Rural Oklahoma communities expect an economic punch from cockfighting ban

<br>TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma's new ban on cockfighting will hurt many of the state's small towns, say rural Oklahomans who contend their economies were boosted by the blood sport. <br><br>``This

Monday, November 11th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma's new ban on cockfighting will hurt many of the state's small towns, say rural Oklahomans who contend their economies were boosted by the blood sport.

``This will definitely be an economic punch to us down here,'' said Bill Savage of Kingston. ``Cockfights brought a lot of people and a lot of money here.''

Oklahoma's cockfighting season was supposed to kick off this weekend with a derby at the Texoma Game Club, but the contests became illegal as of Friday when the State Election Board certified the vote on State Question 687. Oklahomans approved the measure to ban cockfighting with 56 percent of Tuesday's vote.

Cockfighting is also popular in Hawaii where the sport has drawn heavy criticism from animal rights groups.

James Tally, president of the Oklahoma Gamefowl Breeders Association, said no cockfights took place in the state Saturday.

``If they did, it wasn't with my permission,'' Tally said. ``I hope there will be (cockfights) in the weeks to come, but none happened today.''

Nestled near Lake Texoma in the south-central part of the state, Kingston has a population of about 1,400.

Tim Palmer and his father, Victor Palmer, raised and fought roosters for the past two decades. The cockfighting ban puts a stop to a way of life for his family, said Tim Palmer, who sports a rooster tattoo on his left arm.

Victor Palmer sold most of the family's roosters in October, in anticipation of the ban.

Now, their 20-acre farm is strewn with rows of empty half barrels that once housed roosters. There are a few remaining young roosters on the mostly deserted farm.

Palmer said his 12-year-old son, Jacky Lee, spent many weekends helping him at cockfighting derbies.

``It is a hobby that my kids won't get to do,'' he said. ``It hurts me that Jacky Lee can't be a cockfighter.''

For others, the cockfighting ban is less about a lifestyle and more about business.

Many residents reap economic rewards during the summer as thousands of people flock to the community and enjoy water sports and fishing tournaments at nearby Texoma, but residents say business slows down as the weather turns colder.

``In the winter there are no tourists, and the cockfighting matches made up for that,'' said Savage who manages Kingston's Ace Hardware and Auto Supply.

Thousands of people flocked to Kingston from November through June to participate and watch the cockfights, and without those visitors his business will begin to decline, Savage said.

When Joy Strafford heard about the ban, she started making phone calls. Strafford, owner of J&J Kick'n Country bar and dance hall, was scheduled to host a party during the weekend of the yearly Christmas Cockfighting Derby in mid-December. With the ban, Strafford had to cancel the party.

``Cockfighting would bring in a lot of out-of-towners _ people from Mexico, Hawaii, people from all over would come,'' Strafford said.

Another local business owner, Denny Eakle said he is not sure how he is going to fill his Kingston motel this winter. Eakle and his wife, Jan, own Bob's Lake Country Motel.

``The chicken fights brought a lot of people into this area,'' Eakle said. ``It was mostly the spectators that stayed with us.''