BRYAN COUNTY, Okla. (KTEN) -- While Oklahoma was among the last states to outlaw cockfighting, the criminal activity endures today.

After a 2019 study, Animal Wellness Action classified Oklahoma as the cockfighting capital of the United States, primarily the southeastern region.

"Cockfighting is rampant in Oklahoma," said AWA president Wayne Pacelle. "There are game fowl farms peppering the southeast of Oklahoma as well as in other parts of the state."

Among the hot spots: An alleged ring busted by the Bryan County Sheriff's Office in late February. It featured a makeshift arena complete with bleachers, concession stands, and what authorities are calling a "pit" where the birds would compete.

"It's beyond imaginable all the crime that is associated with these illegal gaming rings and these illegal cockfighting rings," said Bryan County Undersheriff Joey Tucker.

"It is a crime to raise and possess animals for fighting," Pacelle added. "It is also a crime to ship them to other jurisdictions. We have evidence of all of that occurring in Oklahoma, concentrated in southeast Oklahoma."

Oklahoma made cockfighting illegal in 2003, yet many cockfighting rings and breeders remain. The sheriff's office says it can be hard to end the underground activity.

"We have always heard information that a ring may be going on here in this county but all of our efforts to gain information on that have led to nowhere," Tucker said.  "Luckily that night we were in the right place at the right time, and was able to stop this from occurring again."

February 27, 2021 changed everything around for the sheriff's office thanks to their major bust on Chestnut Lane near Allison. The AWA is applauding the Bryan County Sheriff's Office for putting a stop to a major cockfighting ring.

"Because animal cruelty matters," Pacelle said. "Cockfighting is barbaric; it's often associated with other criminal activities. It should not be tolerated." 

The sheriff's office says more than 300 people will have warrants by the end of the investigation. And the alleged participants come not only from Bryan County and Oklahoma, but from other parts of the country including California, Mississippi, and Arkansas.

"I think people will know not to come to Bryan County and bring their fighting roosters," Tucker said.

The Bryan County Sheriff's Office said they hope to have the warrant list for those involved out sometime next week. Anyone convicted of cockfighting faces felony charges and penalties.

Editor's note: This story was changed to reflect the fact that Louisiana was the final state to ban cockfighting in 2007.