Skip to main content

Public Hunting Areas: Special Regulations

In addition to general hunting regulations, statewide species regulations and Department-managed area rules, this section addresses special regulations that apply to public hunting lands.  If a species or season is not listed, refer to statewide seasons and regulations.

  • Areas are closed to all activities during controlled hunts and other listed closure dates.
  • Areas with controlled hunts are subject to change annually. Visit controlled hunts for information on applying for elk, antelope, deer, youth deer, deer hunts for Motor Vehicle or Non-Ambulatory Permittees, spring turkey and youth spring turkey controlled hunts.
  • The application period for controlled hunts generally opens early April.

2024 Public Hunting Area Map

CONSERVATION PASSPORT AREA: People who use Department-owned areas for nonhunting or nonfishing activities, such as bird-watching or photography, are required to have either a Wildlife Conservation Passport or any current hunting or fishing license issued by the Wildlife Department.

  = Conservation Passport Area

Tenkiller WMA

Cherokee, Sequoyah
Closed Seasons
Turkey Fall Gun
Same As Statewide Seasons
Deer Archery, Youth Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Snipe, Woodcock, Waterfowl, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey Fall Archery, Predator/Furbearer Calling, Trapping
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
  • Quail

Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season.

  • Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers

Closed from the opening day of deer archery season through the first nine days of deer gun season and closed during spring turkey season.

  • Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring

One-tom limit; seasons combined, area combined.

Additional Restrictions:

No camping allowed.

Texoma/Washita Arm WMA

Johnston
Same As Statewide Seasons
Deer Archery, Youth Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Turkey Fall Archery, Waterfowl
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
  • Quail, Snipe, Woodcock, Rabbit, Squirrel, Predator/Furbearer Calling, Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers

Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season.

  • Turkey Fall Gun

Tom only, shotgun only.

  • Trapping

Open to water sets, live box traps and enclosed trigger traps only.

  • Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring

One-tom limit; seasons combined.

Additional Restrictions:

Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas.

Thomas A. Bamberger Sr. WMA 

Adair
Closed Seasons
Turkey Fall Gun
Same As Statewide Seasons
Deer Archery, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Snipe, Woodcock, Waterfowl, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey Fall Archery, Predator/Furbearer Calling, Trapping
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
  • Youth Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun

Open South of Barren Fork Creek only.

  • Quail

Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season.

  • Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers

Closed from the opening day of deer archery season through the first nine days of deer gun season and closed during spring turkey season.

  • Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring

One-tom limit; seasons combined.

Additional Restrictions:

No camping allowed.

Three Rivers WMA

McCurtain, Pushmataha

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
Turkey Fall Gun
Same As Statewide Seasons
Bear Archery, Deer Archery, Youth Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Bear Muzzleloader, Deer Muzzleloader, Deer Gun, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Turkey Fall Archery, Predator/Furbearer Calling, Trapping
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.

Additional Restrictions:

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.

Thunderbird State Park

Cleveland

Hunting in designated areas only; contact Lake Thunderbird State Park for a map of designated areas.

You must purchase a parking pass for your vehicle. Visit the Lake Thunderbird park office during regular office hours, or purchase a pass online at www.TravelOK.com/state-parks.

ALL hunting seasons are closed unless otherwise specified below.

Same As Statewide Seasons
Deer Archery
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
  • Waterfowl

Open waterfowl seasons occurring between Sept. 8 and Feb. 15. Hunting hours close at 1 p.m. daily.

Tishomingo NWR

Johnston

Deer and turkey hunts are available as controlled hunts only.

Limited waterfowl hunting is available, please contact refuge headquarters at (580) 371-2402 for special regulations. All other seasons are closed.

Tishomingo WMU

Johnston

All hunters must sign-in and sign-out at the designated location(s) on the WMU. All shotgun hunting is restricted to federally approved nontoxic shot.

Closed Seasons
Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers, Trapping
Same As Statewide Seasons
Deer Archery, Youth Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Turkey Fall Archery
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
  • Turkey Fall Gun

Tom only, shotgun only.

  • Waterfowl

Hunting hours for waterfowl close at 1 p.m. daily.

  • Quail, Squirrel, Rabbit, Snipe, Woodcock, Predator/Furbearer Calling

Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season.

  • Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring

One-tom limit; seasons combined.

Additional Restrictions:

Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas.

Closed to all air-driven watercraft.

Vanderwork 

Washita

Open only from Sept. 1 through the end of spring turkey season each year. Deer hunting restricted to shotgun, muzzleloader, or archery only.

Closed Seasons
Trapping

Vincent 

Ellis

See special area regulations for Ellis County WMA.

Washita County WMA 

Washita
Closed Seasons
Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Youth Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Turkey Fall Gun
Same As Statewide Seasons
Deer Archery, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Snipe, Woodcock, Waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey Fall Archery, Pursuit with Hounds for Furbearers, Predator/Furbearer Calling
Seasons w/ Special Restrictions
  • Quail

Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season. Closed to non-resident hunting February 1-15.

  • Trapping

Open to water sets, live box traps and enclosed trigger traps only through Jan 31. Open same as statewide Feb 1 through end of February.

  • Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring

One-tom limit; seasons combined.Hunting Hours close at 7:00 p.m. daily.

Additional Restrictions:

No camping allowed.