ODWC - Hunters under 18 who are participating in the youth deer gun season will do so with the state’s youth annual super hunting license. It’s actually the only annual hunting license option for youth, and it offers an immediate advantage because it’s valid for all of the deer that can be taken during the youth deer gun season. In fact, the license is valid for the youth hunter’s entire combined season bag limit! For more on the new youth annual super hunting license, including a list of frequently asked questions and answers, check out this blog post on the Outdoor Oklahoma Journal.

There are several more advantages for young hunters and their adult mentors who participate in the youth deer gun season. For one, on these days youth can go rifle hunting for deer with adult supervision before the regular deer gun season in November. While all deer taken during the youth deer gun season are included in the hunters’s combined season limit of six deer, they are not included as part of the hunter’s regular deer gun season limit of four deer.

The youth deer gun season is open to hunters 17 years old and younger, who must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. The adult cannot gun hunt, but may archery hunt provided they have the appropriate licenses. No prior hunting experience is required; not even for the adults who plan to accompany a youth hunter.

Which Wildlife Management Areas Have a Youth Deer Gun Season?

One of the biggest questions you may be asking about the youth deer gun season is, “Where can we go to hunt?”

Most land in Oklahoma is privately owned, and you may know somebody who will let you hunt deer on their property. If so, that’s a great place to start. But even if you don’t know a landowner, there are thousands of acres of public land available across the state where you can hunt. While most wildlife management areas are open to hunting during the youth deer gun season, some may have regulations that vary from statewide regulations.

For example, some of them may only be open to hunting with shotguns or archery equipment, or some may only be open to antlerless deer harvest during the youth deer gun season. No worries. All you have to do to learn more is consult the current “Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations,” available free online on the Go Outdoors Oklahoma mobile app for iPhone and Android. You can also access the regulations online or in hardcopy anywhere hunting licenses are sold. Each WMA and its regulations are covered in detail.

What Type of Deer Can We Hunt During the Youth Deer Gun Season?

The harvest limit for the youth deer gun season is two deer, only one of which may be antlered. An “antlered deer” is any deer, regardless of sex, with at least three inches of antler length above the natural hairline on either side. The harvest of antlerless mule deer is prohibited during the youth deer gun season. All deer taken during the youth deer gun season are inc luded in the hunter’s combined season limit of six deer but are not inc luded as part of the hunter’s regular deer gun season limit of four deer. This means that as long as a youth has not already harvested his or her combined season limit of six deer (of which no more than two may be bucks), then they can participate in both the youth deer gun season as well as the regular gun season a few weeks later.

If a Youth Hunter Harvests a Deer During the Youth Deer Gun Season, Can that Same Youth Still Hunt During the Regular Gun Season?

Yes! Resident youth hunters who harvest a deer during the youth deer gun season can still harvest deer during the regular deer gun season using the same youth annual super hunting license. Season and combined season bag limits apply.

But What If We Go and Don’t Harvest a Deer?

Good news! Your youth annual super hunting license is valid for any other deer season, such as archery, muzzleloader, gun and holiday antlerless deer gun seasons!