2023 holiday antlerless deer gun season open until New Year’s Eve

The 2023 holiday antlerless deer gun season is currently open until New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31, except the area west of U.S. 83 in the Oklahoma panhandle.

This is a golden opportunity for hunters not only to help the deer herd flourish, but to also put some tasty venison on the dinner table.

Even if a hunter has harvested his or her bag limit of six deer during the regular seasons, the hunter can still take two antlerless deer because they are considered “bonus deer.”

Season dates and other regulations may apply on public lands, so hunters should always check the current Oklahoma fishing and hunting regulations.

Hunters participating in the 2022 antlerless holiday gun season managed to harvest 7,709 deer which was an increase from the previous year’s total of 6,362 according to the numbers provided by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC).

According to the book, “Quality Deer Management: The Basics And Beyond” by Charles J. Alsheimer, many unpleasant things happen when the doe population is out of control. He explains that in recent years the whitetail population has exploded across North America because of improper deer management.

For too long, hunters have overharvested bucks and under-harvested does. When a deer population exceeds the land’s carrying capacity, habitat damage from over-browsing can be so dramatic that recovery takes years even if all deer are removed.

As legendary wildlife biologist Aldo Leopold wrote 70 plus years ago, “The biggest challenge in wildlife management is people management.”

Information provided by ODWC’s Dallas Barber tells us that as a deer hunter, you are truly a “boots on the ground” wildlife manager, regardless if you are hunting private or public land. Your choice to harvest, or more importantly, pass on an animal has an impact at a local population level.

Harvesting antlerless deer is incredibly important when healthier deer, greater antler size, and stable population levels are management goals.

Having been blessed to hunt in a number of other states, ODWC’s slogan, “Hunters in the know take a doe,” is working. Most of the hunters that I’m acquainted with understand the importance of letting the smaller bucks walk and understand the importance of taking additional does.

I, for one, look forward to the last half of the archery season as well when deer become focused on a food source high in protein such as soybeans or wellplaced food plots.

One drawback for many hunters are the frigid temperatures that late-season hunting sometimes brings.

Some tricks of the trade I’ve learned while spending time hunting the late season in states such as Iowa are tips that can apply right here at home.

Call me lazy, if you may. I prefer to sleep in on frigid days and focus my efforts on afternoon and evening hunts. The late season when deer are more congregated to a food source I’ve often found as they are “herded up” by now.

Enjoy the last few weeks of the hunting season because it will be a long stretch until next fall rolls around again.

Remember, deer stand safety is paramount.

• • • John Kilgore is the former Greenleaf State Park manager. He can be reached by e-mailing him at jkilgoreoutdoors@yahoo.com.