Cherokee PHA

[Specklebelly]

Guy's/Gal's

This is not good.  I used to go there when I lived in Tulsa and this would be a HUGE loss to us as hunters.

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

May be worth an email to the ODWC.

[bronco73401]

this would be big loss. granted we do have quite a few wma's and pha's here in oklahoma(not as many down here) but as loss of any is not good. I am emailing the odwc tonight.

                                 Not happy
                                           Lance

[jwv]

I have never hunted there, but I hate to see it taken away. A loss of that much land hurts alot of people who have used it over the years. It will be interesting to see how hard the ODWC will fight to keep it. When the Federal Government wants something like that back, since they have had it before they usually can get it back.     I think it would be a good idea that everyone let the ODWC  know that we want to keep it as one of our WMA.       Jack
   

[Lives2hunt]

Has anyone heard anything further on this issue?

[jwv]

This the reply I got on 7-29-2010

The Oklahoma Army National Guard has told us they need additional training opportunities on the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area. Representatives from the Wildlife Department will be meeting over the next several months with the Oklahoma Army National Guard to find a solution that will be beneficial to them and to the hunters, anglers and others who use the area.

There is no urgency, and we probably won’t know exactly what the details of the outcome will be for many months, up to a year. Whatever the outcome, we do not expect hunting will be stopped on Cherokee Wildlife Management Area.
 
We will provide more information as it becomes available and we appreciate your interest in this matter.

Sincerely,

--Micah Holmes
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

[JPShelton]

Whatever the outcome, we do not expect hunting will be stopped on Cherokee Wildlife Management Area.
 
We will provide more information as it becomes available and we appreciate your interest in this matter.

Sincerely,

--Micah Holmes
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

It isn't just the hunting. I am concerned about continuting to have access to on the Cherokee PHA for other recreational pursuits.  Like, for example, the shooting range there.  I live in Tahlequah and don't own land I can shoot or hunt on.  Being able to use the shooting range on the PHA enhances my quality of life greatly.  In fact, it is one of the "perks" of living where I do. It's only 15 minutes from home for me, so I use it three times a week, on average.  I also like to just hike around there in the off season.  I fish some of the little ponds there, too.  I've only hunted there a few times -literally two, to be exact.  I usually hunt a different, much smaller PHA. But there is something to be said for having 30,000 plus acres to just wander around on, especially in a state where most of the land is owned by somebody and that somebody isn't me.

It'll be a sad day if the military takes it back.  I don't think they should have had it to begin with, but that's another story......

-JP

[JPShelton]

This is the reply I got on August 16,2010......

The Oklahoma Army National Guard has told us they need additional training opportunities on the Cherokee Wildlife Management Area. Representatives from the Wildlife Department will be meeting over the next several months with the Oklahoma Army National Guard to find a solution that will be beneficial to them and to the hunters, anglers and others who use the area.

There is no urgency, and we probably won’t know exactly what the details of the outcome will be for many months, up to a year. Whatever the outcome, we do not expect hunting will be stopped on Cherokee Wildlife Management Area.
 
We will provide more information as it becomes available and we appreciate your interest in this matter.

Sincerely,

--Micah Holmes
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
1801 N. Lincoln
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Note how it is exactly the same as that given to jwv...........

Mr. Holmes didn't address any of the issues I raised in my communication to him.  Probably didn't even read it.
Hopefully, he's too busy trying to save access to the Cherokee WMA to read or draft a response but since he's a PR guy, methinks, perhaps, he's not...........

JP