Hunting
hunting in oklahoma
WHITE TAIL DEER TIME LINE IN OKLAHOMA
White-tailed Deer Timeline in Oklahoma
1900 – Market/subsistence hunting and unregulated harvest eliminate nearly all deer from the state.
1917 – Total statewide deer population estimated at 500 animals. Legislature bans deer harvest.
1933 – First regulated deer season (5 days) is held. Hunt is restricted to seven southeast counties and results in the harvest of 235 bucks.
1943 – Deer restoration program started with the trap and transplant of 22 deer.
1946 – First archery season (1 day) held. No deer harvested.
1949 – Fourth archery season (5 days) results in the 1st buck taken by bow and arrow during a regulated season.
1954 – First statewide gun deer season (5 days) results in harvest of 1,487 bucks.
1969 – First primitive firearms season (3 days) held. Hunt restricted to part of LeFlore County. Two deer harvested.
1970 – Statewide 16-day deer gun season. Total harvest of 6,882 bucks.
1972 –Nine-day deer gun season with all open counties and special two-day antlerless season. Total harvest 7,670 deer.
1976 – Department begins broadscale antlerless harvest in 19 counties by issuing antlerless permits by special drawing. Total harvest 11,548 – 26 percent does.
1982 – Antlerless permit system deemed unpopular due to perceived inequities, and replaced by antlerless days available to all hunters. Total harvest 19, 255 – 23 percent does.
1990 – Statewide deer population estimated at 250,000 deer. Total harvest 44,070 deer – 24 percent does.
1999 – Statewide deer population estimated at 425,000 deer. Total harvest yields 82,500 deer – 36 percent does.
2000 – Deer population levels spawn a multitude of stakeholder desires and management possibilities. For the first time deer harvest numbers tops 100,000.
2001 - First Special Antlerless season is held in December and expanded deer archery season in January.
2003 - First statewide youth antlerless deer gun season is held in October and yields 2,285 deer.
2003 - Gun deer season extended to 16 days statewide. Total harvest is 100,602 - 43% does.
2004 - Statewide deer population estimated at 475,000 deer. Bowhunters set new harvest record with 14,639 deer taken. Statewide harvest is 94,689 - 40% does.
2005 - Statewide harvest is 101,111 including 40% does. The number of counties that recorded more than 1,000 deer harvested