Crossbows Now Legal for Deer Hunting for All Ages

[AllOut]

not just for me... as for bow hunting in general the whole idea behind it was that it was harder and took more work and talent making it more gradifying.
look back at bow hunting history u will see that one man started this and he caught crap from everyone for not using a gun and talked the state into opening a bow season... now if that is how it started than it should be how it is today in respect of those who got this for us not just so u can make it easier for yourself.

im not for a longer gun season but that is kind of what i figured... the reason gun season is a cluster hump is cause the entire state has to get it done in what use to be 9 and is now 16 days... if u spread gun out as will u do the hunting.... i think we could open it up longer but close it during rut and it would help our deer out tramendiously

 

[RidgeHunter]

S. Carolina or Alabama,

Compared to Oklahoma, those are dink deer states, South Carolina especially. Oklahoma is quickly making a name for itself as a big buck destination, especially the Western half of the state. We're not up there with the cornbelt states or Texas, but we are closer to them than the deep south coastal states. We are growing the bucks, nonresident hunting is cheap and easy comparatively.

The difference is, most of the cornbelt states have VERY short, split gun seasons that fall outside the rut. Look at Ohio, crossbows are legal, but it's slug guns only and that season does not catch the rut. Primitive season in the deep winter. Similar is Iowa and other big buck cornbelt states.

Texas is unique from other big buck destinations (cornbelt) because of the long gun season and regulations (in some counties) geared towards growing big bucks. It's the land of little decent public hunting, lots of hunting "ranches" (booked hunts) and high lease prices.

There ain't gonna be as many people willing to shell out huge dough to travel to South Carolina to hunt. There will be Texans ready to cross the Red for leases here, and there will be yuppies looking to book hunts here with a longer gun season, and outfitters and lease holders doing whatever they can to get that money. Oklahoma with a really long gun season is a totally unique situation not like any other states and there is really no way to be sure what would happen, but I'd bet my left goober lease prices would rise and many people would lose their leases to hunt ops or high prices. The people suddenly out of a spot to hunt will be in the public land parking lots on opening day.

Personally I'd rather see us with seasons similar to Iowa or Ohio (keep the guns out of the rut, use your crossbows all you want), but that's not a very popular opinion around these parts.

 

[AllOut]

agreed 100%

i like kansas seasons... muzzleloader and bow starts sept 21 MZ runs for 2 weeks then its bow only til December

its our own faults, oklahoma is still stuck on this "if its brown its down" bs and thats way like 70% of buck killed here are 1.5 years old.... we have good bucks good genetics and good nutrition in most of the state we just dont let them get old enough to be real trophies not this anything with horns is a trophy crap. Then to top it off we put our MZ season at the big part of pre rut and gun smack dab in the middle of it when all the bucks are running everywhere easy for the picking....stupid

well now that we have completely derailed this thread...... how about them XBOWs

 

[ElkStalkR]

If you guys wanna be swarmed with leases and outfitters eliminate rifle season during the rut, sit back, and watch the progression unfold. Protect those young bucks and you will soon be a big buck destination. If you wanna avoid leases and "big money" hunting you'd better keep Okie's rifle season right where you got it.

I know ALL ABOUT this. I live in Nebraska. The corn capitol of the US. But guess what, our rifle season is smack dab in the rut, AND I HOPE THEY KEEP IT THERE!!! Nebraska IS NOT known for its monster bucks and never will be, so long as we keep rifle hunting the rut. Now, drive 10 minutes from my house, cross the mighty mo into Iowa and its a COMPLETELY different story. Lots more larger deer and lots harder to gain access to them!

Everybody wants big bucks in there backyard, but I am here to tell you they will come at a price, so be careful what you wish for!

Yea, we are WAY off topic. LOL

 

[RidgeHunter]

Everybody wants big bucks in there backyard, but I am here to tell you they will come at a price, so be careful what you wish for!

You're making my point for me.

The longer guns season is being kicked around ALONG WITH lower buck limits and other things that would grow the big bucks. They would go hand in hand, if only for necessity. Long season, tight restrictions on buck = big money for somebody.

Antler restrictions, 1 buck limit, long rifle season = outfitters heaven. Grow 'em big, lots of time to book the rifle hunts every weekend. Tens of thousands of dollars a weekend talks.

I am being careful what I wish for. I don't wish for that perfect storm.

That's why I've kinda changed my tune on lower buck limits and antler restrictions over the last few years. At first I thought they would benefit the average hunter, but the side dish they are selling with them is going to benefit "deer vendors" more than anyone. From the stuff I've seen the committee propose and the ODWC kick around at meetings, I don't see one or the other happening. Looks like somebody wants both.

Low buck limits and antler restrictions with short gun season would help us overall, combine them with a super long gun season it's money making time for outfitters/lease owners.

Yea, we are WAY off topic. LOL

I don't always see that as a bad thing. Discussions are fluid and when one point has been discused it can transform into another. These are all hunting season related. As long as we are not talking about unicycles or bowling or something. Lots of good points being made here.

