Oklahoma’s fall hunting seasons are already underway as dove season opened Sept. 1, but hunting really kicks into gear in October with the start of the big game hunting seasons.
Deer hunting is by far the most popular big game species in Oklahoma. Deer can be found and hunted in every county in the state, but hunting seasons for black bear, antelope and elk also open Oct. 1.
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Last year, a record number of deer were killed by hunters in Oklahoma. There also was an increased participation in hunting, largely attributed to COVID-19 as the outdoors became one of the few the safe places to recreate.
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Here is a glance at the upcoming major hunting seasons in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma deer archery season opens Oct. 1
Archery deer season opens Oct. 1 and runs through Jan. 15. More deer hunters are going into the field with traditional, compound or crossbows than ever before.
The last two archery seasons have been record-setters for the number of deer checked in by hunters.
Two seasons ago, 30,748 deer were killed by bow hunters and last season that number increased to 35,337.
State wildlife officials also estimated a new high in the number of people bow hunting, estimating that 141,472 hunters chased deer in 2020-21 with some form of archery gear.
The youth deer gun weekend will be Oct. 15 to Oct. 17. Oklahoma’s primitive or muzzleloader season opens Oct. 23 and runs through Oct. 31.
The most popular hunting season, the deer gun season, opens Nov. 20 and runs through Dec. 5. The holiday antlerless season opens Dec 18 and runs through Dec. 31
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An estimated 215,548 hunters participated in the 2020-2021 deer gun season. Hunters last season took 73,542 deer with a modern firearm — including the holiday antlerless season and youth season — for a new record.
Overall, a total of 126,290 deer were killed during the 2020-21 hunting seasons, the most ever in Oklahoma.
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Oklahoma elk archery season opens Oct. 2
The elk hunting seasons run concurrently with the deer hunting season dates, except there are special elk seasons in southwest Oklahoma around the Wichita Mountains.
In the special southwest hunting zones, archery season for elk is open Oct. 2 through Oct. 6 and Dec. 4 through Dec. 8.
Gun season is open Oct. 7 through Oct. 10, and Dec. 9 through Dec. 12. Antlerless elk hunting only is open Nov. 20 through Dec. 5 and Jan. 1 through Jan. 31.
Oklahoma hunters bagged a total of 559 elk last season.
Oklahoma pronghorn antelope season opens Oct. 1
An archery season for pronghorn antelope opens in the Panhandle on Oct. 1 and runs through Oct. 14.
Oklahoma’s pronghorn herd is small compared with what is found in other western states, and hunting opportunities are limited. They are only available through an over-the-counter archery license, once-in-a-lifetime controlled hunt permit, and landowner drawn permits.
Hunters last season managed to take 169 pronghorns from the open hunting area of Cimarron County and the portion of Texas County west of SH 136. Only 36 were taken by hunters who bought their license over the counter.
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Oklahoma black bear season opens Oct. 1
Oklahoma’s black bear archery season in southeast Oklahoma opens Oct. 1 and runs through Oct. 17. A bear muzzleloader season follows from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31, although the large percentage of bears are always taken by hunters during the archery season.
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Of the 72 bears killed by hunters last season, bow hunters accounted for 68 bears (41 males and 27 females).
Bear hunting is open in Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain, Pushmataha, Haskell and Choctaw counties along with portions of Bryan, Atoka, Pittsburg, McIntosh, Muskogee and Sequoyah counties.
Bear hunting licenses must be bought by Sept. 30.
Oklahoma duck hunting season opens Oct. 9 for Panhandle counties, Nov. 13 for others
Duck hunting opens in the Panhandle counties on Oct. 9 and runs through Jan. 5.
Duck hunting in the rest of the state, defined as duck hunting zones one and two, will open Nov. 13 and go through Nov. 28. The season will then close and reopen on Dec. 4 and runs through Jan. 30.
For geese, the season opens Nov. 6 and runs through Nov. 28, then reopens Dec. 4 and goes through Feb. 13, except for white-fronted geese. The season will close on Feb. 6 for white-fronted geese.
Sandhill cranes, often referred to as the ribeye in the sky, can be hunted from Oct. 23 through Jan. 23.
Oklahoma quail and pheasant season opens Nov. 13
Quail hunting is open from Nov. 13 through Feb. 15, although the forecast is for another poor to fair year for quail reproduction. Pheasant season is open from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31.
Oklahoma furbearer season opens Dec. 1
The trapping and hunting season for bobcats, badgers, gray fox, red fox, mink, muskrat, opossum, river otters and weasels is Dec. 1 through Feb. 28.
Oklahoma turkey season opens Oct. 1
All Oklahoma counties are open for fall turkey archery season from Oct. 1 through Jan. 15. Gun season is open in most of the state from Oct. 30 through Nov. 19, but closed in some counties.
Hunters may kill just one tom turkey during the fall turkey seasons, regardless of method of take.
Oklahoma rabbit season opens Oct. 1
Rabbit season is open from Oct. 1 through March 15.
Source: https://t-tees.com
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