What's going on out there?
Late-season deer, Christmas is here and so is the Trout Pond for Tulsa
The big deal this week and next is the rifle season open for hunters to take two extra does through Dec. 31 during the Holiday Antlerless Deer season but, wait a minute, it’s only Dec. 20 and archery season is open all the way until Jan. 15.
All you have to do to hunt halfway through January—if you don’t have a lifetime license—is to renew your license and archery tag(s) before New Years Day.
But first let’s consider the antlerless rifle season, which this year allows harvest a harvest of two antlerless critters that don’t count against the annual 6-deer limit, and is extended to 14 days.
The added opportunities abound with this doe season. Folks who have all deer they need can take another one or two for Hunters Against Hunger or Share Harvest. And the added harvest boosts deer population health by reducing the buck/doe ratio.
Youngsters who didn’t fill an antlerless tag during the youth season can have another shot at filling that tag. Folks will need to purchase the holiday antlerless license (unless exempt) but cost is only $20 for adults and $10 for youth.
Deer are readily coming to food sources now so it’s a great opportunity for a young hunter in a deer stand or pop-up blind near a feeder or other reliable food source, which often allows the new hunter a little more time to line things up and make a good first shot and quick kill.
I started this in my hunting area the first week of December and it only took the deer three days to find the corn—and only three more days to eat 120 pounds of it.
Dallas Barber, big game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, said food sources are the primary target sources for deer in late season and that of course means agriculture fields—or provided corn or bran where it’s legal.
“It’s a time of year when deer really focus on wintertime food sources, so ag fields are the number one food source in most areas. It’s a great last chance for people to put food in the freezer and for farmers and ranchers to protect their crops and investment,” he said.
The late doe season works toward the department’s drive to increase antlerless harvest, especially in Zones 2, 7 and 8. But, as Barber said, “that’s not to say there aren’t plenty of properties across other areas where people should take a few more does.”
That food-source tip goes for all archery hunters this time of year as well.
Most of the “second rut” activity is slowing down. Hunters might still catch a buck with a nose for some Tink’s No. 9 but what they’ll really go for, especially on a cold day, is some good groceries.
Some hunters claim a big buck won’t come to a deer feeder, but that they will come to a pile of corn on the ground if it’s regularly replenished. They won’t come to just any old pile of corn, but it can be a draw to help make them a more reliable user of a regularly used travel corridor.
I started this in my hunting area the first week of December and it only took the deer three days to find the corn—and only three more days to eat 120 pounds of it.
Just plain old corn works fine and provides fuel for those young does and bucks you’re not after but experienced hands say that one secret weapon that bucks especially like is powdered rice bran—if you can find some for sale.
Trout Pond for Tulsa will be ready for Christmas
Get the kiddos a new ultra-light outfit or a basic kids’ combo for Christmas and take them out to the Trout Pond for Tulsa at The Gardens at LaFortune Park, East 51st Street South and Hudson Avenue beginning Christmas Day.
What better way to work up an appetite for Christmas dinner?
Trout will soon be stocked and as soon as Santa Claus drops in to pull the “no-fishing” signs the pond be open to kids-only fishing through Dec. 31. Adults are welcome to fish along with their children (youth under age 16) but they will need to possess a state fishing license. The daily limit at the pond is 4 rainbows.
The trout pond is a project of the local Oklahoma Trout Unlimited Chapter 420 and Tulsa Fly Fishers along with NatureWorks. The fish don’t come cheap so tax-deductible donations to the project always are welcome. Send donations payable to Trout Unlimited, P.O. Box 54108, Tulsa, OK 74155.
Trout Pond FAQ
Location: Tulsa County Parks' The Garden at LaFortune Park, 51st Street and Hudson Avenue
Licenses: Oklahoma Fishing License required for adults; under 16 no license required
Limit: Daily limit is four trout per angler (pond also contains bluegill and some catfish).
No culling allowed: Culling is the act of putting a live fish on a stringer or in a basket and then replacing it when a bigger fish is caught later. That is not allowed at the pond.
Kids Only fishing: Only children under 16 when accompanied by an adult may fish the pond on Kids Only days (adults with the children also may fish). Those dates are Dec. 25-31 and two Monday holidays, Martin Luther King Day and Presidents Day in January and February.
Catch and release: Experienced anglers are encouraged to fish with barbless hooks and release fish unharmed.
Sponsors: Oklahoma Trout Unlimited Chapter 420, NatureWorks and private donations.
Donations: Make a tax-deductible donation payable to Trout Unlimited, P.O. Box 54108, Tulsa, OK 74155
Winter Solstice makes Monday the shortest of 2020
Have you ever hunted, fished or hiked from sunup to sunset? If not you might want to give it a try on Monday, the shortest day of the year.
In the Tulsa area the sun will rise at 7:31 a.m. and set at 5:14 p.m. for a total of 9 hours, 43 minutes on what is officially the first day of winter.
Granted, a day of fishing or hunting of that length might require a break or two for some folks, but it’s fair to consider a trailside or shoreline lunch a part of the daylong exercise.
If you can’t get around to it on Monday don’t worry, the daylight gain from the 21st through the 25th is only a matter of a few seconds.
Daylight gain increases slowly at first but increases through the spring. Either way, the first day of winter marks a turn of the calendar toward longer days and summer’s warmth.
What’s coming up
DEC. 25 – MERRY CHRISTMAS!! And the Trout Pond for Tulsa opens for youth-only days through Dec. 31. (see above)
DEC. 26 – Oxley Nature Center Flora Explorers are back on track with regularly outings. Join naturalists 10:30 a.m.-Noon for a walk to learn about local trees and plants. These walks are free and no registration is required. Learn more at oxleynaturecenter.org.
JAN. 2 – Saturday Morning Birding has resumed at Oxley Nature Center. Meet naturalists at Oxley and look for birds in the area 8-9:45 a.m. This is open to all ages (youth accompanied by an adult) and all experience levels. It’s free and no registration is required.