Below is a news release from the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.
The beginning of the 2021 elk archery season coincides with the end of the elk rut.
For the statewide elk season, Oklahoma is divided into seven zones. Each zone has its own bag limit (one or two elk) and harvest quota. A Special Southwest Zone will be open for archery hunting on private lands on Oct. 2-6 and Dec. 4-8 only.
Some areas of the state are known to have good elk populations. In the Northeast Zone, hunters would do well to target Mayes, Delaware, Cherokee, Adair, and Sequoyah counties. In the Southeast Zone, pockets of elk can be found in Pushmataha, Coal, Johnston, and Pontotoc counties. And hunters in the western Panhandle should find some success.
By far, the largest concentrations of elk occur in the Special Southwest Zone consisting of Caddo, Comanche, and Kiowa counties. And while the season dates are more restrictive in this zone, there is no zone harvest quota.
Last year, archery hunters took 40 elk. In controlled hunts and private land hunts combined, 559 elk were harvested in Oklahoma during all 2020-21 seasons.
Hunters may harvest two elk combined for all elk seasons. All hunters must check online at wildlifedepartment.com before their hunt to find out if the season is closed for the zone they intend to hunt. Once the quota is met in each zone, the elk season will close in that zone.
For details on license requirements, field tagging and E-Checking, landowner permission, zone bag limits, and zone harvest quotas for private land elk hunts, go here.
(Photo source: Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation)