HEY JUNIOR RANGERS! TODAY I WANT TO READ YOU A STORY CALLED “A WALLEYE’S LIFE”. AS YOU KNOW ALREADY, WALLEYE ARE FAMOUS HERE AT CANTON LAKE. BUT, HOW DO WE KEEP THE WALLEYE HERE?

AS WE BEGIN OUR STORY, WE SEE THIS MATURE FEMALE WALLEYE SWIMMING IN THE LAKE.

AS THE MONTHS PASS AND THE WATER GETS COLDER, WE SEE THE WALLEYE GROW FAT WITH HER EGGS.

IN MARCH OF EACH YEAR WHEN THE WATER TEMPERATURE DROPS TO ABOUT FORTY THREE TO FIFTY DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, THE OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION OR ODWC COMES OUT TO CANTON LAKE TO TRAP SOME OF THE WALLEYE SO THEY CAN MILK THE FISH OF EGGS AND SPERM TO TAKE TO A HATCHERY.

THE ODWC PLACES SPECIAL NETS IN THE WATER THAT ALLOW THE FISH TO SWIM IN BUT CAN’T GET OUT.

HERE, WE SEE THAT OUR FEMALE HAS BEEN CAUGHT IN THE NETS.

NEXT, ODWC TAKES THE FISH TO A BOAT RAMP WHERE THEY CAN MILK THE EGGS. EACH FISH IS CAREFULLY MASSAGED UNTIL SHE RELEASES HER EGGS, OR FOR MALES, THEIR SPERM. FEMALE WALLEYE CAN HAVE UP TO FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EGGS IN THEIR BELLIES! WHEN FINISHED, THE FISH ARE THEN RELEASED BACK INTO THE LAKE.

THE EGGS AND SPERM ARE THEN MIXED TOGETHER SO THEY CAN FERTILIZE.

THE MIXTURE IS THEN TAKEN TO A FISH HATCHERY AND PLACED INTO TANKS WHERE THE EGGS CAN GROW.

THE EGGS HATCH IN ABOUT SIX TO SEVEN DAYS AND WHEN THE BABY FISH –OR FRY- ARE THREE DAYS OLD...

...THEY ARE PACKED UP AGAIN AND DELIVERED ALL OVER THE STATE. SOME EVEN COME BACK TO CANTON LAKE!

THE FRY WILL TAKE SIX TO SEVEN YEARS TO GROW AND BE MATURE ENOUGH FOR THE PROCESS TO START OVER.

WASN’T THAT COOL! ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE WALLEYE HATCHERY PROCESS WORKS TO UNLOCK YOUR BADGE! GOOD LUCK!