DeerFever.com

Deer rifle season kicks off Nov. 22, and reports from across the state indicate the rut is on and that its timing is just right to provide an exciting opening weekend for hunters.

The whitetail deer breeding season, or rut, is a biological process that typically occurs around the second week of November. Deer activity during the rut picks up but can be influenced by a host of factors such as temperatures, moon phase and herd condition.

“The rut seems to be in full swing, and weather permitting, opening weekend of gun season should be a good one,” said Joe Hemphill, southeast region wildlife supervisor for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Hemphill said the first half of archery season, muzzleloader and youth deer season resulted in an increased harvest in the popular hunting destination of southeast Oklahoma.

Hemphill said southeast Oklahoma hunters may find fewer acorns this year and that they should focus their hunting near persimmons or other food sources instead.

In the southwest, check station data showed harvest numbers are up this year so far as well. Rod Smith, southwest region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department, said the rut has been going strong and might be a little past its peak during rifle season, but still ongoing. Smith said the southwest region has been very dry in places and that hunters may benefit from a pre-season visit to their hunting areas to see if their hot spots look the same as usual or if a change in opening morning plans is in order.

Rut activity seems to be just heating up in the northwest, according to Wade Free, northwest region wildlife supervisor for the Department.

“Lots of recent scrapes, fresh rubs and chasing does just got underway this past weekend,” Free said earlier this week.

Free said areas that had family groups of does and fawns feeding on wheat in the evenings are now reduced in number and that more fawn pairs are being spotted alone, indicating that adult does are being chased hard by bucks. On the downside, mild temperatures and a recent full moon have kept deer mostly active during the night. Free said it should only get better.

Free predicts the region is on schedule for a great opening weekend.

Free reported an unusually high number of spikes and small-antlered bucks in the northwest region, which could be a result of severe drought conditions during the spring and summer of 2007.

“Hunters should pay close attention when harvesting does so they don’t mistakenly shoot a small-antlered or spike buck,” Free said.

Hunters in the northeast should hope for weather to put deer on the move, according the Craig Endicott, northeast region wildlife supervisor for the Wildlife Department. He also said reports from the field show that buck activity has increased since muzzleloader season.

Though reports that acorns are not plentiful may frustrate hunters, Endicott said some oak species had fair acorn crops in the region and that persimmons are plentiful. Other WMA biologists in the northeast region of the state have reported significant deer activity at night. They also predict the rut may winding down by the start of deer gun season, but that rutting activity will still be taking place early in the season. Additionally, biologists in the northeast have received reports that deer are heavily using food plots and natural browse.

Deer gun season runs Nov. 22 through Dec. 7.

Deer gun season is one of Oklahoma’s traditional pastimes with a history that reaches back to 1933 when the first season was held. Every year thousands of Oklahomans from all walks of life take to the fields and to the forests, not just in pursuit of game, but also to enjoy the entire outdoor experience.

“Hunting is a way of life for many Oklahomans and the opening day of deer gun season is like the Super Bowl, the State Fair and Christmas all rolled up into one,” said Nels Rodefeld, chief of information and education for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. “For many families, it is the one time of year they all take off work and spend time together. Hunting is something that is passed down from one generation to the other and it is a great way to make memories that will last a lifetime.”

But hunting is much more than just a way to connect with family, friends and the outdoors. Oklahoma’s record of restoring deer populations and other species of fish and wildlife and protecting natural habitat can be largely credited to the millions of dollars generated by the state’s sportsmen and women.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation is the state agency responsible for managing fish and wildlife. The Wildlife Department receives no general state tax dollars and is supported by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. In the early part of the last century, when deer populations were down to just a few hundred animals, hunters and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation took up the call to once again have healthy deer populations across the state. Part of this conservation effort began with the historic deer trap and transplant projects in the mid-1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. Today, Oklahoma can boast having deer in every county and a whitetail population of nearly 500,000 animals.

For each hunting gear purchase, a portion of the money is returned to state fish and wildlife agencies for conservation efforts. Through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, passed in 1937 at the request of the hunting and shooting sports industries, special excise taxes on hunting gear have contributed billions of dollars for wildlife conservation.

Many Oklahomans may view the sport of deer hunting as simply a pastime, but hunting actually plays a significant role in the state’s economy as well, sustaining jobs, drawing in-state as well as out-of-state business and flooding the economy with millions of dollars each year.

The number of people who hunt in Oklahoma could fill Owen Field and Boone Pickens stadium almost two times, and deer hunters make up a large portion of those hunters.

“The role deer hunters play in the state simply by participating in the outdoors is far-reaching, and truth be told, Oklahoma’s economy would not be the same without this life-enriching tradition,” said Melinda Sturgess-Streich, assistant director of administration for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Original expenditures made by hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers generate rounds of additional spending throughout the economy. The total economic effect of deer hunting activity in Oklahoma during 2006 was estimated at $499,510,340, and the total economic effect from 2006 hunting activity in Oklahoma in general was estimated to be $843 million.

Expenditures made for hunting, fishing and wildlife watching activities support jobs throughout the state. Many of these are in companies that directly serve recreationists such as retailers, restaurants, and more. Others are in companies that support the first companies and employees such as wholesalers, utilities, manufacturers, grocers and more. Total jobs, full and part time, supported in Oklahoma in 2006 from deer hunting-related activities was estimated at 5,662.

Given that outdoor recreation dollars are often spent in rural or lightly populated areas, the economic contributions of fish and wildlife resources can be especially important to rural economies.

“Deer season draws hunters to Oklahoma from across the country as well as thousands of our own sportsmen, and these hunters purchase gear — some of which is made right here in Oklahoma — and they stay in small-town hotels and spend money at local grocery stores, restaurants, and other venders,” Sturgess-Streich said. “Hunting is big business in Oklahoma and an important part of the fabric of our economy, which is relatively healthy compared to other parts of the country. During hard economic times, that says a lot. And not only that, it draws families and friends closer together for a pastime that people of all ages and walks of life can enjoy.”

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