October Brings In Three Hunting Seasons

Email to a Friend  Print this Article

The month of October means hunting, as evidenced by the Oct. 1 openers for deer archery, turkey fall archery and rabbit seasons in Oklahoma.
           

This year’s archery season will see some changes from previous years, particularly in the last 15 days of the season (Jan. 1-15) when harvest will no longer be limited to antlerless deer. Additionally, hunters will enjoy an increased archery season limit of six deer, of which two may be bucks.
           

Archery season in Oklahoma runs from Oct. 1-Jan. 15. Resident archery deer hunters must possess an Oklahoma hunting license, a fishing and hunting legacy permit and a deer archery license for each deer hunted or proof of exemption. All resident youth hunters under 18 years old may purchase a $10 youth deer archery license, and resident youth 16 or 17 years old must also purchase a hunting license, unless exempt.
           

Nonresident archery deer hunters are exempt from a hunting license, but they must possess a nonresident deer archery license for each deer hunted as well as a fishing and hunting legacy permit or proof of exemption. Nonresident lifetime license hunters are not exempt from purchasing deer licenses.
           

Upon harvesting a deer, all annual license holders are required to complete the “Record of Game” section on the license form. In addition, all hunters, including lifetime license holders, must immediately attach their name and hunting license number to the animal. The attached item can be anything, such as a business card, that will remain secure to the animal until checked at the nearest hunter check station.
           

All hunters who harvest a deer must check in their animal at the nearest open hunter check station or with an authorized Wildlife Department employee. A county-by-county listing of hunter check stations is available in the “2008-09 Oklahoma Hunting Guide” or at wildlifedepartment.com.
           

The archery deer season limit is six deer, of which no more than two may be antlered deer. Deer harvested during the archery season are included in the hunter’s combined season limit of no more than six deer, of which two may be antlered deer.
           

The turkey fall archery season runs Oct. 1-Jan. 15 as well. Hunters can harvest one bird, but it can be either a tom or a hen. Turkey fall archery season is the only time when a hen may be harvested, offering a unique opportunity for hunters. Fall archery turkey hunters must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline that consists of hunter orange when hunting during any deer season that requires hunters to wear hunter orange.
           

Rabbit hunters have it good in Oklahoma, with a long season spanning Oct. 1, 2008-March 15, 2009 and a generous daily limit of 10 cottontail rabbits, three swamp rabbits and three jackrabbits. In Cimarron, Texas and Beaver counties, the limit on jackrabbit is 10 daily, and jackrabbits may only be harvested west of 1-35.
           

For more information about hunting seasons in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com

Reader Comments

Would you like to comment?

Sign up for a free account, or sign in (if you're already a member).