HUNTER EDUCATION

The Wildlife Department’s hunter education course teaches students to hunt safely and provides eligible hunters with full hunting-license-purchase and hunting privileges. Hunter-education-certified hunters can buy any hunting license and hunt big game and/or small game alone (except, of course, youth participating in youth deer gun season must adhere to accompaniment requirements).

Who is Exempt from Hunter Education?

• Anyone 31 years of age or older.
• Anyone honorably discharged from the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Anyone currently on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Anyone who is a member of the National Guard.

Hunter Education Courses

Students age 10 or older needing hunter education are encouraged to take the free course online. Persons under ten (10) years of age may take the hunter education course but are not eligible to be tested for and receive hunter safety certification.

Lost Your Hunter Education Card?

If your hunter education card is lost or destroyed, you may purchase a duplicate card by logging on to gooutdoorsoklahoma.com.

Is My Card Good in Other States?

Certification is recognized and honored in all 50 states and all provinces in Canada.

APPRENTICE-DESIGNATED LICENSE

No Hunter Ed? No Problem

Apprentice-designated licenses allow many hunters to hunt without hunter education. The apprentice-designated license is like a learner’s permit. It is a hunting license with some additional requirements. While completing the Wildlife Department's "online" hunter education course is the ideal path to prepare for the youth deer gun season, the apprentice-designated license may allow you to go hunting even if you haven't completed hunter education. Read below to learn who can hunt as an apprentice and what you can hunt with this license.

What is an Apprentice-Designated License?

Anyone buying a hunting license who has not completed hunter education certification will have the hunter education number on that particular license designated as "apprentice." An individual who is in possession of an “apprentice-designated” license must abide by accompanying hunter requirements. Here's what that means for youth deer gun season hunters who do not have hunter education certification:

• Hunters 9 and younger: In Oklahoma, persons under ten (10) years of age may take the hunter education course but are not eligible to be tested for and receive hunter education certification. However, they may buy a youth annual super hunting license that is apprentice-designated. Such hunters must abide by accompanying hunter requirements.
• Hunters 10-17: Anyone in this age range who is not hunter education-certified may buy a youth annual super hunting license that is apprentice-designated. Such hunters must abide by accompanying hunter requirements.
• Accompanying hunter requirements: A person 18 or older who is licensed (unless exempt) and hunter education-certified (unless exempt). For big game hunting, an accompanying hunter must be within arm’s length of the apprentice hunter or close enough to take immediate control of the firearm or bow of the apprentice.

GET THE MOST

Getting the Most from Youth Deer Gun Season

A successful hunt is not dependent upon achieving your limit or even bagging a trophy animal. A successful hunt is much more than that. It takes preparation; not just physically but mentally as well. Successful hunters prepare in advance. Plus, planning the hunt is half the fun!

A Few Things Successful Hunters Do to Plan for a Hunt:

• Plan the hunt in detail.
• Learn the area of the hunt by scouting in advance.
• Use wildlife identification guides to learn the habitat, food choices, and behavior of the wildlife they are hunting.
• Practice shooting often; not just the day before the season opens.
• Maintain firearms and hunting equipment in good condition and use the appropriate ammunition or accessories for the game they are hunting.
• Get in shape physically before they go hunting.
• Become familiar with all of the laws that govern the area they will hunt.
• Acquire your hunting license.

Wise hunters improve public opinion of hunters and protect the future of hunting by being courteous, thoughtful, respectful, and responsible.

Scouting

“Scouting” means simply looking for evidence of the animal you intend to hunt. In the case of youth deer gun season, this generally means whitetail deer, although mule deer bucks are legal to harvest during youth deer gun season as well and may be found in certain western and northwest Oklahoma counties and the Panhandle. Things to look for include elements of good habitat and actual signs left by deer.

Look for food sources such as mast, fruit, other vegetation or agricultural crops such as wheat in close proximity and arrangement with good cover, space and water. Hardwood creek bottoms and stream crossings, fence lines, open and semi-open clearings, low areas, field edges and natural travel funnels and corridors created by timber and landscape are all likely spots to study for signs of deer activity.

When searching for signs left by individual deer, look closely for evidence such as scrapes on the ground and rubs on the bases of trees. Concentrated tracks, droppings and even hair left on barbed-wire fences where deer commonly cross can all help lead you to a likely location to see and harvest a deer. If you have an access road, path or creek flowing through or along your hunting location, look for areas where deer commonly cross from one side to the other. Multiple sets of tracks often will be evident, and a nearby area where a blind or treestand can be used should be identified.

The Game

Youth hunters can harvest two deer during the youth deer gun season. However, only one may be antlered, and the harvest of antlerless mule deer is prohibited. This is just one reason to make sure your wildlife identification skills are sharp before you head to the field. Study deer photos and watch them closely in the woods before shooting to make sure you are comfortable with identifying them in the field. Remember, for legal and hunting purposes in Oklahoma, an antlered deer is any deer, regardless of sex, with at least three inches of antler length above the natural hairline on either side.

DEER IDENTIFICATION

White-tailed Deer

Oklahoma’s most prevalent deer species is found in good numbers in every county in the state. They’re also found across most of North America, except in northern Canada and the far western United States. They live in forests, valley bottoms, and farmland and can often be found along streams and rivers.

Whitetails stand about three feet high at the shoulder and weigh 150 to 225 lbs. They are generally smaller than mule deer.

Field Guide Bio: White-tailed Deer

Mule Deer

Harvesting an antlerless mule deer during any firearms season is prohibited, but mule deer bucks can be taken. For the most part, only hunters in the far western and northwest portions of the state are likely to have an opportunity to harvest a mule deer in Oklahoma.

