tbone
03-06-2009, 07:12 PM
Bear, antelope and elk seasons headline proposals
The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission passed several hunting regulation rule changes at its March meeting, allowing the potential for new hunting opportunities for black bear, antelope and elk.
The Commission approved one proposal to establish a black bear season in Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties in southeast Oklahoma. Though outlined details of the black bear season will not be brought before the Commission until its April meeting, the proposed bear season would open with deer archery season and run through deer muzzleloader season. Hunters will be required to report bear harvests, and the season quota will be limited to 20 bears. The use of dogs will be prohibited, and baiting would be prohibited on wildlife management areas. Legislation to establish a bear hunting license is pending and would need to be approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor before the season can be implemented Oct. 1. If implemented, Oklahoma will be the 29th state to have a bear season.
According to Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Department has collected more than 15 years of biological data and information from responding to nuisance bear calls. Additional research projects were conducted by the Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit with Oklahoma State University.
“A growing population of black bears in Oklahoma is continuing to point to the state's vast wildlife diversity,” Peoples said. “We believe there are upwards of 400 bears in LeFlore County alone, and a limited bear harvest will create great new opportunities for hunters while helping to address nuisance bear issues in southeast Oklahoma.”
The Commission approved another new opportunity for sportsmen in a proposal to open a 14-day September archery season for pronghorn antelope in Cimarron Co. and that portion of Texas Co. west of Hwy 136. Licenses would be sold over-the-counter, and landowner permission would be required.
“Our population of pronghorn antelope in the panhandle is thriving, and we are looking forward to providing sportsmen yet another unique hunting opportunity,” Peoples said. According to Peoples, information gathered from biological data, aerial surveys and requests from landowners show that the Panhandle's antelope population can sustain the new archery season.
Along with establishing a black bear season and antelope archery season, the Commission also approved an expansion of elk season that will increase opportunities for hunters while addressing agricultural depredation from elk. The approved change creates a private lands elk season in northeast Oklahoma, specifically in Sequoyah, Muskogee, Adair, Cherokee, Delaware and Mayes counties. Another approved change eliminates the requirement for providing written landowner permission and legal descriptions of land when purchasing an elk permit. Written landowner permission will still be required while hunting.
Regarding upland game, one approved change will allow flexibility to adjust pheasant bag limits each year based on the population, allowing for improved pheasant management capabilities and increased hunting opportunities in years of high pheasant numbers.
According to Peoples, research and data taken from annual spring and summer population surveys show some years are better than others for pheasant recruitment.
“The option to adjust our pheasant season daily limit so it's consistent with the bird population each year will mean more opportunities for hunters following those years when bird numbers are high,” Peoples said.
One regulation change affecting archery deer hunters adds language to allow for the use of mechanical broadheads during deer archery season that, when fully expanded, meet current minimum dimensions of legal broadheads for deer hunting. This would delete the requirement that broadheads legal for deer hunting must be one and a half inches in length.
Other hunting-related changes were approved by the Commission, among them numerous changes to seasons on wildlife management areas to provide additional opportunities for sportsmen.
To view a complete list of approved hunting-related changes, as well as changes related to angling in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
The new regulations must now pass through the legislative process and be signed by the governor. Look for complete details in the next Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Guides.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for 9 a.m., April 1, at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
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The Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission passed several hunting regulation rule changes at its March meeting, allowing the potential for new hunting opportunities for black bear, antelope and elk.
The Commission approved one proposal to establish a black bear season in Latimer, LeFlore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties in southeast Oklahoma. Though outlined details of the black bear season will not be brought before the Commission until its April meeting, the proposed bear season would open with deer archery season and run through deer muzzleloader season. Hunters will be required to report bear harvests, and the season quota will be limited to 20 bears. The use of dogs will be prohibited, and baiting would be prohibited on wildlife management areas. Legislation to establish a bear hunting license is pending and would need to be approved by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor before the season can be implemented Oct. 1. If implemented, Oklahoma will be the 29th state to have a bear season.
According to Alan Peoples, chief of wildlife for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the Department has collected more than 15 years of biological data and information from responding to nuisance bear calls. Additional research projects were conducted by the Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit with Oklahoma State University.
“A growing population of black bears in Oklahoma is continuing to point to the state's vast wildlife diversity,” Peoples said. “We believe there are upwards of 400 bears in LeFlore County alone, and a limited bear harvest will create great new opportunities for hunters while helping to address nuisance bear issues in southeast Oklahoma.”
The Commission approved another new opportunity for sportsmen in a proposal to open a 14-day September archery season for pronghorn antelope in Cimarron Co. and that portion of Texas Co. west of Hwy 136. Licenses would be sold over-the-counter, and landowner permission would be required.
“Our population of pronghorn antelope in the panhandle is thriving, and we are looking forward to providing sportsmen yet another unique hunting opportunity,” Peoples said. According to Peoples, information gathered from biological data, aerial surveys and requests from landowners show that the Panhandle's antelope population can sustain the new archery season.
Along with establishing a black bear season and antelope archery season, the Commission also approved an expansion of elk season that will increase opportunities for hunters while addressing agricultural depredation from elk. The approved change creates a private lands elk season in northeast Oklahoma, specifically in Sequoyah, Muskogee, Adair, Cherokee, Delaware and Mayes counties. Another approved change eliminates the requirement for providing written landowner permission and legal descriptions of land when purchasing an elk permit. Written landowner permission will still be required while hunting.
Regarding upland game, one approved change will allow flexibility to adjust pheasant bag limits each year based on the population, allowing for improved pheasant management capabilities and increased hunting opportunities in years of high pheasant numbers.
According to Peoples, research and data taken from annual spring and summer population surveys show some years are better than others for pheasant recruitment.
“The option to adjust our pheasant season daily limit so it's consistent with the bird population each year will mean more opportunities for hunters following those years when bird numbers are high,” Peoples said.
One regulation change affecting archery deer hunters adds language to allow for the use of mechanical broadheads during deer archery season that, when fully expanded, meet current minimum dimensions of legal broadheads for deer hunting. This would delete the requirement that broadheads legal for deer hunting must be one and a half inches in length.
Other hunting-related changes were approved by the Commission, among them numerous changes to seasons on wildlife management areas to provide additional opportunities for sportsmen.
To view a complete list of approved hunting-related changes, as well as changes related to angling in Oklahoma, log on to wildlifedepartment.com.
The new regulations must now pass through the legislative process and be signed by the governor. Look for complete details in the next Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Guides.
The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.
The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for 9 a.m., April 1, at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation headquarters (auditorium), located at the southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.
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