Bear Season


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Archery & Muzzleloader

Bear season is closed!

Oklahoma’s third black bear archery season opened Oct. 1 and closed the next day after the season quota of 20 bears was reached.
            The season was open in Latimer, LeFlore, Pushmataha and McCurtain counties, and hunters harvested a total of 31 bears with archery equipment. Last year hunters harvested 32 bears on opening day, and in 2009 hunters harvested only 19 bears over the course of 28 days.

BEAR HARVEST QUOTA

The Wildlife Department has set the 2011 harvest quota at 20 bears. The hunting season(s) listed below will be open until 20 bears have been harvested or the season(s) end. Hunters must check, by phone or online, before hunting each day to see of the quota has been reached. After the quota has been reached, the season has closed.

To check the status of the harvest quota: Call (888) 901-3256

or visit http://www.wildlifedepartment.com

License Requirements
    Residents: Must possess a hunting license (see pg. 12 "Licenses & Permits" of your 2011-2012 Oklahoma Hunting Guide or click here) or proof of exemtion. In addition, resident bear hunters must possess a bear license.
                        Lifetime License holders are not exempt from the purchase of a bear license.
    Nonresidents: Nonresident bear hunters are exempt from a hunting license while hunting bear, but must possess a nonresident bear license.
                            Lifetime License holders are not exempt from the purchase of a bear license.
    License Purchasing Deadlines: Bear licenses for the archery season must be purchased prior to Oct. 1, 2011. No bear licenses will be sold after Sept. 30 for the archery season. An unfilled bear license from the archery season is valid for muzzleloader season.
                        Bear licenses for the muzzleloader season must be purchased prior to Oct. 22, 2011. No bear licenses will be sold after Oct. 21 for the muzzleloader season.

Dates, Open Areas
    Archery:    Only in Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha Counties.
    Muzzleloader:    Only in Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha Counties.

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DATES OPEN

ARCHERY
Only in Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha Counties.

OPEN October 1, 2011 CLOSE October 21, 2011

Bear season is closed!

Muzzleloader
Only in Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha Counties.

OPEN October 22, 2011 CLOSE October 30, 2011

Bear season is closed!

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Public Lands
    Seasons on public lands may vary from statewide seasons. Consult public lands section beginning on page 44 of your 2011-2012 Oklahoma Hunting Guide.

Combined Season Limit
    One bear, regardless of season hunted.

Shooting Hours
    One-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset.

Prohibited Activities
    No baiting is allowed on wildlife management areas. Shooting of cubs or females with cubs is prohibited. No den shooting of bears. Pursuing bears with dogs is prohibited.

Field Tagging & Checking
    Upon harvesting a bear, all hunters must immediately attach their name and license number securely to the carcass and complete the "Record of Game" section on the license form.
    The attached item can be anything, as long as it contains the required information. This information must remain attached to the carcass until it is checked.
    Upon harvesting a bear, all hunters must call Joe Hemphill, Southeast Region Supervisor at (580) 421-7226 or Jeff Ford, Biologist at (918) 527-9918.
    The carcass will be checked and a carcass tag issued. The carcass tag must remain with the carcass to its final destination or through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.
    The head must remain attached to the carcass until the bear is checked. Evidence of sex must not be removed from the carcass until it has been checked with a Department employee. However, the bear may be quartered.

For a neat idea on how to attach your name and hunting license number to the carcass "click here"!

Legal Means of Taking
   Archery: Archery equipment described as legal for deer archery season.
    Muzzleloader: Equipment described as legal for deer muzzleloader season.

Hunter Orange
   All hunters participating in any antelope, bear, deer or elk season using a firearm (muzzleloader or gun) must conspicuously wear both a head covering and an outer garment above the waistline, both totaling at least 400 square inches of hunter orange. Camouflage orange is legal as long as there are at least 400 square inches of hunter orange.
    Antelope, bear, deer or elk hunters using archery equipment during any antelope, bear, deer or elk firearms (muzzleloader or gun) season in any open hunting area (zone, county, or area) must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline consisting of hunter orange. Camouflage hunter orange is legal.
    All other hunters, except those hunting waterfowl, crow or crane, or while hunting furbearing animals at night, must wear either a head covering or upper garment of hunter orange clothing while hunting during any antelope, bear, deer or elk firearms (muzzleloader or gun) season in any open hunting area (zone, county or area.) Camouflage hunter orange is legal.

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