Photo by Corey Miller
ODWC
ODWC
The most highly anticipated day of the year for roughly 160,000 hunters in Oklahoma arrives on Nov. 21 – the opener of the annual deer gun season. And just in time for that, the ODWC will be releasing its annual Rut Report with the most up-to-date status of deer rutting activity in different regions of the state. Don’t miss it! If you’re a subscriber to the ODWC’s Hunting Updates emails, you’ll find it in your inbox!
Deer Gun Season License Requirements
Licensing for the deer gun season in Oklahoma is simple. Check it out:
Oklahoma residents 18 and older will need a base hunting license ($36) and a deer gun season license ($36), unless exempt. Hunters can harvest the entire gun season limit of up to four deer (one can be antlered) along with two bonus antlerless deer during the holiday antlerless deer season. Antlerless zone limits apply. Check them out (scroll to “Antlerless Deer Zones”).
Nonresidents will need a nonresident annual hunting license ($209) unless exempt, and a nonresident deer gun license ($501), which allows the hunter to take the entire regular deer gun and holiday antlerless season bag limits (antlerless zone limits apply) — a total of six deer. Nonresident deer gun licenses purchased after the season has opened will be subject to a two-day validation period before being activated.
Residents younger than 18 require only the youth annual super hunting license ($26). Nonresidents younger than 18 require either a nonresident youth annual super hunting license ($151) or a nonresident five-day youth super hunting license ($76) to hunt in Oklahoma’s deer gun season. The two-day waiting period does not apply to nonresident youth super hunting licenses. The youth annual super hunting license also provides for a range of other hunting opportunities across Oklahoma.
Save the Date: Rack Madness 10th Anniversary
Hunters can bring their deer antlers to be measured at the ODWC’s 10th annual Rack Madness trophy scoring event March 2, 2027 at the ODWC headquarters in Oklahoma City. But this event is more than just a scoring opportunity; it’s a celebration of sound, science-based wildlife management and the hunters who help make it possible. Save the date, and learn more here.
Hunters in the Know … Take a Doe!
Harvesting a doe helps balance the herd’s buck-to-doe ratio. To learn about why this matters, check out the Wildlife Department’s antlerless deer hunting resources webpage. There you’ll also find information about antlerless deer hunting opportunities, recipes, and several deer hunting programs that benefit Oklahomans. Antlerless harvest matters for managing wildlife. But it also puts more meat in the freezer and opens the doors for more hunting opportunities with the people you love.
Fight Hunger in Oklahoma by Donating Your Deer
The Wildlife Department’s Hunters Against Hunger program provides thousands of pounds of hunter-donated venison to Oklahoma’s hungry. You can be a part by donating your deer to the Hunters Against Hunger program. Simply bring your deer to a participating processor, and be a part of the solution for feeding the hungry in Oklahoma.
Additionally, the Department offers its Deer Share program in order to help supplement hunters who want to help harvest more does and share that harvest with others. Through its Deer Share webpage, the Department helps coordinate hunters transferring their harvest to someone interested in obtaining fresh deer meat.
Several hunting seasons are currently open including deer and turkey archery, squirrel, rabbit, and more coming. Nov. 14 marks the opening day for quail and also ducks for Zones 1 and 2. Pheasant and certain furbearer seasons open Dec. 1. See more details in the current Fishing and Hunting Regulations, available online and in print. For tips and resources for hunting all species of game in Oklahoma, check out the Wildlife Department’s Hunting Resources webpage on wildlifedepartment.com.
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