Youth Deer Gun Season - Oklahoma Department of Wildlife ...

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Getting the Most from Youth Deer Gun Season 10 Half the fun of deer season is planning for it. The anticipation of the hunt, gathering gear and scouting are as much a part of the hunting experience as sitting in a blind on opening day. Careful and detailed planning also will give you an idea of what to expect when your day in the woods arrives. Sure, plans can change, but at least you’ll have a starting point. If you plan your gear and get your scouting done on time, you’ll be prepared when it comes time to hunt and you’ll have a blast along the way. 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. 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. TODD CRAIGHEAD • 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 the required licenses and tags. 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. Elements of Good Habitat • Food • Water • Cover • Space • Arrangement of food, water, cover and space 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. OUTDOOR OKLAHOMA
KELLY ADAMS The Quarry 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. Harvesting a deer that is not permitted can come with expensive fines, suspended hunting licenses, and damaged public support for hunting. 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 that, 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. 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. Whitetail deer Oklahoma’s most prevalent deer species, 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. 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, but in other parts of the country they can be found in coniferous forests, desert shrubland and the mixed boreal forests of the north. They favor openings in these areas, browsing on shrubs and twigs, grass and herbs. 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. YOUTH DEER GUN SEASON 11
Page 1 and 2: Youth Deer Gun Season RUSSELL GRAVE
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents Which Wildlife Ma
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Page 7 and 8: Resident youth 16 and 17 years old
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Page 13 and 14: LANCE MEEK The biggest hazard of a
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