{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-29-29-5-401","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 29, § 29-5-401","heading":"Wildlife Conservation Commission - Seasons - Rules","body":"A. The Wildlife Conservation Commission is authorized to\n\ndeclare an open season on wildlife in any counties or parts of\n\ncounties of this state where, in the judgment of the Commission,\n\nsuch wildlife exists in sufficient quantity to warrant such open\n\nseason, and such open season shall be declared by Commission\n\nresolution not less than ten (10) days before the season is opened.\n\nB. The Commission may designate any two (2) consecutive days\n\nafter the open season declared for hunting deer to be senior\n\ncitizen’s hunting days. During those two (2) days only legal\n\nresidents of Oklahoma who are sixty-four (64) years of age or older\n\nmay hunt deer provided the person has a valid license as otherwise\n\nprovided by law.\n\nC. The Commission is further authorized to declare an open\n\nseason on mountain lions and black bears.\n\nD. Except as provided in subsection E of this section, the\n\nCommission is further authorized to prescribe rules necessary to the\n\nproper conduct and policing of such open season, the amount and kind\n\nof wildlife that may be taken, and the dates and time limits of such\n\nseason.\n\nE. Any bowfishing season set for nongame fish by the Commission\n\nfor the Upper Illinois River shall include the following:\n\n1. Upstream from the Horseshoe Bend boat ramp to where State\n\nHighway 51 crosses the Illinois River bowfishing is permitted from\n\nJune 1 to March 31; and\n\n2. Upstream from where State Highway 51 crosses the Illinois\n\nRiver bowfishing is permitted from December 1 through March 31.\n\nF. The Commission is further authorized to require any person\n\nparticipating in such open season or hunting in open areas during\n\nopen season to procure, under rules prescribed by the Commission, a\n\nspecial permit or license to participate in such season or hunt in\n\nsuch areas during open season and to charge residents not to exceed\n\nTwenty Dollars ($20.00), nonresidents not to exceed Seventy-five\n\nDollars ($75.00) and further providing that Five Dollars ($5.00) of\n\nthis fee shall be set aside for compensation to Oklahoma surface\n\nholders participating in the Acres for Wildlife Program at a rate to\n\nbe determined by the Wildlife Conservation Commission. No\n\nexemptions shall be permitted.\n\nG. Open seasons, closed seasons, bag limits, catch limits,\n\npossession limits and territorial limitations set forth in the\n\nstatutes of this state, pertaining to wildlife of every sort, are\n\nhereby declared to be based on the existence of a normal population\n\nof such species of wildlife, compatible with and not damaging to the\n\nproper agricultural use of the lands of the state.\n\nH. Such seasons, catch limits, bag limits, possession limits\n\nand territorial limitations as set by statute shall prevail and be\n\nin full force and effect for each and every species of wildlife to\n\nwhich they pertain so long as the population or numbers of such\n\nwildlife species remain normal or are not damaging or endangering\n\ncrops or proper agricultural use of the lands of the state.\n\nI. The Commission in session, and after having given ten (10)\n\ndays’ public notice of such meeting being called and the purpose of\n\nsuch meeting, the species of wildlife to be considered and the\n\nreasons therefor, shall have the right to determine if there does or\n\ndoes not exist a normal population of the wildlife species under\n\nconsideration, which does or does not endanger the crops of the\n\nstate or of any certain areas, or the agricultural use of the lands\n\ntherein. In the event the consideration is other than statewide,\n\nthe Commission shall meet at the most convenient place to the people\n\nof the area in the area being considered. All meetings shall be\n\nopen to the public and proper records of those appearing and\n\ntestifying shall be made. If the Commission, after hearing and\n\nafter investigation, finds that the populations of the wildlife\n\nspecies under hearing are not normal or that they are not compatible\nide,\n\nthe Commission shall meet at the most convenient place to the people\n\nof the area in the area being considered. All meetings shall be\n\nopen to the public and proper records of those appearing and\n\ntestifying shall be made. If the Commission, after hearing and\n\nafter investigation, finds that the populations of the wildlife\n\nspecies under hearing are not normal or that they are not compatible\n\nto the agricultural use of the lands or are damaging or endangering\n\nthe farm crops of the area, they shall, by administrative order,\n\nmake the necessary changes by either extending, shortening, opening\n\nor closing such seasons, and change such bag limits, catch limits\n\nand possession limits, and regulate methods or devices for taking,\n\nkilling or capturing of the wildlife species affected in any area or\n\nareas covered by the notice of meeting and hearing, except as\n\notherwise set by the Legislature.\n\nJ. Such administrative order shall take effect after\n\npublication in at least one newspaper of general state circulation,\n\nor in a newspaper having circulation in the territory affected. A\n\ncopy of all such orders shall, before publication, be filed with the\n\nSecretary of State, and such order shall not be construed as\n\nauthorizing the Commission to change any penalty for violating any\n\ngame law or regulation or change the amount of any license\n\nestablished by the Legislature.","path":["OK Code","Title 29"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os29.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"b6d84142e82d4e1c090e62e165bef2decfcf3b3215fc6467ddd9e05d966791c7","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-29-29-5-301","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-29-29-5-401a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}