OKLAHOMA CITY — The State of Oklahoma has agreed to a one-year extension of hunting and fishing compacts with the Cherokee and Choctaw nations.
The compacts were set to expire on Dec. 31, 2019. These compacts create a partnership between the State of Oklahoma and the Cherokee Nation and the Choctaw Nation “to capture federal funds for conservation efforts across our great state while promoting hunting and fishing opportunities” for members of the Cherokee Nation and Choc- taw Nation who are also Oklahoma residents, said Gov. Kevin Stitt. The compact gives statewide hunting and fishing rights to all Cherokee and Choctaw citizens who are also Oklahoma residents.
The compact provides that the Cherokee Nation must purchase and issue a minimum of 150,000 compact licenses to its Oklahoma residents between the ages of 16 and 65, at a cost of $2 per license. Each compact license encompasses the rights and regulatory requirements of an annual Oklahoma hunting license, an annual Oklahoma fishing license, and a single deer license and a single turkey license per calendar year. The Choctaw Nation must purchase and issue a minimum of 50,000 compact licenses, which cover an annual Oklahoma hunting license, an annual Oklahoma fishing license, and additional privileges.