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Need some guidance on how to hunt OK

I (along with my brother and father) do a public land bow hunt each year in a different state. This year we chose Oklahoma and I was hoping some of you guys with experience might could give me/us some advice. We are planning to be there the last week in October for 5-6 days. We are looking at Atoka WMA and McGee Creek WMA or going further north up to Osage WMA. We are not 100% committed to any location so open to suggestions on that too. My brother and I did a quick trip this past weekend and scouted/hunted Atoka and McGee but felt we did not get much accomplished (it was HOT pretty much all weekend) in terms of locating where to find deer. I am wondering if we are not looking in the right places for deer sign because everything we have heard is that both of those places are supposed to be good but we struggled to find fresh sign. We were using our tactics that we grew up using in Mississippi so I am wondering if the deer in OK (especially in that eastern hill/ozark region) behave a little different. Should we just be looking for food sources like acorn trees that time of year? Focusing on transitions? Creek beds? Is there a certain elevation they tend to gravitate to? We were hoping to catch the pre-rut activity so will we see that in southeast OK or should we move up to Osage along the Kansas border to find that? I'm not asking for anyone to give me their best secret hunting spot, but if some of you could point us in the right direction on where we should be looking that would be greatly appreciated.

I've never hunted either of those WMA's, but i hunt properties both west of Atoka and east near Farris. I haven't checked the regs for those WMAs, but muzzleloader season will be going on the last week of October. You shouldn't have any problem finding buck sign that time of year. Rubs and scrapes will be all over the place. From what i've seen at the properties i hunt, acorns are plentiful and i'm sure the deer will be all over them.

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We saw just a few very small rubs and no scrapes this past weekend so hoping things will ramp up in next two weeks before we get there.

I’ve osage a lot over the years, it’s close to the kansas border but I’ve never gotten pictures or seen anything over 125 in there over the years. I had a lease up there in osage county as well and saw the same trend but better, nothing over 150. It’s also close enough to to tulsa that it gets quite a bit of pressure. Pulled the plug on it last year after the crowds.

Be sure to check and make sure the areas aren’t closed for the controlled hunts before you head up. That area around atoka has some really good genetics as does the area south of OKC to the Texas border. Stay north enough from Dallas though some of those areas close the to border get alot of pressure from Texas

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