Elk Hunting in Northeast OK
Oklahoma
Well I just noticed on the Wildlife Department Website that Elk Season is open in Mayes and Deleware County. I do some guiding up that way on 650 acres. Would anyone be interested in hunting these elk? I am not sure what the price will be yet since I haven't talked to the owner of the ranch yet but we are located in Spavinaw and our property butts up against The Game Refuge. Just seeing what kind of interest there would be. Post or PM me if you are interested and I try to get more details ASAP.
I will be up that way in late December and January. Is the season still going then?
where does that ranch butt up to the game refuge
Not he smarts man in the world by my guess is the ranch butts up where the property connect. ha ha
It is the Spring Valley Ranch. If you are familiar with that area. It is a Christian ranch that offers deer, turkey, waterfowl, and possibly elk hunts. We also have another ranch near the T-General store that butts up to the Grand River. I want to say Spring Valley from the refuge is off of Ozark Club Road.
Northeast Zone - Private lands only. One (1) elk limit, any elk regardless of sex, age, or antler points.
Archery (either sex): Oct. 1, 2009 through Jan. 15, 2010.
Muzzleloader (either sex): Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, 2009.
Youth Gun (either sex): Oct. 16 - 18, 2009.
Gun (either sex): Nov. 21 - Dec. 6, 2009.
Looks like for bow it will be open in January
wouldn't be much hunt, we have had them come to our place out of cookson refuge, be like shooting one of my cows in the pasture, but I would probably do it.
You can walk right up to the ones on Cookson.
Little bit of misinformation on the web site. Web site says that there are no exemptions for lifetime hunting license holders on the elk tags.
The actual regulations says that lifetime license holders are exempt from the purchase of any elk tag.
Only the new bear tag is required to be purchased by lifetime license holders.
I was scouting for a good bowhunting spot over the weekend. Saw 5 Elk at the Spavinaw GMA & PHA. I have photos but my camera phone isnt that great. Two of the elk where decent 6X6. The rest were cows.
There are a few around. I have heard that the herd is up to around 70 elk.
I don't think they would open the hunting season up there if there were only 20 elk.
There are not that many elk in the NE area covering Adair, Cherokee, Delaware, Mayes, Muskogee and Sequoyah counties.
Mayes and Delaware are around Spavinaw WMA.
Adair and Cherokee are around Cookson WMA.
Cherokee, Muskogee and Sequoyah are around Cherokee WMA.
Cookson has the most elk in the NE and they don't have all that many - considering the Wichita Mountains areas has over 800 elk.
You notice that all the elk hunting is on private lands and the limit in the NE is 1 elk - no antler point restrictions. Whereas in the SW the limit is 2 elk (one must be antlerless) and they have a 6 points on one side restriction.
My GUESS is that some elk were getting off the WMAs and landowners are complaining about damage. So the ODWC has opened a season on them. I doubt you will see many taken - and once they figure out there is no hunting on the WMAs they won't be too anxious to leave the public lands.
~Troy
I'm sure thats why they only draw one tag over there for the controlled hunt too.
ya, I agree with you on very little elk up in the n.e. troy. There a very little elk left around spavinaw maybe 10 that I have seen scouting that area. There are more around cookson and cherokee that I been told about, more landowner complaints down there.
probably goats doing the depredation, hunters (and landowners) down there have a hard time telling the difference between goats and deer, or goats and elk. Heck one year several years ago some dufus tried to check in a mule during rifle season.
(note, since I'm originally from that area north of Tahlequah, I'm qualified to make that judgement :)
most of the elk problems they are having in ne oklahoma are coming out of the nature conservatory that John Nickels donated. I know several farmers that have had a lot of damage from them. Even had some come over 15 miles to our place from there. Cow and a calf and 1 bull, I think the cow got run over by a train before they got her caught. Another cow was shot and left in a field here. If i owned a farm adjoining it, I would want something done also.
This off the Illinois River in Cherokee County.
