Oklahoma’s deer belong to the people of our state, and their management must remain guided by science and professional wildlife expertise. A newly amended bill at the Oklahoma Legislature threatens that principle.
House Bill 3270 (HB 3270), which began as a feral swine bill, has been transformed into legislation that would sideline the very agency responsible for managing Oklahoma’s wildlife — the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC).
HB 3270 would remove ODWC from a central role in a pilot program connected to the state’s chronic wasting disease (CWD) genetic research and instead shift permitting authority to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF). This change would advance the program before critical research on Oklahoma’s wild deer herd is complete and remove the state’s wildlife experts from critical decision making.
Why This Matters
The National Deer Association opposed similar legislation in 2024 because releasing captive white-tailed deer to intentionally mingle with wild deer carries serious risks, including:
- Increased potential for the spread of disease such as CWD
- Undermining decades of science-based wildlife management
- Long-term harm to the health and stability of Oklahoma’s wild deer herd
ODWC is already doing the work needed to inform responsible decision-making. During the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 hunting seasons, the agency has been collecting samples across the state to establish a baseline of potential CWD genetic resistance in wild deer. HB 3270 ignores this work and moves forward before the science is complete.
ODWC is the state’s wildlife authority and is entrusted with managing Oklahoma’s fish and wildlife resources for the benefit of all citizens. Removing the agency from this process sidelines trained wildlife professionals and weakens the science-based management that hunters, conservationists, and the public rely on.
Oklahoma’s wildlife is a public resource held in trust for everyone. Decisions that could affect the future of our deer herd should remain in the hands of wildlife experts — not be rushed ahead without the data.
Take Action
Oklahoma hunters, conservationists, and wildlife supporters should urge lawmakers to protect science-based wildlife management. Tell your legislators to vote NO on HB 3270. Our deer herd, and the future of wildlife conservation in Oklahoma, depend on it.