Oklahoma

Last updated July 2020

Contact

Mark D. Howery
Wildlife Diversity Biologist
Oklahoma Dept of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln Blvd
Oklahoma City, OK  73105
Phone: (405) 424-2728

Is a state permit required for banding?

Yes.  No separate banding application; it is covered by the scientific collecting permit.

Permit application forms

  • Application Form
  • Renewal – same form
  • Threatened and Endangered –  Oklahoma has no state-listed birds
  • Salvage – same form. Indicate that you plan to salvage

State lands

Included on the application form.

Prior notice

Check permit conditions. Even if not expressly required to do so, you should always contact the manager of that particular state land unit or with the owner of private land before your arrival. You want to be aware of the hunting seasons, and, of course want to be sure that your activities will not interfere with the activities of that park, wildlife management area, or other state land unit, and that your activities will not adversely affect public use of the land or with the activities of private landowners.

Policies and Procedures

Oklahoma Administrative Code
Title 800 Department of Wildlife Conservation
Chapter 25 Wildlife Rules
Subchapter 26 Scientific Collector Permits

800:25-26-1. Purpose
The purpose of this Subchapter is to establish application procedures for obtaining a permit for the collection of fish and wildlife species for scientific purposes.

800:25-26-2. Application and fees
(a)    Anyone sampling or collecting fish or wildlife, or their nests or eggs for scientific purposes, must first have authorization from the Department. A fee will be charged to cover the costs of processing and handling the issuance of the permit. The issuance of a scientific collector permit shall constitute written authority from the Department for such collection activities.
(b)    The following are the procedures for obtaining a scientific collector permit
(1)    Applications may be obtained by contacting the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation at P.O. Box 53465, Oklahoma City, 73152 or by appearance at Department Headquarters, 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd.
(2)    The application must be accompanied by a letter of recommendation from at least one well-known scientist, or from any well-known scientific institution, who will vouch for the applicant’s integrity and character. The letter must contain a brief statement about the purpose of the project.
(3)    Permits expire at the end of each calendar year. A new application must be filed each time an applicant applies for a permit. A letter of recommendation may be required for each application.

800:25-26-3. Use 
(a)    A copy of the approved application must be carried with the collector permit when sampling or collecting in the field.
(b)    The permit holder must notify the Law Enforcement Division at least twenty-four hours prior to the time of sampling or collecting in any county. Notification must be made prior to each trip, unless prior arrangements to the contrary have been made with the Game Warden(s) in the counties involved.
(c)    Instructors in charge of educational classes may take classes into the field and allow students to collect in their presence under their permit. If students collect or sample fish or wildlife when the instructor is not present, they must have their own permit. Students collecting or sampling in the field, under the permit of an instructor, and in the presence of an instructor, are not required to have a hunting or fishing license, or individual permit except as provided in (5).
(d)    Except as stipulated in (e), persons who sample or collect fish or wildlife under a scientific collector permit are not required to possess a fishing or hunting license.
(e)    The permit does not authorize the holder to collect game, furbearing, or predatory species with firearms, bows and arrows, or fish with any hook and line method without a valid Oklahoma hunting and/or fishing license. The following species may not be taken under a scientific collector permit: deer, bear, elk, antelope, or wild turkey.
(f)    This permit does not authorize sampling or collecting on State or Federal Refuge or Wilderness Areas.
(g)    Only those specific species, areas, and methods approved by the Department will be covered by the permit. Any variations from the above rules must be covered by specific written approval by the Director and said approval shall be attached to and carried with the permit.
(h)    A Scientific Collector’s permit shall not be used to collect those species of wildlife for which a statewide closed season has been established by the Oklahoma Wildlife Commission, unless specifically authorized.
(i)    A Federal Permit is required in addition to the state permit, if migratory birds, threatened or endangered species are to be collected.

800:25-26-4. Reporting
(a)    The permit holder must submit a report listing all fish and wildlife collected within thirty (30) days of the end of the calendar year.
(b)    Failure to submit a report, even if no fish or wildlife were collected, is cause for revoking the permit. No renewals will be issued without receipt of completed report forms.

800:25-26-4. Reporting 
(a)    The permit holder must submit a report listing all fish and wildlife collected within thirty (30) days of the end of the calendar year.
(b)    Failure to submit a report, even if no fish or wildlife were collected, is cause for revoking the permit. No renewals will be issued without receipt of completed report forms.

800:25-19-3. Criteria to determine classification of wildlife

Oklahoma state endangered species law

Oklahoma Administrative Code
Title 800 – Department of Wildlife Conservation
Chapter 25 – Wildlife Rules
Subchapter 19 – Oklahoma Endangered Species

No bird species are classified as threatened or endangered under Oklahoma state law.