Contacts
Three Rivers WMA covers 185,199 acres, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties in southeast Oklahoma. Located north of Hwy. 3/7 and west of Hwy. 259 (north of Broken Bow), Three Rivers WMA is a mixture of pine and hardwood forests. East of Broken Bow approximately 10 miles and south of Hwy 70 (Eagletown), there are four entrances off of Hwy 70 east of Broken Bow.
Loblolly pine plantations of various age classes predominate the majority of the WMA. Interspersed within the pine plantations are hardwood benches and streamside management zones dominated by oaks and hickories. The Glover River runs through the WMA.
The land within the Honobia Creek and Three Rivers WMAs is owned by private timber companies and requires an annual land access permit ($100) for all residents and nonresidents who hunt or fish on the WMAs.
Nonresidents are required to purchase a $200 annual permit, with no exemptions.
Oklahoma residents under 18 years of age on the first day of the current calendar year or 64 years of age or older are exempt from permit requirements.
From the Highway 259 and Highway 3 intersection in Broken Bow, OK travel north on Highway 259 for 16 miles or travel west on Highway 3 for 11 miles. 2 entrances exist off HWY 3 and 10 exist off HWY 259.
- Quail: Present in moderate to good numbers.
- Bear: Present in good numbers.
- Deer: Present in great numbers.
- Turkey: Present in good numbers
- Rabbit: Both cottontails and swamp rabbits are present with cottontails being more common.
- Squirrel: Fox and gray squirrels are present in good numbers.
- Furbearers: Coyote, bobcat, opossum, gray fox, beaver, and raccoon are available.
- Dove: Present in great numbers.
- Waterfowl: May be present in low numbers along the creeks and rivers.
- Bald Eagle: Eagles winter at Broken Bow Lake and are occasional visitors along rivers and creeks throughout Three Rivers WMA.
- American Alligator: Alligators are present in very low numbers in McCurtain County and are occasionally observed on Three Rivers WMA.
Three walk-in-only turkey hunting areas offer hunters an opportunity to hunt free from vehicular disturbance. Two non-ambulatory areas are offered for hunters. Management efforts focus on preserving hardwood stands and maintaining travel corridors during clear-cutting. Select roads are closed and managed as linear forest openings. Small agricultural food plots are planted annually.
No designated camping areas exist, but primitive camping is allowed no more than 50yds off an open road during open WMA hunting seasons on Three Rivers. Lodging and restaurants are available in Hochatown and Broken Bow.
Fishing opportunities exist for sunfish, bass and channel catfish on some small ponds throughout the WMA. The pristine Glover River bisects the WMA and is one of the last free-flowing streams in the state. Smallmouth bass and sunfish pursued with light spinning tackle or fly fishing tackle can be very effective.
A Land Access Permit is required for residents to hunt, fish or otherwise use Three Rivers WMA. Nonresidents are required to purchase an annual permit, no exemptions.
A 3-day special use land access permit is available to residents for non-hunting and non-fishing related activities. Individuals who possess the annual land access permit are exempt from the special use permit.
Oklahoma residents who are under 18 years of age on the first day of the current calendar year or are 64 years old or older are exempt from land access permit requirements. Lifetime license holders are not exempt from land access permits.
Closed Seasons
Same As Statewide Seasons
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
- Quail, Snipe, Woodcock, Waterfowl, Rabbit, Squirrel
Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season.
- Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers
Dogs not permitted on WMA from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset during deer gun, deer muzzleloader, antlerless holiday deer gun, and youth deer gun seasons.
- Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring
One-tom limit; seasons combined.
Hunter and angler camping is allowed within 50 yards of open roads during open WMA hunting seasons.
ATV use will only be allowed during deer season (Oct. 1 – Jan. 15) and only by licensed deer hunters. The following guidelines will apply to ATV use on the area:
Any hunter who operates an ATV/ORV at any time must comply with daylight fluorescent orange requirements as required for deer gun seasons. If a crash helmet is worn, only the fluorescent orange chest covering is required.
ATV/ORV use is restricted to WMA roads that are on the current Three Rivers WMA map unless otherwise closed.
ATV/ORV use shall be restricted to a maximum speed of 25 miles per hour.
ATV/ORV operators and passengers under the age of 18 must wear a crash helmet that complies with standards established by 49 C.F.R., Section 571.218.
Passengers in addition to the operator are not allowed on ATV/ORVs unless that ATV/ORV has been specifically designed by the manufacturer to carry passengers in addition to the operator.
Leaving any ATV/ORV unattended on Three Rivers WMA without the owner’s name and Customer ID number conspicuously attached is prohibited.
Use of ATV/ORVs off of delineated roads for retrieval of lawfully taken and tagged deer is permissible only with the following restrictions:
ATV/ORVs cannot travel more than one half mile from the nearest road.
ATV/ORVs cannot cross rivers and streams unless on a road with constructed stream crossing structures.
ATV/ORVs used for deer retrieval cannot be used in areas otherwise closed to the use of motor vehicles.
Kiamichi Country Tourism
1-800-722-8180
Broken Bow Chamber of Commerce
1134 W Martin Luther King Jr,
Broken Bow 74728
(580) 584-3393 or (800) 528-7337
www.brokenbowchamber.com
Clayton
PO Box 279, Dept KC03
Clayton 74536
(918) 569-4135
Hugo Area Chamber of Commerce
200 South Broadway
Hugo OK 74743
(580) 326-7511
www.hugochamber.org
Email: hugo-chamber@sbcglobal.net
Idabel Chamber of Commerce
13 North Central, Idabel 74745
(580) 286-3305
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department
Post Office Box 52002
Oklahoma City, OK 73152-2002
(800) 652-6552 or (405) 521-2409
www.travelok.com
Talihina Chamber of Commerce and Ouachita National Forest Interpretive Association
900 Second St, Suite 12, Dept. 03,
Talihina, OK 74571
(918) 567-3434
www.talihinacc.com
Email: vera@talihinacc.com
Venison: It's What's For Dinner!
There are numerous reasons to go deer hunting: the adventure, the tradition, the opportunity to connect with nature, and the nutritious meat it provides. With grocery prices on the rise, I'm especially eager to fill my freezer with deer meat this year. As a family of four, having nutritious, self-harvested meat gives me peace of mind knowing we're eating healthy and saving money. This led me to explore the health benefits of deer meat. Below is what I discovered. I hope it encourages you to enjoy the outdoors, harvest venison, and prepare it this season!
