. They were trying to keep the the oil companies temporary employees from accessing private land w/out notifying the owner 24 hours ahead, and they were trying to help the cattlemen in western Okla. that had been victomized by theives possing as cattle owners looking for strayed cattle. But things got changed when it went to the senate and the final version wasn't what Okla. Farm Bureau initially wanted. The oil companies got a free pass and the livestock owners got turned into criminals. I reciently got voted in on the Board of Directors for OFB for this area and I hope to be able to present our view point to the rest of the members this year. I am learning all the processes that have to be gone thru before a bill can gain enough momentum to succeed. I would like to point out that the Board members that I have talked to did not mean for this to turn out the way that the final version is now. We evidently have a lot of pressure from people that have either just moved in from other states that have similar laws or maybe didn't think about dog hunters or people that lease land with bad fences or river frontage. I have leased land that on 2 diferent places has river frontage and every time the river rises and falls I have cattle that get out. Also some of my lease places have old fences that have dead trees (from the last 2 years drought) that are constantly falling on the fences and there also I have cattle getting out sometimes daily. Especially after each high wind or storm that blows in here. It would be good if everyone that hunts with dogs or owns a farm would contact Farm Bureau and the Oklahoma Cattlemans Assn and their State Senators and Represenatives. If we would flood the phone lines of everyone involved we would see some action.

[Bigdog]

i live n s e okla,talihina.my grandpa worked for werehauser for years.he told me that they asked the people to support the wasteland tax years ago,with the understanding it would b left open to the people.i know that things have changed but the timber comp need to pay reg taxs just like i do.they should really have to pay a commerical tax since they r leasing land for hunting,thats a business.but back to the law do u have to call sheriff or gamewarden every time ur dog gets on someone else?if u call them every nite i bet they dont answer the phone.i know a guy who just got a hogdog shot and he couldnt even get the law to come out.the dog is n the vet hopistial in stillwater okla,u think they will come out to help u get ur livestock back or ur dog,rite.this state is getting as bad as texas,i used to could go n e where hunting,now u cant even look at someones place.

[Bigdog]

i live n s e okla,talihina.my grandpa worked for werehauser for years.he told me that they asked the people to support the wasteland tax years ago,with the understanding it would b left open to the people.i know that things have changed but the timber comp need to pay reg taxs just like i do.they should really have to pay a commerical tax since they r leasing land for hunting,thats a business.but back to the law do u have to call sheriff or gamewarden every time ur dog gets on someone else?if u call them every nite i bet they dont answer the phone.i know a guy who just got a hogdog shot and he couldnt even get the law to come out.the dog is n the vet hopistial in stillwater okla,u think they will come out to help u get ur livestock back or ur dog,rite.this state is getting as bad as texas,i used to could go n e where hunting,now u cant even look at someones place.russell barron 9189428824.

[tuskbuster]

as law states now OWNER or SHERRIF  to be legal,when weyerhausr sold part of stock to Hancock insurance and holdings we lost all of what was a good thing in s/e/okla

[kemp]

as law states now OWNER or SHERRIF  to be legal,when weyerhausr sold part of stock to Hancock insurance and holdings we lost all of what was a good thing in s/e/okla

Yes we sure did

[Matt Gregory]

As the law reads now since HB1249:
Landowner Permission
Hunters must obtain permission to enter any posted or occupied land or land primarily devoted to farming, ranching or forestry purposes.
Nothing in this guide shall be interpreted as permitting hunting or allowing access into any area, public or private, without permission from the owners or custodian as required by law. All persons are prohibited from entering land owned by another without permission for the sole purpose of retrieving domestic livestock or other animals.
Consent is not valid for more than one year, unless the owner, lessee, or occupant specifically grants consent for a specified period of time.
The reports are starting to increase on game wardens enforcing this law (catching a hunter on private ground- contacting the landowner and then prosecuting)  There is one report of a game warden contacting the  landowner which lived out of state.   
PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS CHANGE EFFECTIVE TOMORROW:Effective Nov. 1, persons caught fishing or hunting without permission (poaching) may lose their hunting and fishing privileges in Oklahoma and the 37 other states that are part of the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact
This change effective tomorrow will definitely hurt the honest man.  We have two options for change:

1)Make an educated vote on Nov. 6th
2)Contact your representative immediately

[Matt Gregory]

There have been several attempts on getting this bill modified without any success.   A bill almost made it through for a vote, which the hunter could live with and also satisfy property owners- however it was killed before making it to the floor.  It would require the hunter to call the sheriff's office: give them your driver's license number and location then you could retrieve your dog or game. 
I understand people make mistakes- however when mistakes are made and modifications are presented to find common ground- our representatives should act. 
I have spoken with many hunters in my district over the last couple of weeks-we are all in agreement.  We are  confident that our current representative is
not representing the state however representing selected groups.

I understand that this election will not remove our current law- however it will send a message to other representatives and will also hopefully remove the author of HB1249.  By no means is this a personal attack or partisan attack- it is standing  up for the rights of Oklahoma hunters.

If you would like to help  please contact me.  918-521-3949