What's going on out there? Deer opener forecast looks excellent
Check some info on deer season, duck season, fishing and 'Mark your calendars'
If you aren’t ready for the weekend you’d better hurry up. The biggest hunting day of the year is upon us and my go-to source for moon position and white-tailed deer activity is of the mind that this opener may be one of the best we’ve seen in awhile.
He also has some good news for bowhunters enjoying their last couple morning of peace and quiet on Friday.
The populations and habitat across the vast majority of the state are in excellent condition, as big game biologist Dallas Barber, of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has been reporting all year.
Conditions have been a little drier in the western half of the state than in the past so some areas that have been good in the past are short on water. Hunters may want to key in on that resource as a guide to where to hunt in those areas, he said.
The Wildlife Department is of course beating the “hunters in the know take a doe” drum and folks are encouraged go antlerless and go often. Just make sure you check regulations for the area and zone you are hunting so you know those bag limits and that you tag (both physical and e-check) that buck or doe before you leave your hunting area.
I know the rules allow some time, but it’s just a good habit to do those things immediately.
A word to the wise, make sure that rifle is still “on” (hopefully you’ve been practicing with it recently) and remember the most-often issued tickets during deer season are for failure to tag and e-check and failure to wear appropriate orange covering the entire time you are in the field.
In other words, dummy, don’t shoot a deer and then put your orange vest in your backpack while you field dress it.
Now for that activity report:
The peak days of the rut come in the first two weeks of November so that activity is just beginning to wind down—not that you won’t still see some chasing and tending as some of the last does to cycle come into estrus. This week marks the very beginning of the post-rut period.
My good friend Greg Koch, an expert on reading moon phases, sees a good opener coming with the weather cooling somewhat and the moon overhead.
“When you see the moon overhead just before dark, that crested moon, that is the best moon of the month for activity,” he said. “These two to three mornings, especially, Friday and Saturday will be good mornings.... Sunday will be a good morning too, but you will want to stay in your stand a little later.”
Thursday morning what that third best day of the month but, geez, the heat and that wind!
Fun video of the week!
Shoutout to one of our favorite local pro anglers Edwin Evers of Major League Fishing for a great series of videos he’s producing on YouTube and especially one posted this week from his up the Grand River on Hudson Lake.
Edwin landed what he thinks was a personal best! On Hudson? You ask?
You’ll just have to watch and see.
How do you like the short November for waterfowl?
Opening day 2020 of duck season was a good one if you pay attention to all the Facebook posts and don’t consider that folks who don’t get much don’t post much.
Still, reports from around the region were pretty good for any before-the-split weekend.
The warm weather and wind this week continued to shrink water sources so birds could be slightly more concentrated this week.
And with those consistent south winds and warm weather it’s a fair bet any birds that were here last week still are around this week.
Speaking of the split, I’m shopping for feedback on the later opening and short split this season. Any comments on the later start with the shorter split. What do you think, any impacts on your hunting plans?
The later start didn’t affect me this year because I was trying to hunt and/or track deer anyway. Although my dog ended up being snake-bit so we were sidelined for the opener.
For those who don’t know about the change, waterfowl season used to opened the first week of November and was open to the first of December and then it closed for two weekends.
This year it is only closed Nov. 30-Dec. 4, Monday through Friday.
Any idea of the split allowing birds to “rest and rebuild” on public areas mid-season is out the window. It does allow a “longer” season than eliminating it entirely, however, and it reduces the odds weather would bring a push of migrants that hunters will miss.
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Mark your calendars
NOV 20—Friday is the last day of the shotgun season for wild turkey, which ran Oct. 31-Nov. 20.
NOV 21—Rifle season for white-tailed deer is here! Season runs Nov. 21-Dec. 6. Check ahead this year to make sure the meat processor you use is available to process venison. Many processors have been over-booked with beef and pork due to demand arising from the coronavirus pandemic. Check the Wildlife Department’s list of processors in the Hunters Against Hunger program here. Wear your orange, and consider that “hunters in the know take a doe.”
NOV. 28—Oxley Nature Center’s Explore the Flora walks are back on schedule. These are free and no registration is required. Join naturalists and learn about local plant life 10:30 a.m.-Noon.
NOV. 29—Remember we have a shorter first period for waterfowl season this year for much of the state. (Panhandle is open Oct. 10-Jan. 6) Remember to get both state and federal duck stamps and put a plug in your shotgun so it will hold only three shells and use only non-toxic shot. Those are the most common violations. Daily limit on ducks is six combined, no more than five of which may be mallards (only two may be hens), three wood ducks, two redheads, two canvasbacks on scaup and one pintail. The limit on mergansers is five (no more than two of which may be hooded mergansers).
DEC. 1 – Dove season re-opens for a late season Dec. 1-29.
DEC. 5 – Saturday Morning Birding returns to Oxley Nature Center. This is free, for all ages and no registration is required. Join birders for a walk and learn about local birds. Meet at Oxley 8-9:45 a.m. All skill levels are welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them.