Besides this is like the 3rd thread on crossbows since it passed.

 

[AllOut]

thats got to be the worst logic i have ever herd!
"lets make, no lets keep making our states buck herd suck so we can have all this suckyness to ourselves"

hunting is getting very commercial i give u that but look at kansas, their public land is better and has bigger bucks than any private u will find in oklahoma. i will give up my leases to the big money outfitters if i could hunt public like kansas here in my own back yard.

 

[RidgeHunter]

Protect those young bucks and you will soon be a big buck destination.

thats got to be the worst logic i have ever herd!
"lets make, no lets keep making our states buck herd suck so we can have all this suckyness to ourselves"

Yeah, I read that again just now and went "What?"

They go hand in hand, ElkStalkR. We're not going to get the longer gun seasons ("more opportunity") without protecting the young bucks. They are being sold as a package deal. Besides, IMO we are only a few years from becoming a well known "big buck" state anyways. It gets more well known ever year. I just think we should protect the average hunter before we cater to outfitters and the like.

Kansas is another animal because it's not as easy for nonresidents to hunt there as it is Oklahoma.

Oklahoma could be the perfect storm of crappiness for the average work-a-day hunter if a few conditions happen. Easy to hunt here, fairly cheap fees. Combine strict buck restrictions with a long gun season, it could change deer hunting in Oklahoma drastically. Lease prices rise, availability of leases drops as former leases will be bought/leased to outfitters rather than individual hunters, public land sees an influx of the displaced hunters.

That's why I would like seasons like Iowa or Ohio. They would grow us the deer and not give outfitters a chance to book 8+ weekends of gun hunts at several K a pop.

We WILL be a big buck destination if all the conditions fall into place. It will be unprecedented, every other state has distinct differences from Okiehoma. Most states with long gun seasons are super high deer population, dink buck states...with parts of Texas being the exception. Comparatively, we ain't no super high deer population, dink buck state.

But guess what, our rifle season is smack dab in the rut, AND I HOPE THEY KEEP IT THERE!!!

Yes, but how long is it?

 

[AllOut]

Western OK has been known for a while as a big buck area, i have leased out in Grant Co. for about 7 years and when we first started it was ok but now leases are getting unreal and there are hunters everywhere. We have already lost 2 leases to gun/hunting clubs or someone just leasing out from under us by offering 2x what we paid.
Not to mention if u watch RealTree Outdoors u whould have knoticed David Blanton did a hunt last year north of Kaw lake and said he loved it and would be back next year, so its already began.
As for Kansas ya its definatly a different animal and i mean BIGGER animals for sure. Its funny how i can drive an hour north from Broken Arrow and as soon as u cross the border the deer automatically get huge. Non-res hunting is actually very easy, it just cost a little more. There are thousands of left over tags u can buy OTC.
I think if we adopted Kansas seasons we would be like them within a few years.... Plus there 1 buck limit per year. The hunting pressure there is little to none, we bow hunted different public spots for 8 weeks in 2008 and only saw 3 other guys the intire time! And like I said earlier the public hunting has more and bigger bucks than any private u will find here. We dont need the 120day guns season to make our buck a trophy state and by not having it will keep most the outfitters away. Not to mention we could just jack up the price for non res if they try and come in and no doubt oklahoma would do that anyway.

This tread may have gotten off topic but its turned out to be a fun and interesting thread anyway.

 

[Bulls eye]

I lived in Alabama 4 years ago when crossbows were let into the general bow season. All the compound guys were up in arms here using the same arguements some of you guys have posted here. Too easy, too many hunters in the woods, to many deer being killed, this is OUR season etc...... Guess what???? NONE of that ever materialized!!!! Most people didnt run out and buy crossbows and most of the ones who did figured out it wasnt neccesarily for them. I rarely run across a hard core crossbow hunter here. There are still a abundance of deer and the crossbow is NOT a high kill percentage hunting weapon. So all you so called bow hunters relax!!!! There might be a few crossbow boys in the woods this year but I promise after the new wears off you wont even notice us. Now go clip your releases on your strings, look at your super duper fiber optic sights, tightner up your stabilizers and string silencers and harmonic noise dampners, put a aluminum arrow with the newest high tect broadhead on that monstrosity you call a arrow rest, and go fling some arrows and have some fun. There is plenty of deer for all of us.

 

[ElkStalkR]

Yes, but how long is it?

9 day regular rifle season in November. Plus a muzzleloader season, which some would argue is like another rifle season, for the entire month of December.

We also have a 9 day doe rifle season in October and again for the first 2 weeks in January. These seasons cover most the eastern part of the state, as thier is a world of diifference from eastern NE deer pops and central/western NE deer pops.

The deer density along the Missouri River corridor is absurd. I can shoot unlimited does during all seasons. Oh, they have a permit quota on the does, but I have lived here for 8 years now and they have NEVER sold out for my unit!