Bear - Archery & Muzzleloader
Harvest Quota
The Wildlife Commission has set the 2009 harvest quota at 20 bears. The hunting season(s) listed below will be open until 20 bears have been harvested or the season(s) end. Hunters must check, by phone or online, before hunting each day to see if the quota has been reached. After the quota has been reached, the season has closed.
To check the status of the harvest quota, call 1 (888) 901-3256 or visit wildlifedepartment.com.
License Requirements
Residents: Must possess a hunting license or proof of exemption. In addition, resident bear hunters must possess a bear license.Lifetime License holders are not exempt from the purchase of a bear license.
Nonresidents: Nonresident bear hunters are exempt from a hunting license while hunting bear but must possess a nonresident bear license.
Lifetime License holders are not exempt from the purchase of a bear license.
License Purchasing Deadlines: Bear licenses for the archery season must be purchased prior to Oct. 1, 2009. No bear licenses will be sold after this date for the archery season. An unfilled bear license from the archery season is valid for muzzleloader season.
Bear licenses for the muzzleloader season must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. Oct. 23, 2009. No bear licenses will be sold after Oct. 23.
Dates & Open Areas
Archery: Oct. 1 - 23, 2009; only in Latimer,
Le Flore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties.
Muzzleloader: Oct. 24 - Nov. 1, 2009; only in Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties.
Public Lands
Seasons on public lands may vary from statewide seasons.
Combined Season Limit
One (1) bear, regardless of season hunted.
Shooting Hours
One-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset.
Prohibited Activities
No baiting is allowed on wildlife management areas. Shooting of cubs or females with cubs is prohibited. No den shooting of bears. Pursuing bears with dogs is prohibited.
Field Tagging
Upon harvesting a bear, all hunters must immediately attach their name and hunting license number securely to the carcass and complete the "Record of Game" section on the license form.
The attached item can be anything, as long as it contains the hunter’s name and license number. This information must remain attached to the carcass until it is checked.
Checking
Upon harvesting a bear, all hunters must call Joe Hemphill, Southeast Region Supervisor at (580) 421-7226 or page him at (405) 218-1925; or call Jeff Ford, Biologist at (918) 527-9918 or page him at (405) 218-1922.
The carcass will be checked and a carcass tag issued. The carcass tag must remain with the carcass to its final destination or through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.
The head must remain attached to the carcass until the bear is checked. Evidence of sex must not be removed from the carcass until it has been checked with a Department employee. However, the bear may be quartered.
Legal Means of Taking
Archery: Equipment described as legal for deer archery season.
Muzzleloader: Equipment described as legal for deer muzzleloader season.
Hunter Orange
Bear hunters using archery equipment during the youth deer gun or deer muzzleloader seasons must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline consisting of hunter orange. Camouflage hunter orange is legal.Bear hunters using a muzzleloader must conspicuously wear both a head covering and an outer garment above the waistline both consisting of hunter-orange color totaling at least 400 square inches. Camouflage hunter orange is legal.