Photo by D. Robert Franz.

Oklahoma's deer hunters have done it again! By bagging 119,349 deer during the 2006-07 season, they surpassed the former top harvest by an amazing 18,238 deer, setting yet another record for total kill.

Last season started off slow, with both the archery and blackpowder segments kicking off amid unseasonably warm temperatures, but finished strong, thanks to a well-established rut and good weather that translated into 16 prime days of gun hunting for our deer enthusiasts.

Sooner deerslayers have on average taken nearly 100,000 deer a year for the last several seasons, but the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation continues to look for ways to harvest even more deer to help manage the explosive growth of this prolific animal. And we've got the time for it: Combine archery, blackpowder, and gun seasons, and it's inarguable that we're afforded a lengthy season -- one spanning 107 days.

Wildlife experts put our herd at 600,000 and growing; some believe the number is much higher. Deer counts aside, though, you'll surely agree that our deer hunting is better than ever. Success rates have risen, and yet some farmers complain that the animals are destroying their crops, and would gladly welcome more hunting days to reduce depredation. However, the big sums asked by some landowners for a grant of hunting rights suggest that raising crops isn't the only way that farmers are making a living. Private hunting grounds represent a highly-sought commodity, and huntable land is leased at a premium.

Newly imposed for the 2007 season is a reduction in bag limit to two bucks total for all seasons, the ODWC's hope being that hunters will be more selective and opt to harvest older deer. This will surely elicit mixed emotions, but most hunters I've asked about the development have favored the change.

Last fall I participated in an outstanding blackpowder hunt near Hollis -- which is almost as far southwest as you can go and still be in Oklahoma -- with Bruce Mabrey of Hiroost Outfitters, (918) 756-8039. On arrival, I promptly found myself amazed at the quality of deer that this fertile area produces. The afternoon before my hunt, I saw deer everywhere, and although the weather was very warm and dry, I had high hopes for the next few days. Mabrey of course expected that I'd be looking to shoot a buck, but with both bucks and does being legal, he also encouraged me to take an older doe if the opportunity arose.

Late that afternoon, after taking a stand near a well-used wheat field, I watched several does filter onto the lush field to gorge on high-protein greens. Movement near the edge of the field drew my attention to a large doe feeding my way. When the doe was 75 yards away, I fired, filling the air with thick smoke. The doe traveled only 40 yards before collapsing. Well-worn teeth indicated she was old, and I felt good to have done my job as a wildlife manager.

Two days later, while situated in a brushy draw, I took a nice 8-point buck that walked to within 40 yards of my location; a well-placed shot from my .50-caliber rifle dropped the animal. The buck was beautiful, and I was proud to have it.

Though no absolutes apply in this life, one thing's sure: If you're an Oklahoma deer hunter, you can look forward to some of the best action ever this coming season!

TOP COUNTIES FOR BAGGING A BUCK
The state's best counties for bagging a buck are scattered. However, some historically worthwhile spots remain the same year after year. Interestingly, our top counties offer a diversity of landscapes, with habitat types ranging from tallgrass prairies to heavily wooded forests.

Here I'll list the top counties for taking an antlered deer. These counts reflect general harvest numbers, not special hunts or wildlife management area totals, which will be listed separately.

For archers, the top county for taking a buck last season was Pittsburg, which was also the top county for the 2005-06 archery season. In Southeastern Oklahoma's Jack Fork Mountains, Pittsburg County is home to one of the most-coveted trophy areas -- the McAlester Army Ammunition Depot, where bowhunters took 421 bucks in a heavily wooded county that features spectacular pine forests.

Cherokee County ranked second, with 386 archery bucks; Osage County, in the northeast, ranked third, its bowhunters taking 361 antlered deer. Sequoyah and Atoka counties came in with 333 and 260 bucks, respectively.

For blackpowder hunters, the best county for bagging a buck was again Pittsburg County, where 999 were taken. Cherokee County blackpowder hunters killed 873 antlered deer; Pushmataha County came in third, with 723 bucks. Sequoyah County was fourth with 691, followed by Atoka County with 665.