Oklahoma hunting seasons: Here's your guide to 2022 regulations, dates
Ed Godfrey
Fall has arrived and so have the hunting seasons. Here are the key dates and regulation changes you should know for the upcoming 2022-23 hunting seasons in Oklahoma.
- Oct. 1: Big game archery seasons open for deer, elk, bear and antelope. Fall turkey season opens for archery. Rabbit season opens.
- Oct. 8: Duck season opens in the Panhandle and runs through Jan. 4.
- Oct. 14: Youth gun season opens for deer and elk and runs through Oct. 16.
- Oct. 22: Muzzleloader season opens for deer, elk and bear.
- Oct. 29: The shotgun season opens for wild turkeys.
- Oct. 30: Muzzleloader season closes for deer, elk and bear
- Oct. 31: Dove season closes.
- Nov. 12: Duck season opens in hunting zones one and two, which is the entire state but the Panhandle. Quail season opens.
- Nov. 18: Fall gun turkey season closes.
- Nov. 19: The 16-day deer gun season opens statewide.
- Nov. 27: The first half of duck season closes in zones one and two.
- Dec. 1: Pheasant season opens in portions of northwest Oklahoma. Dove season reopens. Furbearer season opens.
- Dec. 3: The second half of duck season opens in zones one and two.
- Dec. 4: The last day of deer gun season.
- Dec. 18: The holiday antlerless deer gun season opens across the state but is closed in the most of the Panhandle, or deer hunting zone one.
- Dec. 29: Dove season closes.
- Dec. 31: The final day of the holiday antlerless gun season.
- Jan. 4: Duck season closes in the Panhandle.
- Jan. 15: The final day of archery deer, elk and turkey seasons.
- Jan. 29: Duck seasons closes in hunting zones one and two.
- Jan. 31: The last day of pheasant season
- Feb. 15: The last day of quail season
- Feb. 28: Furbearer season closes
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New Oklahoma hunting regulations for 2022
Only a few changes were made to the 2022-23 hunting regulations. Air-powered arrow rifles will now be legal for big game, but only during the rifle seasons.
Quail hunting on certain wildlife management areas in western Oklahoma will close on Feb. 1 to nonresident hunters only.
Antlerless deer zone 10 (southeastern Oklahoma) will be open for the holiday antlerless season.
Landowners will be able to shoot nuisance coyotes and feral hogs on agricultural land at night without a permit.
Several public lands in western Oklahoma will not be open for trapping during the month of February.
Mergansers are now part of a duck hunter's daily bag limit.
Beginning on Nov. 1, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation will sale hunting and fishing licenses that expire one year from the date of purchase, instead of expiring at the end of the calendar year or fiscal year.
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Where can I get an Oklahoma hunting license?
Licenses can still be bought over the counter and from many sporting goods vendors in the state, although most people now buy them online at gooutdoorsoklahoma.com. The Wildlife Department reports that 63% of license sales are now online, compared to just 28% four years ago.
