Gun season for deer starts on Saturday

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Oklahoma’s statewide deer gun season opens Saturday and area Game Warden Jacob Harriett predicts, “It’s going to be a good one.”

Harriett, assigned to Lincoln County who also assists in Pottawatomie County, said earlier this week, “Bucks are moving really well. Lots of big bucks are chasing does. Some does are being chased and trailed by five or six bucks,” he noted.

“It’s the time to be in the woods right now,” Harriet thinks.

The 16-day gun deer season that begins Saturday runs through Sunday, Dec. 6.

Legal shooting hours are one-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset, according to Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation hunting rules and regulations.

The combined season limit is six deer and only two may be antlered. This includes deer archery, youth deer gun, muzzleloader and deer gun seasons.

Harriett mentioned, “There was a lot of activity during the muzzleloader season.

“Several good bucks have been harvested in Pottawatomie and Lincoln Counties.

“It’s been pretty impressive the number of hunters out so far in both the archery and muzzleloader seasons,” he believes.

While the muzzleloader season ended Nov. 1, the archery season runs through Jan. 15. 2021.

“I’ve checked a lot of hunters,” Harriett said. “Most of them have been in compliance. There’s been a few with minor issues, but no major issues.

“Bucks are rutting hard right now. Some of the bigger bucks are locked down with does, but I’ve seen lots of chasing.”

“There is a bumper crop of acorns,” he said. “I’ve never seen so many acorns. It’s an impressive year. So the deer don’t need the corn as much. Acorns are a big part of their diet, so that’s why some people aren’t seeing them on their game cameras around corn.”

Also, persimmons are abundant. “They’ve been really good as well,” Harriet commented.

He pointed out, “I’ve seen a bunch of twins and that’s a sign of good resources for them.”

Harriett said the first really cool morning he received five calls on deer road kills.

“There were some pretty good bucks killed and also there was one hit by a train near McLoud,” he added.

“I encourage people to get out and hunt. We’ve had a great year for big deer and have had several giants killed already. I have seen a bunch of good ones on the hoods of vehicles,” Harriett said.

State Game Warden Mike France, who is assigned to Pottawatomie County and also assists in Lincoln County, said earlier in the fall, “Add the antlerless holiday season where you can shoot two does, you can harvest a total of eight deer, only two of which are antlered.”

Harriet stressed during an earlier interview “does are out of control. They need to be harvested. The holiday antlerless season has been expanded four days.”

France said during the rifle deer season the antlerless harvest has been expanded by zone areas. He advises deer hunters to check the hunting regulations to see the various zones.

In efforts to prevent Chronic Wasting in the state’s deer population, there is a new regulation regarding importation of Cervid Carcasses or Carcass parts into Oklahoma.

“If it’s a deer skull, all tissue and brain matter must be removed before bringing it across state lines,” France explained, “and no spinal cord is permitted at all.

“Read Page 42 of the regulations or call your local game warden,” he suggests.

France said this is the first time for Oklahoma to have such a regulation. “The western states have been doing this for years,” he added.

France also had said, “there are lots of deer everywhere.”

With that, opportunities to harvest deer, especially does, have been expanded.