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Bear Hunt in Oklahoma

Here are the new regulations about bear hunting in Oklahoma as you can see Lifetime license are not exempt from purchasing a tag. That is the only part of this regulation I have a problem with.

I think there should be more checks and balances on the Wildlife commission .

The Wildlife Commission has set the harvest quota at 20 bears for 2009. Hunting season will be open until 20 bears have been harvested. Hunters must check, by phone or online, daily before hunting to see if the quota has been reached. After the quota has been reached, the season has ended. To check the quota, a toll free number will be available or visit www.wildlifedepartment.com

License Requirements Bear licenses for the bear archery season must be purchased prior to Oct. 1, 2009. No bear archery licenses will be sold after this date. Bear licenses for the bear muzzleloader season must be purchased by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 23, 2009. No bear muzzleloader licenses will be sold after Oct. 23.

An unfilled bear archery license is valid for bear muzzleloader season.

Lifetime License holders are not exempt from the purchase of a bear license.

Residents: Must possess a hunting license and a Legacy permit or proof of exemption. In addition, resident bear hunters must possess a bear license.

Nonresidents: Must possess a hunting license and a Legacy permit or proof of exemption. In addition, nonresident bear hunters must possess a nonresident bear license.

Dates & Open Areas Archery: Oct. 1 - Nov. 1, 2009; only in Latimer Le Flore, McCurtain, and Pushmataha counties. Muzzleloader: Oct. 24 - Nov. 1, 2009; only in Latimer Le Flore, McCurtain, and Pushmataha counties.

Season Limit One (1) bear, regardless of season hunted.

Shooting Hours One-half hour before official sunrise to one-half hour after official sunset.

Prohibited Activities No baiting is allowed on wildlife management areas. Shooting of cubs or females with cubs is prohibited. No den shooting of bears. Pursuing bears with hounds is prohibited.

Tagging Upon harvesting a bear, all hunters, must immediately attach their name and hunting license number securely to the carcass. The attached item can be anything, as long as it contains the hunter’s name and license number. This must remain attached to the carcass until it is checked with an authorized Department employee. In addition, all license holders are required to complete the “Record of Game” section on the license form.

Checking If you harvest a bear, call Joe Hemphill, Southeast Region Supervisor at (580) 421-7226 or page him at (405) 218-1925; or call Jeff Ford, Biologist at (918) 527-9918 or page him at (405) 218-1922.

The carcass tag must remain with the carcass through processing and/or storage at commercial processing or storage facilities.

Head must remain attached to the carcass until the bear is checked. Evidence of sex must not be removed from the carcass until it has been examined by ODWC personnel. However, the bear may be quartered.

Legal Means of Taking Archery: Equipment described as legal for deer archery season. Muzzleloader: Equipment described as legal for deer muzzleloader season.

Hunter Orange Bear hunters hunting with archery equipment during any big game firearm season [youth deer gun or deer muzzleloader] must conspicuously wear either a head covering or an outer garment above the waistline consisting of hunter orange. Camouflage hunter orange is legal.

Bear hunters hunting with muzzleloader equipment must conspicuously wear both a head covering and an outer garment above the waistline both consisting of hunter-orange color totaling at least 400 square inches. Camouflage hunter orange is legal.

Mike, thanks for the info. Very informative.

Anyone figure out why Lifetime Hunting License holders still have to buy the bear license. Aggrivates me, wish I still had a copy of my license application just to see the legal description of what I bought. Any thoughts on this? James

I bought my lifetime license so that I wouldn't have to buy anymore licenses. Now, to hunt bear, I have to buy a license. What's next, will we have to buy a permit to allow us to use our licenses? Good Bear Hunting!

Im with ya james chaps me too

I think I would buy one just because we can! I think it would be cool to whip out my bear tag when I get checked in Kay county! It will be a momento to me, first Oklahoma bear license. It's for a good cause too.

Most of us have recouped our costs for the lifetime years ago, it doesn't hurt to give a little back from time to time. I usually by a trout license though I have only been twice.

The wildlife department probably wants to know exaclty how many people will be hunting bear ( i.e. number of bear licenses) sold etc. although no reason why they couldn't do it like they do the HIP permits. If you're a lifetime holder you still have to have a HIP permit to hunt migratory birds but you can get it for free.