Mule deer can find good habitat in western Oklahoma’s grassland with shrubs, like a whitetail, mule deer stand about three feet high at the shoulder, but they grow much heavier than whitetails. Bucks weigh up to 405 pounds while does may weigh up to 160 lbs.

Field Guide Bio: Mule Deer

SAFETY TIPS

• Always determine if a firearm is unloaded before picking up or accepting it from another person.
• When carrying a gun, the most important thing to do is to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Never point a firearm at yourself or others.
• The natural instinct when picking up a firearm is to put your finger in the trigger guard. Don’t! This could cause an accidental discharge if the gun is loaded.
• Never take a shot unless you are aware of your target and what is behind it. Never point your firearm at something you do not intend to shoot.
• Do not use telescopic sights as a substitute for binoculars.
• If a friend refuses to follow safe gun handling rules while hunting with you, immediately tell them your concerns, and don’t continue to hunt with them unless they follow the rules.
• Always unload your firearm and examine the barrel after a fall to be sure there is no snow, mud, or dirt in the barrel. If there is, clean it out before firing.
• Never use drugs or alcohol before or during shooting.
• Make sure you have the correct ammunition for the firearm you are using.
• Don’t shoot at water or hard objects such as rock or metal.

IN THE BLIND

The hunt is the culmination of all your hard work, planning, hunter education classes, scouting, purchasing licenses and packing and organizing. And it’s these moments in the woods or fields that can make or break your hunt. What you do with your time while hunting not only can make the difference of whether you see and harvest a deer or not, but also whether you enjoy the experience.

You may not see a deer at first light, but the anticipation of those early morning moments is an experience in itself. With the adult and youth hunter quietly situated in the stand, and the daylight only moments away, it’s time to hunt.

TOP TIPS

Top Tips for the Hunt

• Stay alert to every movement along tree lines, horizons, and even the ground right in front of you, as deer and other wildlife can seemingly "appear out of nowhere."
   
• Remain alert, as you may spot all kinds of wildlife, from deer and turkeys to squirrels, coyotes, bobcats, quail, and more!
   
• For younger hunters, consider sitting for shorter periods.
   
• Make safety a priority, and emphasize every opportunity to do something “the right way.” Avoid shortcuts pertaining to safety. It’s easy and worthwhile to do things the safe way, whether crossing fences or making sure to keep the barrel of your firearm pointed in a safe direction. Go over the safety sections of your hunter education manual before hunting.
   
• Leave your hunter-orange clothing on while hunting. It is not legal to remove them once you’ve arrived at your hunting spot.

FIREARM SAFETY

The person holding the gun is responsible for the safe handling of the firearm. Remember these four basic rules of firearm safety.

• Assume every gun is loaded.
• Control the direction of the muzzle – point the gun in a safe direction.
• Trigger Finger – keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
• Target – be certain of your target and of what’s behind it.

During the youth deer gun season, at least two people will be sitting together searching for deer. It's important that your blind or ladder stand be comfortable and accommodating for all individuals. Here are a few tips.

• Oftentimes ladder stands come from the manufacturer with built-in shooting rails. Using these rails — or shooting sticks if hunting from a ground blind — to help deter the shaky effects that can be caused by nerves.
   
• Oftentimes branches or tall grasses that do not inhibit the vision of an adult may obstruct the vision of a youth hunter who has a different vantage point. Prior to hunting, make sure the shooting lanes for the youth hunter are clear and that their field of view is clear of major obstructions.
   
• Looking through a scope to find a target like a deer can be challenging for a youth hunter with limited shooting or hunting experience. If hunting with a scoped rifle, the youth hunter should practice beforehand with a scoped rifle.
   
• The youth shooter should know his or her limitations and not take shots that make them uncomfortable. Avoid shooting at a deer if it is too far away; another chance will likely come along.

AFTER THE HARVEST

One of the most exciting prospects about hunting is the possibility of reliving the hunt at the dinner table over a wild game feast. So, it pays to take all the necessary steps to care for your animal after the shot.

First and Foremost: One-shot Harvests

Proper care starts with the first shot. Responsible hunters strive for clean, one-shot harvests. While this is not always possible, responsible hunters follow their game and if needed, dispatch it quickly. How you hunt an animal and how you immediately care for it affects the taste of the meat. 

Tagging

Once a deer has been harvested, the hunter must immediately attach a field tag to the carcass, with their name, customer ID number or lifetime license number, and date and time of harvest. A field tag can be any item, so long as it contains the required information, and must remain with the carcass to its final destination or through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.

Checking

The harvest must also be checked in within 24 hours of leaving the hunt area through the online e-Check system at gooutdoorsoklahoma.com or the Go Outdoors Oklahoma mobile app. 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.

Game Meat Care

Once you’ve field tagged the animal, you need to do two things quickly to prevent the meat from spoiling – field dress it and cool the meat.

Field dressing is simply removing the entrails. It prevents the meat from absorbing waste products from the body cavity organs. Three environmental factors affect the taste of your meat: temperature, dirt and moisture. Meat that has been kept cool, dry and clean tastes better than meat that has been allowed to get warm, wet, and tainted with dirt.

Meat should be kept cool by keeping it in the shade, keeping it in moving air or a breeze, and hanging it from a tree or post. Meat should be kept dry by immediately field dressing and wiping off excess blood or fluids. It should also be kept as dry as possible.

You can find a list of game processors online HERE.