Page 38 - 2022/2023 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations

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BIG GAME REGULATIONS
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from outside the boundaries of Oklahoma. The Checking Requirements
following items are the only exceptions:
In all cases prior to processing the carcass DEER PROCESSORS
all deer, elk, antelope, bear and turkey must
• Antlers or antlers attached to clean skull plate be checked within 24 hours of leaving the hunt Deer hunters can find a list of deer pro-
or cleaned skulls (all tissue removed); area through the online E-Check system at cessing sites online at wildlifedepartment.
• Animal quarters containing no spinal materials wildlifedepartment.com or the Go Outdoors com. Many deer processors participate
or meat with all parts of the spinal column Oklahoma mobile app, or with an authorized in the Hunters Against Hunger program,
removed; Department employee. which allows hunters who legally harvest a
• Cleaned teeth; Once checked, the animal will be issued a deer during any deer season to donate the
• Finished taxidermy products; carcass tag or an online confirmation number. meat to feed hungry Oklahomans. With
• Hides or tanned products. more opportunities to harvest antlerless
This tag or number must remain with the carcass
to its final destination or through processing and/ deer this fall, the time has never been
Field Tagging or storage at commercial processing or storage better to donate to the Hunters Against
Requirements facilities. Hunger program.
Deer and elk carcasses may be checked in
All hunters (including lifetime license holders) quartered with sex organs naturally attached and
who harvest a deer, elk, antelope, turkey or bear head accompanying the carcass.
must immediately attach a field tag, securely to Antelope must have evidence of sex (head)
the carcass, with their name, customer ID number, remain with the carcass until the antelope is
and date and time of harvest. checked in.
A field tag can be any item, so long as the tag Checking requirements for bear are listed on
contains the required information. This tag must page 41.
remain with the carcass to its final destination or
through processing and/or storage at commercial
processing or storage facilities.
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DEER For requirements on hunter orange, legal means of taking, public lands, shooting hours, carcass disposal, more than one method
of take in the field, tracking with dogs, field tagging and checking requirements, see Big Game Regulations on pages 56 and 57.
Combined Season Limit Unfilled Deer Licenses deer archery license (Jan. 1-15) may be used the
• Six: no more than two may be antlered. Unfilled resident and nonresident deer li- following fall season.
censes are not valid for any other deer season.
For example: an unfilled deer muzzleloader Nonresident Youth (unless exempt):
This includes deer archery, youth deer gun,
deer muzzleloader and deer gun seasons. license is not valid for the deer gun or holiday
Deer taken during Jan. 1-15, 2023, count to- antlerless deer gun seasons. • Nonresident Youth Deer Either Sex License
ward the 2022 combined season limit. Unfilled resident youth deer gun licenses are (exempt from nonresident hunting license)
Deer taken during controlled hunts or dur- valid for deer gun and holiday antlerless deer gun for that particular season for each deer
ing the holiday antlerless deer gun season do seasons. Antlered youth deer gun licenses are hunted, or
not count toward the combined season limit. not valid for holiday antlerless deer gun season.
• Nonresident Youth Deer Antlerless License
Antlered Deer Definition License Requirements (exempt from nonresident hunting license)
for that particular season for each deer
Any deer, regardless of sex, with at least Hunters must be in possession of all hunted, or
three inches of antler length above the natural appropriate licenses before hunting a deer.
hairline on either side. Hunters using an air-powered arrow rifle • Nonresident Deer License (exempt from non-
must purchase a one-time Arrow Rifle Permit. resident hunting license) for that particular
Tracking Devices Youth Resident (unless exempt): season or a resident lifetime hunting or com-
Telemetric radio tracking devices for deer bination hunting/fishing license.
hunting are legal. However, thermal tracking • Resident youths under 16 years of age must
devices are illegal. possess a resident youth deer license for that Nonresident (unless exempt):
particular season for each deer hunted. • Nonresident Deer License (exempt from non-
Antlerless Deer Zones • Resident youths 16 and 17 years of age must resident hunting license) for that particular
Antlerless deer may only be harvested dur- possess a resident youth hunting license and season or a resident lifetime hunting or com-
a resident youth deer license for that particu-
ing firearm seasons on specified days and in lar season for each deer hunted. bination hunting/fishing license.
zones open to antlerless harvest (see page 37
for Antlerless Deer Zones). Jan. 1-15: must be in possession of a resident Season Dates & Bag Limits
Unfilled Antlered hunting license and a resident deer archery
license for the current calendar year. Unfilled Deer Archery
Deer Licenses deer archery license (Jan. 1-15) may be used the • Oct. 1, 2022 - Jan. 15, 2023
An unfilled deer antlered license may be used following fall season. • Six: no more than two may be antlered. All
deer taken during the deer archery season
to harvest an antlerless deer on the last day of that Resident (unless exempt): count toward the hunter’s combined season
deer season in zones open to antlerless harvest. limit of six deer.
Hunters must still comply with the limit • Resident Hunting License, and
restriction of no more than four antlerless deer • Resident Deer License for that particular Youth Deer Gun
during the deer muzzleloader and/or gun sea- season for each deer hunted. • Oct. 14-16
sons (see page 37 for Antlerless Deer Zones).
• Two: no more than one may be antlered.
Jan. 1-15: must be in possession of a resident Harvest of antlerless mule deer is prohib-
hunting license and a resident deer archery ited. All deer taken during the youth deer
license for the current calendar year. Unfilled gun season are included in the hunter’s
36 2022-2023 OKLAHOMA FISHING & HUNTING REGULATIONS