Big Game Regulations

This includes Deer Archery, Elk Archery, Antelope Archery & Bear Archery seasons.

• Bow: Any compound bow of 30 pounds or more draw weight; any recurve, longbow or self-bow of 40 pounds or more draw weight. Hand-held releases are legal. Devices that permit a bow to be held mechanically at full or partial draw are allowed.
• Broadheads: Arrows and/or bolts must be fitted with hunting type points not less than 7/8 inches wide, including mechanical broad- heads meeting this width requirement when fully open.
• Crossbows: Minimum of 100 pounds draw weight and equipped with safety devices. Bolts must be a minimum of 14 inches in length. Leverage gaining devices are legal.
• Firearms Restrictions: Unless otherwise provided by state law, no person may carry or use any firearm in conjunction with archery equipment during any archery season. Hunters are allowed to carry both archery equipment and a muzzleloader during the muzzleloader season provided they have the appropriate licenses and follow other muzzleloader season regulations. Hunters also are allowed to carry both archery equipment and legal firearms during any modern gun season, again provided they have the appropriate licenses and follow other regulations to participate in those seasons.
• Illegal Devices: Laser sights (unless certified 100% disabled or legally blind), thermal tracking devices, and light enhancement devices (including nightscopes) from sunset to sunrise.

This includes Youth Deer Gun, Deer Gun, Youth Elk Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Elk Gun & Antelope Gun seasons.

• Rifles: Centerfire rifles firing at least a 55-grain weight soft-nosed or hollow-point bullet. There is no restriction on magazine capacity regardless of caliber.
• Shotguns: Any centerfire shotgun firing a single slug, are legal.
• Handguns: Any centerfire handgun firing a single bullet with at least a 55-grain weight.
• Archery: Equipment described as legal in the archery section.
• Muzzleloaders: Equipment as described as legal in the muzzleloader section.
• Arrow rifles: A device that fires an arrow or bolt solely by the use of unignited compressed gas as the propellant. Legal arrow rifles will maintain a minimum of 2000psi and have a visible pressure gauge to prove proper pressure. Legal arrows and bolts for deer shall be a minimum of 18 inches in length with fletching for stability and fitted with a broadhead hunting type point not less than 7/8 inches wide, including mechanical broadheads meeting these dimensions when fully open. Arrow rifles are only to be used during open rifle seasons and are not permitted during archery season. This permit can be found under specialty license at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com 
• Suppressors (Silencers): Hunters are allowed to use legally acquired and possessed suppressors on both private and public lands.
• Illegal devices: Fully automatic firearms, laser sights (unless certified 100% disabled or legally blind), thermal tracking devices, and light enhancement devices (including nightscopes) from sunset to sunrise.

This includes Deer Muzzleloader, Elk Muzzleloader & Bear Muzzleloader seasons.

Muzzleloading Rifles/Pistols: .40 caliber or larger, firing a single ball/bullet.

Muzzleloading Shotgun: 20 gauge or larger, firing a single slug.

• Unless otherwise provided by state law, no person shall carry or use any modern firearm in conjunction with any legal muzzleloading firearm during any muzzleloader season.
• Archery: Equipment described as legal in the archery section.
• Arrow Rifle: Refer to definition under gun.
• Illegal devices: Blackpowder firearms loaded from the breech, laser sights (unless certified 100% disabled or legally blind), thermal tracking devices, and all light enhancement devices (including nightscopes) from sunset to sunrise.

Seasons on public lands may vary from statewide seasons. Consult public hunting lands special regulations.

One-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset.

Hunters are allowed the use of a leashed dog to help locate downed game after notifying a game warden (message, email or call) with location and time. No person may have a means of take on their person while tracking with dogs.

Hunters are allowed to carry both archery equipment and a muzzleloader during the muzzleloader season provided they have the appropriate licenses and follow other muzzleloader season regulations. Hunters are allowed to carry both archery equipment and legal firearms during any modern gun season, provided they have the appropriate licenses and follow other regulations to participate in those seasons.

No person may dump the carcass of any dead animal in any well, spring, pond, or stream of water or leave it within 1/4 mile of any occupied dwelling or public highway without burying the carcass in an appropriate manner where it is not likely to become exposed through erosion of the soil or where such land is subject to overflow. Anyone transporting deer and/or elk carcasses or parts must abide by the regulations in each state in which they travel through.

No person shall import, transport, or possess any cervid carcass or part of a cervid carcass from outside the boundaries of Oklahoma. The following items are the only exceptions:

• Antlers or antlers attached to clean skull plate or cleaned skulls (all tissue removed);
• Animal quarters containing no spinal materials or meat with all parts of the spinal column removed;
• Cleaned teeth;
• Finished taxidermy products;
• Hides or tanned products.

All hunters (including lifetime license holders) who harvest a deer, elk, antelope, turkey or bear must immediately attach a field tag, securely to the carcass, with their name, customer ID number, and date and time of harvest.

A field tag can be any item, so long as the tag contains the required information. This tag must remain with the carcass to its final destination or through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.

In all cases prior to processing the carcass all deer, elk, antelope, bear and turkey must be checked within 24 hours of leaving the hunt area through the online E-Check system at GoOutdoorsOklahoma.com or the Go Outdoors Oklahoma mobile app, or with an authorized Department employee.

Once checked, the animal will be issued a carcass tag or an online confirmation number. This tag or number must remain with the carcass to its final destination or through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.

Deer and elk carcasses may be checked in quartered with sex organs naturally attached and head accompanying the carcass.

Antelope must have evidence of sex (head) remain with the carcass until the antelope is checked in.

Checking requirements for bear are listed on Bear Hunting Seasons.

(Daylight Fluorescent orange)

Hunter orange requirements apply to hunters hunting either public or private property.

All hunters participating in any antelope, bear, deer, or elk season using a firearm (muzzleloader or gun) must wear both a head covering and an outer garment above the waistline, both totaling at least 400 square inches of hunter orange that are clearly visible while in the field. Camouflage hunter orange is legal as long as there are at least 400 square inches of hunter orange.

Antelope, bear, deer or elk hunters using archery equipment during any antelope, bear, deer, or elk firearms (muzzleloader or gun) season in any open hunting area (zone, county, or area), this includes public lands closed to the firearm(s) season(s), must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline consisting of hunter orange. Camouflage hunter orange is legal.

All other hunters, including trappers, except those hunting waterfowl, crow, crane, or dove, or while hunting furbearing animals at night, must wear either a head covering or upper garment of hunter orange clothing while hunting during any antelope, bear, deer or elk firearms (muzzleloader or gun) season in any open hunting area (zone, county or area), this includes public lands closed to the firearm(s) season(s). Camouflage hunter orange is legal.

Deer hunters can view a list of deer processing sites. Many deer processors participate in the Hunters Against Hunger program, which allows hunters who legally harvest a deer during any deer season to donate the meat to feed hungry Oklahomans. With more opportunities to harvest antlerless deer this fall, the time has never been better to donate to the Hunters Against Hunger program.