Oklahoma Bear Hunt

[Commissioner]

I've been through Seymour a few times. I went deer hunting on Ross McKnight's ranch at Throckmorton a decade or so ago.

 

[Punisher]

Oklahoma just held its 6th bear hunt in the history of the state, and I was fortunate enough to participate.
I had major reconstructive back surgery the last Thursday in June which included adding an artificial disk, 2 rods, and 4 screws to hold it all together. Without being fully recovered from surgery I was only able to hunt half days, because I just couldn't hunt or sit that long. Luckily, Oklahoma allows the use of crossbows for archery season. I have an Excalibur Matrix 380 and I was using NAP 180 grain 2 blade mechanical broadhead called "F.O.C.". It has a 3" cutting diameter. Excalibur makes a cocking device that allowed me to be able to cock the bow without hurting my back and this device also aids in accuracy by cocking it the same way each and every time. Btw, that 3" whole made for a great blood trail and was a complete passthrough.

I didn't see anything but a lizard the first 2 afternoons, but was fortunate to see a small bear the size of a Labrador Retreiver on the 3rd and final afternoon. There was no way I was going to shoot a bear that small and was fortunate enough to have a much bigger bear come in and run off that smaller bear. As the big bear was focused on the smaller bear I was able to get my crossbow in position and was able to take the shot at 12 yards. That was a major league adrenaline rush.

Oklahoma has an estimated 2,000 bears and the hunting is limited to 4 counties in SE OK. My bear field dressed at 250 which would have put him over 300 pounds or more for a live weight.
I just want to encourage hunters with a disability not to give up. If you can't shoot a regular bow anymore, get a crossbow and get out there. You can still find some success even if you can't hunt as hard as you used to.

Congrats on the bear. I'm in Oklahoma right now and my experiences are very different. More hotel rooms than hunting blinds.

 

[Commissioner]

Thanks for the encouragement. I did great for 4 1/2 months and forgot for just a split second that I'm not the man I used to be. In Mexico we will be riding around in high rack trucks, so I will get bounced around some. I plan on taking my big serious back brace they gave me when I left the hospital to try and keep my new parts in the appropriate place.

 

[Commissioner]

The deer are really rutting hard in SW part of the state.

 

[tcob68]

Congratulations on a nice bear! I hope I can do that one of these days, probably be an elk hunt first though. Nice to see someone else from sw Oklahoma on here. I'm live in Hobart, but usually make it to Altus at least a couple of times on my days off, my wife's kids and their families live there. Do you do any coyote hunting after deer season is over?

P.S. Good luck on your mule deer hunt!

 

[Commissioner]

I like to hunt both coyotes and Bobcats. I also runs some traps on my place on North Fork of Red River. If you look to the south when you are crossing the Victor Wickersham bridge, you will be looking at a lot of my property. The tall deer stand you see from the road belongs to me. My land stretches from that last mountain you go around as you turn south for Blair and extends for 2 miles back to the river. My Son in Law killed a great 6 1/2 year old buck late this evening. We do our best to manage for mature deer, because they aren't all going to be Boone & Crockett Bucks. We just set our sights on harvesting mature deer and if they score high that's just icing on the cake.

 

[Commissioner]

As my username implies....I'm also the Wildlife Commissioner for District 7 which covers 11 counties in western part of our state.

 

[WildRose]

The deer are really rutting hard in SW part of the state.

They've been at it pretty hard here for 3-4 weeks.

The buck I posted picktures of a couple of weeks ago was running almost completely on empty. Nothing at all in his intestines for a good 6-7 feet.

I watched a young hot doe today doing all she could to find a boyfriend. She was stopping to pee about every 20yds.

 

[Jim See]

Congrats on the bear, I have 205 acres in Seminole county, some pig trappers nearby caught a bear a few years ago and had the wildlife officer come release it. Hopefully they keep thriving. My son and I are going hunting again this week-end, I have not seen alot of chasing. Last weekend we seen 3 fawns walking around by themselves so I assumed there mamas were on a date with a buck. Hopefully the cooler weather is going to help.

 

[Commissioner]

My Son in law killed a giant 9 point last night. He bottomed out my 200 lb scales. He was chasing a doe when he shot him.

 

[WildRose]

My Son in law killed a giant 9 point last night. He bottomed out my 200 lb scales. He was chasing a doe when he shot him.

Congrats to him!

This has been the longest, wierdest rutting season I can remember.

Watched a couple of young 8pts wear themselves and a couple of dozen does out chasing them this evening.

The peak of the rut should be over by now but it certainly doesn't seem to be waning any.

 

[Commissioner]

The old buck he shot was aged at 6 1/2 years old. I think he just happened to catch him in between lady friends, because we hadn't seen him in 8 days in person or on camera.