After three-and-a-half months, you would think we'd have all had enough deer hunting for one season. Yet this time of year, there's often a longing for those early mornings, the camaraderie with hunting buddies, the anticipation of what might come into view during one of those long sits in the stand. And while there's only 200+ days until deer season rolls back around, you might be looking for something to scratch the outdoor itch. We've got a couple things to suggest.
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1/7: Save the date for Rack Madness
Rack Madness is the Wildlife Department's free scoring event, slated this year for March 5 at the agency's headquarters in Oklahoma City. You can bring your deer and elk antlers, antelope horns, or bear skulls to be professionally scored by ODWC personnel, and visit with hunters from all over Oklahoma who love deer as much as you.
The event runs from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and is family-friendly, offering activities for all ages and even hourly prizes.
Rack Madness celebrates the state's fantastic big game hunting opportunities and hunter successes; and despite the name, it's not just about bucks. Antlerless deer hunting is a critical piece of the success enjoyed by Oklahoma hunters not only for filling freezers with good venison, but also because of the overall herd health benefits achieved with increased antlerless harvest. In fact, deer hunters who took antlerless deer in 2024-25 have a chance at Rack Madness to win a lifetime license thanks to the Oklahoma Game Warden Association.
You can learn more or register for Rack Madness here:
2/7: Host a Wild Game Supper with Friends (Try Our Venison Chili Colorado!)
Normalize wild game suppers with friends! If you were fortunate enough to harvest a deer (or two, or three, or six), there's no better thing to do in late winter than serve up a meal of venison for everyone to enjoy. Make sure all the kids are there as well. Time with family and friends would, of course, be the main feature of the gathering, but a close second would be the dishes served. You can and should do this with fellow hunters. But also, there are probably people you know - maybe people you would not expect - who would be very interested in sampling venison for the first time or learning about how the whole hunting pastime works. It could be a neighbor or co-worker or teammates from the kids' sports teams. You never know whose outlook on hunting could be influenced for the positive, or whose life could be changed by the discovery of all the same things you love about hunting and the outdoors. Check out our new wild game recipes tab for ideas. May we suggest our own Venison Chili Colorado out of our Outdoor Oklahoma Test Kitchen?
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3/7. Renew Expired Licenses
New year. New hunting seasons. Be ready by logging in to your Go Outdoors Oklahoma profile and making sure your licenses are current (if you aren't using the mobile app, now's a good time to download that as well so you can have your license on you at all times!). You can set up most of your licenses with AutoRenew, a feature designed with convenience in mind and to help keep you ready when hunting and fishing opportunities comes your way. While you are at it, you can make sure your email address is up to date in your profile so you don't miss out on any of the latest information about hunting in Oklahoma. The Wildlife Department regularly sends updates about seasons, classes, events, and other updates and opportunities for hunters and anglers to get the most out of the state's outdoors. Login to your profile or check out the Go Outdoors Oklahoma Outdoor Calendar below:
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4/7. Mark next year's season dates
How and when Oklahoma's hunting season dates are set can get complicated. But for the most part, hunting seasons are either the same date or the same weekend every year. So, if you're already planning your 2025-26 hunting season, you may find this information helpful:
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5/7. Tag Your Ride!
If your like many of us, your vehicle is still dirty from hunting season. While cleaning up and reorganizing, it's a great time to tag your ride with a conservation license plate featuring Oklahoma wildlife. Each plate features one of nine celebrated Oklahoma wildlife species, and adding one to your vehicle as your regular, rear-bumper license plate helps support the Wildlife Department's Wildlife Diversity Program. Choose from white-tailed deer, mallard, northern bobwhite, wild turkey, Texas horned lizard, scissor-tailed flycatcher, largemouth bass, striped bass or rainbow trout. The Wildlife Department receives a portion of each sale. Plates may be ordered from the Oklahoma Tax Commission by mail, in person at a service location, or online through Service Oklahoma. See all the plate option below.
6/7: Join a Conservation or Hunting Organization
All year long, various clubs, groups and other nongovernment organizations are keeping the hunting passion alive through conservation work and fellowship opportunities. These groups host events, field days, banquets, fundraisers, volunteer opportunities and more. Some are driven by a love for a particular wildlife species (i.e. the National Deer Association, Quail Forever, the National Wild Turkey Federation, etc.) or passion such as hunting dog training, but their impact can be far-reaching for all of conservation as they work to unify hunters, provide funds for conservation and support agencies like the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Such groups end up making a significant impact to on-the-ground conservation efforts. Plus, they help you find your people!
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7/7. Keep in the Game ... Small Game!
The best cure for missing deer season may just be to take advantage of other hunting opportunities. With seasons for quail, squirrel, rabbit and furbearers extending into February and beyond, there's still plenty of hunting adventure ahead for those who seek it. Our Small Game Guide and Hunting Resources webpages includes tactics and tricks to help you take advantage of seasons, public land opportunities and more. But it all has to start with a decision to keep hunting.