OK! Let’s hunt elk in Oklahoma. The state has 77 counties and elk populations in 30 of them. As another new state comes on board the wapiti agenda, now’s a good time to research the possibilities. Bulls will be mature, and it may take a while for the word to spread throughout the hunting community. Plus, if you’re afraid of heights and high mountains, Oklahoma is the state for you. So that you can begin to make plans, here’s the announcement, which includes information for residents and non-residents alike.
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission has established a statewide elk hunting season in addition to approving several other hunting and fishing rule changes at its recent meeting in Oklahoma City. Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation say a statewide elk season addresses agricultural depredation problems for some landowners by allowing for a controlled thinning of elk herds while creating new opportunities for hunters. Elk can be found in at least 30 of Oklahoma’s 77 counties, some of which have been open to controlled and private lands hunting for many years. Most are found in the southwest region in and around the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, where a highly sought after limited elk hunt is offered almost every year through the Wildlife Department’s Controlled Hunts program. Elk hunting in the area outside the refuge also has been available for many years through a private lands season in Caddo, Comanche and Kiowa counties. Additionally, controlled hunts have been available on Pushmataha and Cookson Hills wildlife management areas and through a private lands season in six northeast Oklahoma counties. Elk are found in Oklahoma outside those areas, though, including in the Panhandle, where elk migrate through the state from Colorado and New Mexico.
