Page 4 - 2020 November/December Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine
P. 4
Off the Beaten Path
Off the Beaten Path
NOT ES ON WILDLIFE • OU T DOOR TI PS • R EA DERS’ LET T ERS • EN V I RON MEN TA L NEWS
C OM PILED BY DON P. BROW N
NEW RULES AIM TO BOOST ANTLERLESS DEER HARVEST
New regulations are in place antlerless harvest is between 40
for this year’s deer seasons percent and 45 percent. There
that allow more open days wAYnE D. LEwIS/CoUrTESY are several benefits to more
for hunting and more liberal antlerless deer harvest, and the
bag limits for antlerless white- most notable is a more even
tailed deer. buck-to-doe ratio. Health-
With the antlerless deer ier deer, better hunting and
harvest trending downward in better antler development all
recent years, Wildlife Depart- begin with a more even buck-
ment biologists proposed the to-doe ratio.
changes that they hope will The new regulations affect
result in a more balanced antlerless harvest in all 10 of
buck-to-doe ratio in the state’s the state’s antlerless deer man-
deer population. It’s again agement zones. Here is a sum-
time for “Hunters in the Know mary of the changes by zone:
… Take a Doe!” • Zone 1: Increases the
For harvest of bucks, or ant- number of antlerless har-
lered deer, the regulations and vest days to 16 for deer
bag limits haven’t changed gun season.
from 2019-20. Also, the total
bag for all seasons combined • Zones 2, 7 and 8: Increas-
remains six deer, with no more es antlerless deer bag
than two antlered deer. limit to four for deer gun
However, hunters who par- and deer muzzleloader
ticipate in the Holiday Ant- seasons; increases Hol-
lerless Deer Gun Season may iday Antlerless Deer
harvest two bonus antlerless Gun Season to 14 days;
deer that do not count toward Deer hunters in Oklahoma have increased opportunities to harvest increases antlerless deer
the seasonal bag limit. This antlerless deer this year during the various hunting seasons. Biologists bag limit to two for Holi-
gives hunters the opportunity hope the more liberal rules will increase antlerless harvest and improve day Antlerless Deer Gun
to take eight deer total in the the overall buck-to-doe ratio throughout the state. Season.
various seasons combined across most of the state. And in • Zones 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9: Increases antlerless deer bag limit to
locations where deer overpopulation is an issue, landowners two for deer gun and deer muzzleloader seasons; increases
can request special harvest permits from the Wildlife Depart- Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun Season to 14 days; increases
ment, which are also bonus deer and do not count toward the antlerless deer bag limit to two for Holiday Antlerless Deer
seasonal bag limit of six. Gun Season.
Antlerless harvest as a percentage of total deer harvest declined
from 42 percent in 2014 to 36 percent in 2018. Biologists’ goal for • Zone 10: Increases the number of antlerless harvest days
to 16 for deer gun season.
H UNTERS IN THE KNOW ... TAKE A DOE!
SMART HUNTERS KNOW ANTLERLESS HARVEST MEANS BETTER WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
2 Off the Beaten Path
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OutdoorOK-2020-November-December.indd 2 10/16/20 9:00 AM
