Oklahoma Bear Hunting

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Dave70968

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Reading adamsredlines's thread about bear hunting got me thinking about it, and I was wondering what the bear hunting situation looks like in Oklahoma. I know the regulations give us a limited allotment, which suggests a small population, but I was hoping to hear from people down in southeast Oklahoma, ideally people who've actually hunted them.

What's it like finding huntable land down there? What methods do you use? Bait? Spot-and-stalk? I'm about useless with a bow, so I'd be shooting a muzzleloader.

So...who's been? Who knows someone who's been? Any thoughts?
 

adamsredlines

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So I have access to a place in Talihina and I was told that another guy there gets a bear every year he gets a license.
I'm not sure whats involved with getting a license...lottery or not, and if its a "call every day to see if its still open" type of deal..but it sounds like they're out there.
I may look into it further and give OK bear a try too. I really want some bear meat and a hide.
 

tslabaugh

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It is buy a tag and call every morning to see if they haven't met quota. I have family that has some land that backs up to National Forest. I was going to attempt to bait and arrow one this year, but it is falling right into my antelope hunt in WY. I'll probably give it a shot next year.

The few people I have talked to who have hunted them in Oklahoma, said good luck spot and stalking one. They were mainly talking about archery though. It is damn near impossible to find something online about people being successful here, unless its an news article.

That said, I want to hear other people's experience or takes on it. I'd love to stick a bear!
 

Pokinfun

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It is buy a tag and call every morning to see if they haven't met quota. I have family that has some land that backs up to National Forest. I was going to attempt to bait and arrow one this year, but it is falling right into my antelope hunt in WY. I'll probably give it a shot next year.

The few people I have talked to who have hunted them in Oklahoma, said good luck spot and stalking one. They were mainly talking about archery though. It is damn near impossible to find something online about people being successful here, unless its an news article.

That said, I want to hear other people's experience or takes on it. I'd love to stick a bear!
Baiting them is the way to go. A bear is different than a deer. A bear knows you are there, you have to make them not care that you are in the area.
I talked to a game warden about it, he said to leave your dirty socks and underwear in a tree when you put out bait, not the same tree. that way a bear does not think you are food, but thinks your are part of the environment.
 

beardking

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I've always wanted to go bear hunting and hopefully actually get one. I've set hunted a lot in the Broken Bow area, but I just haven't been able to get myself to fork over the cash to MAYBE get an opportunity to be able to take one (if everyone else doesn't beat me to it). One of these days, maybe.
 

dennishoddy

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I've always wanted to go bear hunting and hopefully actually get one. I've set hunted a lot in the Broken Bow area, but I just haven't been able to get myself to fork over the cash to MAYBE get an opportunity to be able to take one (if everyone else doesn't beat me to it). One of these days, maybe.
Pretty much all of the bear kills have been over bait on private ground.
 

Okie4570

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From my experiences down there after leasing a place for a couple of years, if you can't or have someone bait for you year around, your odds are extremely slim. I think we had one bear pic out of multiple cams. From the locals that I talked to that killed them, they killed them out of the same stand yearly, and kept them fed yearly.
 

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