The most popular of the archery hunting seasons is for deer, with a record 113,000 hunters going afield in 2019-20. Those hunters took home a record 30,748 deer. This year, the Department is bringing back an important reminder to help bring the statewide herd sex ratios into balance: Hunters in the Know … Take a Doe! By doing his or her part to increase overall antlerless harvest, each hunter will contribute to the Department’s deer management goals and will enhance deer herd health and hunting in the future.

Hunters should see plenty of deer and get some good chances for harvest this year. Scouting ahead of the hunt can help pattern deer movement. With mild and damp conditions over much of the state, habitat is in good shape, too. This can make good visibility an issue. Most forested areas have thick undergrowth, and many prairies are covered in native grasses reaching five feet high. It’s more important than ever for hunters to positively identify targets before deciding to take a shot.

Bowhunters won’t see a change in regulations for deer archery harvest. Archery season is open statewide, with a season limit of six deer, no more than two of which may be antlered. Deer taken during archery season count toward a hunter's combined season limit of six deer.

New this year: Regulations on some public hunting lands have been changed to mirror statewide regulations; and rules are now in effect statewide regarding importation of cervid carcasses and carcass parts into Oklahoma from other states.

Photo courtesy ODWC