Weather for the Oct. 28 deer muzzleloader season opener looks like it'll cooperate with hunters aiming to harvest a deer — or perhaps three.
"There is some buzz among the hunters, and there’s good reason," said Dallas Barber, big game biologist. "With a big cold front expected, the deer should be up and on their feet."
"This is looking to be some of the best weather we’ve had, as far as muzzleloader season, in the past couple of years," Barber said. Cooler conditions prompt deer to move more throughout the day, giving hunters better chances to see and harvest an animal.
Deer muzzleloader season closes a half-hour after sunset Nov. 5.
According to the most recent Big Game Report, an estimated 75,766 hunters took part in the 2016 deer muzzleloader season, reporting a total harvest of 13,998 deer. For all deer seasons combined in 2016, a total harvest of 99,023 deer was reported.
Muzzleloader hunters can take one antlered and two antlerless deer during the season, as long as one of the antlerless deer is taken from Zone 2, 7 or 8. Consult the 2017-18 Oklahoma Hunting & Fishing Regulations Guide map here.
All hunters are reminded that they must wear the minimum required amount of hunter orange clothing during any open big game firearms season.
Those and all other regulations such as license requirements, hunting hours, bag limits, field tagging and online E-Check rules are detailed in the "Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Regulations Guide" found here.