anyone hunt OK public land?

[Phorizt]

just curious who here hunts OK public lands and what part of the state you hunt? I understand there are no deer in OK so my expectations for any hunts I may go on up there are EXTREMELY low lol.

My son drew one of the controlled hunts up there last fall and after a couple of scouting trips with him and a few days on his hunt now I've got the itch to get up there myself and do some bowhunting. His hunt was on James Collins WMA and he didn't get a chance to harvest anything but it was a lot of fun being with him exploring and hunting some new terrain. Unfortunately, it was so hot it ended up being the worst youth hunt they may have ever had there I think.

Anyway, I think I've just about decided on spending a week hunting all the way up in the OK panhandle come October just to do something totally different. the sandhills and river bottoms up there look interesting to me. I may also look at something like Sandy Sanders in SW OK which is much closer to me but just something about that area in the pandhandle makes me want to give it a try at least once.

[GoPokes]

I hunt around the Tulsa area on Corps lakes. If you can go by boat and find areas off the beaten path there are some great bucks. Still some great areas accessible by foot, they just get more use.

[Krautzy]

This year will be my first. Saw so much sign duck hunting last year that i am making a trip here in august to scout and set game cams. Will be going back to hunt in October.

I will also be hunting out of a boat like GoPokes mentioned but towards the eastern side of the state.

[saintsfan]

PM sent. Give me a shout, would be happy to share what I've learned about hunting Western Oklahoma.

[Clay89]

I’ve hunted sandy sanders last couple yrs low deer numbers not much water on refuge it not really recovered from 7/8 yrs ago when that drought lasted couple yrs biologists told us most deer had left or died. The ones in panhandle look good but I’ve never hunted them I think 4/5k acres of beavers burned off this spring. All the refuges have deer though just expect heavy pressure on ones that allow gun hunts

[Phorizt]

I’ve hunted sandy sanders last couple yrs low deer numbers not much water on refuge it not really recovered from 7/8 yrs ago when that drought lasted couple yrs biologists told us most deer had left or died. The ones in panhandle look good but I’ve never hunted them I think 4/5k acres of beavers burned off this spring. All the refuges have deer though just expect heavy pressure on ones that allow gun hunts

yeah I've read that Sandy Sanders had pretty low deer numbers. I like the look of the terrain there even if there aren't a lot of animals.

Didn't know about the fire at Beaver River. Looking at the fire map now it looks like the entire western half of the WMA burned up. I can't find numbers anywhere but from the map looks like it may be more like 10,000 acres if it is accurate. I was considering Beaver River and Optima so I'll probably still take a trip up there to scout them both out in September sometime.

I"m pretty much only looking at places that are Archery only except for the few controlled gun/muzzleloader hunts they do on most of the WMAs.

[Clay89]

I know right after beaver burned this spring they got pretty good rain on it so could’ve got some good regrowth

[RogerBTX]

I hunted a week every year for a few years in south east/central OK. Lost access to that land 12 years ago. I have been researching and plan to back this year. Good bucks are available all over the state. James Collins is always in the top five of WMA’s in archery harvest numbers.

[3whunt]

Grew up hunting Collin’s. Helped plant the trees in the campground. As has been stated, there are a lot of deer there. It’s a shame how the current group is running it. Pathetic may be a better word. However, bring a solid 4 wheel drive and there are deer to be had.

If I was goi g to hunt mid to late October in Oklahoma, McGee Creek would be where I would go.

[Spearchunker]

Yes! Now that I don't own the land next to it I will share! Look up Gains Creek Recreation Area on Lake Eufaula. Not only bow hunting but open camping. You will see some others but not too many. Its not marked and I hunted pretty hard and rarely saw another bow hunter. I have pics of a 180" plus solid 8. I will look now for it. Plenty of shooters on camera. Just never connected. All the corp around there is good too. Very accessible by boat. That same area has a boat ramp too. I have considered going back and camping with the boat and hunt. Some nice beach areas as well.

But now everyone one on this thread will be there too...

[Phorizt]

Yes! Now that I don't own the land next to it I will share! Look up Gains Creek Recreation Area on Lake Eufaula. Not only bow hunting but open camping. You will see some others but not too many. Its not marked and I hunted pretty hard and rarely saw another bow hunter. I have pics of a 180" plus solid 8. I will look now for it. Plenty of shooters on camera. Just never connected. All the corp around there is good too. Very accessible by boat. That same area has a boat ramp too. I have considered going back and camping with the boat and hunt. Some nice beach areas as well.

But now everyone one on this thread will be there too...

I was just looking through the COE land maps for OK a couple of days ago. Seems if you have a boat there are a ton of good places you could get into that nobody else would have access to bc they are all landlocked by private lands from the outside.

[Spearchunker]

I was just looking through the COE land maps for OK a couple of days ago. Seems if you have a boat there are a ton of good places you could get into that nobody else would have access to bc they are all landlocked by private lands from the outside.

Absolutely and only 3 hour drive. I have seen some incredible bucks on that corp and my old place. I only hunted 2 years. I stuck a toad first year but fn rage failed me. He did live! Then hunted that 8 every other trip. I got to find the pics.

[Spearchunker]

One nice 8.

[Hoss163]

So there are no Deer on Sandy Sanders ?!?!

[roostar14]

Lol the sleeper state