NW OK deer reports?

[DreamingMan]

I'm going to the Salt Plains for a controlled hunt from Friday afternoon thru Sunday afternoon. People have told me that I could have my two deer limit by 5:00 Friday evening. IF that is true we will head over to Alva and hunt some private land that only produced 1 deer out of 5 guns last w/e. (I think it was pretty windy up in NW OK last w/e). The good part is that the 1 deer harvested was in a wheat field that I will hunt if successful at the refuge.

Does anyone have any reports for Alfalfa and Woods counties?

Thanks,
Dreaming Man

 

[MarcusR]

Shot a doe last weekend in Woods county. Seen several does but not bucks till Sunday, but had already shot my buck the weekend before. I just did not see a whole lot of good movement the entire gun season.

I have seen several nice deer driving past the Salt Fork Plains. Good luck its going to be cold.

 

[dlbleak]

last weekend was not a good one for that area. we hunted around aline, ok. out of the same four stands that saw over 150 deer the weekend before only one old scraggly buck was seen. by the success pics it looks like the deer are moving back out of cover after the rut.

 

[dennishoddy]

Good luck on the Salt Plains hunt! What area did you draw?

 

[fishfurlife]

Last couple of evening have brought 40-80 deer on a wheat patch I have been hunting

 

[dennishoddy]

Last couple of evening have brought 40-80 deer on a wheat patch I have been hunting

I'm sure what your seeing is mostly does.

Its getting really stupid about the buck to doe ratio in the NW.
Shoot the does, get meat!

 

[fishfurlife]

I'm sure what your seeing is mostly does.

Its getting really stupid about the buck to doe ratio in the NW.
Shoot the does, get meat!

15 bucks this evening. roughly 80 deer. 1 to 5 buck to doe ratio. Not bad for oklahoma. 12 bucks yesterday evening only about 40 deer.

Don't worry about preaching to me about doe harvest. I do everything I can legally do to thin the does out

 

[dennishoddy]

Don't worry about preaching to me about doe harvest. I do everything I can legally do to thin the does out

Not preaching at you at all. Keep up the good work!
We have been busting does for years now on our DMAP, and are still just maintaining.

 

[fishfurlife]

Not preaching at you at all. Keep up the good work!
We have been busting does for years now on our DMAP, and are still just maintaining.

and I didn't really mean for my last comment to come across as it probably did. I get kind of touchy on the doe harvest thing because you are absolutely right. The better part of hunters in the state could care less to take a doe.

 

[DreamingMan]

Good luck on the Salt Plains hunt! What area did you draw?

I hunted a wheat field not far (150 yds) from the HQ. First shots Friday were about 3:30, but no deer on my field till 4:45. Had a bit of a laugh, because I was using a Tink’s Miss November blow up decoy. It was about 50 yds straight in front of me; right where I killed a doe last year.

We heard the deer walk practically right behind the blind. Four does pop out 30 yds away. They paused a little before fully committing to going out into the field. They were very curious. They make their way across the field nibbling, looking at the decoy, nibbling. One of the does was more interested than the other three and went up to the decoy. Got within about 10 yds blew and bolted on direction and the other three went another direction. The three came back about five minutes later. I let them work their way back out on the field. It’s shooting time. Put the crosshairs on the biggest doe and squeeze off a round at 40-50 yds. Three deer run from where they came. I’m was confused as hell! I saw dirt fly up and wondered how I could miss so badly. Even on a show I watched last night the same thing happened and the bullet was passing through the deer and kicking up dirt after it exited the deer.

More deer come to the edge of a different part of the woods. They are hesitant after my shot and the decoy out in the field. I can count six deer with one fork horn in the bunch. I could have put a bullet into any of their head. Or could I? I just missed or did I? The limit is one doe(1st deer down must be doe) and the second deer either sex. Well, I was not 100% sure I didn’t hit the deer that didn’t go down immediately and I wasn’t ready to shot at another doe. The other group of deer are filtering onto the field. A little brave slickhead goes up to the decoy blows and ALL deer flee the area. I count 10 if not 12 white flags going away from us. So the Friday hunt ends. My never been deer hunting buddy looks in the field for blood and fur and finds nothing. The field is very sandy, so my wheelchair could not go into the field without getting stuck and digging a hole to China. My buddy didn’t find blood, hair or a dead doe in the woods. This was the first time in five years of hunting with this rifle and it went “BOOM” and didn’t result in a deer on the ground. I’m still scratching my head on Wednesday. How could my gun, being stored in a hard case, have got off so badly that I missed COMPLETELY from 50 yds. I think my buddy just didn’t know what he was looking for in the field or the woods.

Only saw two deer on Saturday morning. They didn’t pay attention to the decoy. No Shot.

Saturday night was pretty much a repeat of the Friday night, but without a decoy and the deer coming later. This time the four that came out first were only three, which makes me think I did hit one of the doe the night before. I don’t know! Anyway, had about ten deer plus a forkhorn. Getting ready to shoot a doe and the forkhorn get close to where the decoy was earlier and smells doe pee and estrous and takes off Everyone follows A few more filter out. I take a shot that was at 5:35 … too late to shoot and I don’t recover that deer either. My stomach felt like it was going to hurl.

Should have gone out Sunday morning, but after two shots (misses?!) or two non-recoveries I decided to sleep in. It felt good to sleep in after a couple 8% homebrews and another 7-8% beer named Dogfather Imperial Stout. Good beer, man!

Other hunters were having moderate success in the evening (heard shots), but not much going in the morning.

Thanks to the generous staff at the Salt Plains and my buddy going on the hunt with me!!!

p.s. Saw less than fair numbers of geese, poor ducks and poor Sand Hill Cranes.