Oklahoma

Oklahoma is one of the premier whitetail states in the southern plains, offering affordable over-the-counter tags, long seasons, and diverse hunting terrain.

Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) manages deer across the Cross Timbers, the oak-hickory forests of the Ouachita Mountains in the southeast, and the agricultural river valleys of the northwest. The late-October muzzleloader and November 16-day rifle seasons coincide with peak rutting activity, generating high success rates on heavy mature bucks.

Oklahoma offers rare and coveted wild elk hunts through public lottery drawings on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Cookson Hills WMA, and private land zones in southwest Oklahoma.

Bulls roam granite peaks and oak scrub savannas, growing large antler racks in this unique southern plains refuge setting.

The open shortgrass prairie of the Oklahoma Panhandle (Cimarron and Texas counties) supports a healthy pronghorn population. ODWC conducts a controlled hunt draw for firearms while offering over-the-counter archery permits.

In the remote, heavily forested Ouachita Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma (LeFlore, Latimer, Pushmataha, and McCurtain counties), ODWC offers an exciting black bear season.

Hunters utilize archery and muzzleloader equipment near natural oak mast and wild berry thickets, governed by a strict female harvest quota that closes the season once achieved.

Feral hogs are widespread across Oklahoma's river bottoms and rangelands. Hogs may be hunted year-round on private land with landowner permission and no bag limits.