A Moment with President Chris Ezell
While all of our events in Oklahoma are very well-attended, we anticipate an upsurge in the numbers of those who will attend future events. Currently there are a lot of deer farmers from other states that are moving to Oklahoma, a state where common sense people enjoy favorable legislative support as well as support from agencies such as The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife and The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture.
As an association, we are preparing to take part in an unprecedented event, thanks to the February 2024 passage of Oklahoma House Bill 3462, The Chronic Wasting Disease Genetic Improvement Act. This act allows for the release of captive raised deer that possess genetics with CWD durability, to be released into the wild, starting in January 2026. We stand together with all deer farmers in every state where they are raised, in our belief that we will be the solution to eventually eradicating CWD. We know all eyes will be upon us in the next few years to come and feel optimistic that we will see favorable results. We appreciate the hard work of our lobbyist Carol Brewster and our Vice President Tim Condict for all the hours they devote to our association. We also appreciate all the legislatures who supported HB3462.
I’m grateful our association is so strong. The upbeat atmosphere felt at our most recent 2024 Annual Event and Fundraiser in Broken Arrow, was indicative of what we can expect in the future with bigger crowds to go along with it. Plans are currently in the works to combine our 2025 Annual Fundraiser with Top 30 South. Stay tuned for details and thank you again for all of your support. Those of us in the deer industry know how fortunate we are to do what we love.
