If you were in charge of OK deer season...........

[dennishoddy]

Raising the cost to hunt only hurts the folks that hunt for meat to keep them in protein for the year.

High cost hunting relates to Texas and Europe.

An acquaintance had a check station on Kaw lake before the electronic deal. He noticed that the out of state hunters shot anything with antlers so they didn't go home empty handed.
Ok used to be a cheap place to deer hunt for non-residents. Not so much anymore. The actions of a few have screwed it for the rest.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

You think none of us go pay high non resident fees how much are elk tags in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana and Colorado and it's hard as hell to get a deer tag there now! How much is a Kansas tag now?
I disagree with no more lifetime licenses and a $100 resident license....that will really make youth hunters want to hunt.
I do like your 7pt minimum on adult hunters.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

If you guys who want to see an antler point restriction can prove a benefit from a study in one of the central U.S. states, I would like to see it.

 

[Okie4570]

Good read with views all over the USA about antler restrictions, kind of long but interesting what some think, and what some have experienced across the states. Of course there's extreme views, very uneducated views, etc.....still interesting.

http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/4755013/1

 

[dennishoddy]

If you guys who want to see an antler point restriction can prove a benefit from a study in one of the central U.S. I would like to see it.

Pennsylvania has had success with it, but their hunting demographics differ from ours so its not an apple for apple discussion.

It won't work in Ok.

I did the age thing for my 158" buck with the ODW. Proves what I thought. The deer is 3 1/2 years old. A product of good genes and good food.

An 8 point in Pennsylvania would get you in the newspaper a few years ago. Now, they are seeing 10 points and larger.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

More studies will prove culling on open range is not beneficial to the deer herd, only somebodies ego. Point restrictions are not beneficial. Many healthy 1.5 year old bucks are 8 points as well as many 2.5, and 3.5, year old bucks. If the ultimate goal is to see more (more=quantity) quality (quality = bigger antlers) bucks is more maturity (maturity= older age). I **** you not, I have a 150" 10 point that is now missing 1 main beam, he is at least 5.5 years old. With a 7 point restriction he is not a legal deer. WTF? But, I could allow as many as 4, 1.5 and 2.5 year old 8 points to be killed in the next 7 days and what does that accomplish? 4 deer in the freezer, but it doesn't do anything to improve quality deer.

Would you shoot that broke off 150" 10 pt? I wouldn't and would rather have him with his genetics breeding doe's instead of those younger bucks but I wouldn't want to see the younger bucks taken out either.

So would dropping to one buck a year help more than antler restrictions?

 

[brent99]

The only thing I would change is that ownership of land in OK would grant resident status when it comes to hunting.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Would you shoot that broke off 150" 10 pt? I wouldn't and would rather have him with his genetics breeding doe's instead of those younger bucks but I wouldn't want to see the younger bucks taken out either.

So would dropping to one buck a year help more than antler restrictions?

Just cause a buck is an 8 point at 1.5 YOA does not mean it won't blossom beautifully in his maturity. I have pics of an 8 point at a mature age and is a 13 point the next year and a 12 point the year after.
I don't kill young bucks. Individuals or a small group of hunters CAN'T accomplish culling of bad genetics on free range whitetail herds. Wait until bucks reach 4.5-6.5 YOA and harvest away. The bucks have passed along their seed plenty of times. At 6.5 YOA they have their best head gear or have already had it. 5.5 YOA is possibly his peak rack.

During rut, bucks run all over looking for moist soil to sew their seeds. Bucks will leave your area and other bucks will venture in. Unless you have a fence to prohibit this, it is nearly impossible to prevent a stray buck from coming in and getting some strange. For example, have you ever been in western Oklahoma during peak chase phase? If so, you are bound to see a buck a mile or more from any cover running like he is on a mission. (He is on a mission of finding that doe) I know a guy that twice sent pictures of a mature buck swimming across Lake Texoma within the previous 3 weeks. One time he plotted the bucks path and said he was over a mile from the closest land. That buck was likely swimming 2 miles to get some strange. What if these bucks had bad genetics? Keeping bucks with bad genetics from your doe herd isn't as easy as choosing who your teenage daughter dates.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

I agree with what you are saying and yes even over here you see bucks heading across wide open ground during the rut. I hunt next to a 12000 acre ranch so bucks move on never to be seen again and others show up that you have never seen before.
I talked to one of the guys at Spavinaw lake he said deer will swim across that lake.
A couple of years ago a buck was on our place with a perfect 8pt rack and he wouldn't have field dressed 75 lbs had to be a 1.5 year old but my neighbor shot him in the shoulder with his bow and never found him....made me sick.

So do you think harvesting only one buck would help statewide on bucks reaching maturity?

 

[Oklahomabassin]

OUsoonerfan22, what do you mean by harvesting only 1 buck? Over half of hunters in Oklahoma only harvest 1 buck. If the regulations were changed to only allow 1 buck, some might be more selective, but I don't think that will make a huge effect.

Overall, I think the ODWC has been pretty good with the deer regulations. Drought has stricken some areas pretty hard, and I hope to see that they recognize that in next years regulations. As Oklahomans are concerned, I see the loss of hunting property to be more detrimental than any regulation the ODWC does. I mean the loss of hunting property, to commercial development, residential development, urban sprawl, oilfield/industrial stamping out wildlife habitat. Land prices and leases have sky rocketed in the last 10 years and the people with wads of money in hand, keep showing up.

For you non resident hunters, I don't mean to single you guys out, but what is the story on the state you leave to come hunt here?
Texas...IMO has become a commercialized operation and has driven prices up, that the average guy won't shell out that kind of money.