Newkirk Jerry, your right it doesn't hurt to give back from time to time. thats why I don't mind paying 5 to enter into draw hunts and rairly get drawn. The point is I bought a lifetime hunting license so that I would never have to buy a license again. The State offered this to me and now they want to change the rules. We should not stand for it. Next they will have us buying a Hog license since we didn't have a hog problem when most of us bought our lifetimes. See the picture? Whats next? Thanks for you thoughts fellas, James

Did you see the price for a resident bear licenes $101.00. Non resident is $506.00

I have requested information from ODWC if the money from bear tag sales were earmarked directly to go into bear reasearch and reintroduction through out Oklahoma. I have not got a reply. Remember sales of trout stamps go into purchasing trout. The trout are then placed into diffrent areas . It is a put and take type fishing as the trout do not reproduce on their own. There are a few places they do but it is rare. The trout are purchase in Arkansas. I am geting off the subject which is bear tags in Oklahoma.

As far as giving back. Every year I get a Wildlife department tag for my truck and purchase a Habitat donor cap . Money generated from these go back to the wildlife department. So I have been giving back .

Well now, I didn't know they were $101.00. That changes the picture totally for me. I think I had better just stick to my wildlife tag and trout stamp for the time being. Thanks for the eye opener there Grizzlymike.

Maybe our $101 is going to Arkansas Dept of Wildlife, since we can thank them for for the bears.

I know a few fellas in the bear hunting counties that have been shooting bears since I was in high school in the 90s. I doubt many of those guys whos been "hunting" bears with buckshot and spotlights for the past 15-20 years down there are going to suddenly start buying the tags. They probably don't care about the 20 bear limit they're supposed to call and check on every day, either.

I think its cool we are finally getting a sizable bear population in SEOK, but I think it should be open to residents only, without a triple digit tag, at least for the first few years.

A resident bear tag in Colorado is only 44 dollars. A nonres bear tag is $254. We must have some darn fine bears down here that I'm not seeing!

I also believe in giving back every once in awhile. I also pay the $5 fee for the draw hunts. But, I do not believe that lifetime hunting license holders should have to buy a tag for Bears. Maybe the odwc should make it a draw hunt also!

What's even better is you have to buy the tag before season opens. So all that buy a tag and don't get to hunt for a week or so, you're taking a chance that the quota will be filled before you even get to hunt. Then you're stuck with a $101 bear tag that is useless. This is a bunch of BS im my opinion, which is not worth much.

Wow what a bunch of whiners. If you can't pony up a hundred bucks ,don't . Who wants a 100-200 lb bear anyway?

okla blindeye, its very clear that you cannot see the point. We bought a high dollar license from the state so that we would never have to buy another state license. Its not about affording the money, its about the handshake we made with the state of not buying another license. And yes I would like to someday take an Oklahoma 100-200 lb bear. Its still a trophy to me. good luck to all, James

I actually see the points made by the lifetime license holders. Seems like a valid complaint. I am real curious to see the ODWC's response.

This is the answer that was returned to me from the Oklahoma Wildlife Department.

Michael, Thanks for taking the time to seek out more information about the upcoming bear hunting opportunities in Oklahoma. When you, and other dedicated hunters, bought lifetime licenses we specifically outlined the privileges you would receive as a lifetime license. We have never taken away a privilege of a lifetime license holder, although we have added many - including increased opportunities and bag limits for deer and turkeys. Additionally, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation receives no general state tax appropriations and is funded primarily through license sales and federal taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. Our agency uses those license funds for research and management of all of Oklahoma’s wildlife species, including black bears. In short license sales, including bear licenses, will fund the future of wildlife conservation in Oklahoma. The legislation that authorized the bear licenses did not specifically earmark bear license fees for bear research, but we will be able to track incoming bear license revenue and direct funds to bear research and management.

A separate benefit of the bear license is that allows the agency to know exactly who is hunting for that species, which allows us to keep a close eye on the hunting pressure those populations are receiving each year. This is especially important on a species as unique as the black bear. It also allows us to get more focused feedback from hunters after the season on their participation and their preferences for future seasons.

We are not, and do not plan to, conduct specific re-introduction to different parts of the state. Bears are colonizing Oklahoma on their own and we will let them “spread naturally” but we’re not “stocking” bears anywhere. Sincerely,

--Micah Holmes

thanks for sharing that with us grizzlymike. I still don't agree and wish I had my original app to see how it was worded and I'm sure the wildlife department knows their business on this and how to make it all legal on their end. anyhow best of luck, James

"As the owner of a lifetime hunting license, you may hunt any legal game, as set forth in the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation hunting regulations, for as long as you live. Lifetime hunting license holders are exempt from purchasing an annual hunting license; fishing and hunting legacy permit; Oklahoma waterfowl stamp; fur license; deer, elk, antelope, and turkey licenses; and controlled hunt permits."

I do not have a lifetime hunting license but I noticed Antelope are included in the lifetime? Wouldn't they be like the bear? The ODWC is not stocking them or reintroducing them anywhere? They are also spreading on their own. This seems like a good arguement to what they are saying. Carey

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