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Central Oklahoma county
Carter County Hunting
Hunting Carter County, Oklahoma: county deer numbers back to 1999, the 2026-27 season table, antlerless zone limits, bird rules, mapped public land and the ODWC region office that covers Ardmore.
Photo: Barbara Ann Spengler (CC BY 2.0)
Carter County antlerless zone and deer limits
The zone map carves Carter County into Zone 9 (about 98%) and Zone 6 (about 2%). Because the zone edges are roads drawn on an ODWC map image, treat the county shares here as a guide and confirm your stand on the map. The printed map names Zone 9 here, and the Zone 6 piece is a boundary sliver.
| Zone | Area share | ML antlerless | Rifle antlerless | Holiday deer | Archery deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 9 | 98% | 2 | 2 | Two | Either sex |
| Zone 6 | 2% | 2 | 2 | Two | Either sex |
Carter County deer season at a glance
| Season | First day | Last day | Deer allowed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | Either sex |
| Youth gun | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | Two, one antlered |
| Muzzleloader | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | Zone limit applies |
| Gun | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | Zone limit applies |
| Holiday antlerless | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | Two antlerless |
Oklahoma caps each hunter at six deer for the license year, with a ceiling of two bucks. Antlered means three inches of antler or more on either side; button bucks below that are antlerless. Between December 18 and December 31 every zone opens a two-deer antlerless gun hunt that is separate from the season cap. Deer taken from January 1 to 15 still count against the 2026 limit. Buy early if you live out of state: deer licenses purchased after opening day are valid two days later.
Zones and limits from the ODWC deer season page and the ODWC antlerless deer zone map; county shares from the ODWC Deer Zones, Antlerless GIS layer traced over Census county lines; segment dates from the ODWC deer regulations and the 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations. Checked November 3, 2026.
Carter County deer, counted each fall
2,165 deer came off private and leased ground in Carter County in 2025, the 16th highest county count. About 1.7% of the 124,050 county-row deer were taken here. Set against 2024 (1,608 deer), the newest season moved 35% up.
2025 tops the county series at 2,165, while 1999 sits at the bottom with 741. Recent seasons (2016 onward, 10 with data) average near 1,434.
By method, 2025 split 645 archery, 169 muzzleloader and 1,351 gun deer; 40% were antlerless.
Recent Carter County deer by season type
| Season | Bow | Muzzleloader | Gun | Does | All deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 272 | 102 | 711 | 368 | 1,085 |
| 2017 | 367 | 149 | 752 | 457 | 1,268 |
| 2018 | 317 | 109 | 828 | 433 | 1,254 |
| 2019 | 266 | 156 | 569 | 313 | 991 |
| 2020 | 431 | 155 | 948 | 523 | 1,534 |
| 2021 | 469 | 84 | 932 | 518 | 1,485 |
| 2022 | 467 | 98 | 1,021 | 648 | 1,586 |
| 2023 | 360 | 136 | 870 | 497 | 1,366 |
| 2024 | 470 | 72 | 1,066 | 692 | 1,608 |
| 2025 | 645 | 169 | 1,351 | 873 | 2,165 |
Carter County before 2016:
- 1999741
- 2000984
- 20011,032
- 20031,031
- 2004846
- 2005903
- 20061,389
- 2007902
- 20081,202
- 20091,155
- 20101,097
- 20111,361
- 20121,255
- 20131,608
- 20141,510
Beyond whitetails: Carter County big game numbers
| Species | Year | Year | Year | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk count | 2022: 2 | 2023: 4 | 2024: 4 | 2025: 5 |
All of Oklahoma produced 133,791 deer in 2025, WMA and walk-in land included.
County deer by year from the ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports (report index; 2025 2025-26 report, 2024 2024-25 report, 2016-2023 tables such as 2019-20 Table 1, 1999-2011 county PDFs); public-area deer from the 2025-26 public land table; statewide totals from the 2025-26 Big Game Report. OCR years keep only rows whose columns sum to the printed total. Checked November 3, 2026.
Carter County 2026-27 hunting calendar
65 dated rows apply to Carter County once area-limited seasons are matched to the county; the right column checks each one against today.
| Animal | Season type | Where | Start | Finish | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun | Zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Holiday antlerless | Zone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Mule deer | All deer seasons | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Archery | Southwest elk zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Youth elk gun | Southwest elk zone | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Southwest elk zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Elk | Gun | Southwest elk zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Elk | Holiday antlerless elk | Southwest elk zone | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Elk | Archery | Special Southeast elk zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Youth elk gun | Special Southeast elk zone | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Special Southeast elk zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Elk | Gun | Special Southeast elk zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Elk | Holiday antlerless elk | Special Southeast elk zone | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth fall turkey | Open counties | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Gun | Open counties | Oct 31, 2026 | Nov 20, 2026 | |
| Wild turkey | Fall Archery | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Youth Spring | Statewide | Apr 10, 2027 | Apr 11, 2027 | |
| Wild turkey | Spring | Statewide | Apr 16, 2027 | May 16, 2027 | |
| Feral hogs | Private land | Private land | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Quail | Season | Statewide | Nov 14, 2026 | Feb 15, 2027 | |
| Rabbits | Season | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Jackrabbit | Season | West of I-35 | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | |
| Squirrels | Season | Statewide | May 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Doves | Segment 1 | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Oct 31, 2026 | |
| Doves | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Dec 29, 2026 | |
| Teal | September Teal | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 20, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Youth and veteran day | Zones 1 and 2 | Nov 7, 2026 | Nov 7, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular segment 1 | Zones 1 and 2 | Nov 14, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Ducks | Regular segment 2 | Zones 1 and 2 | Dec 12, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | |
| Ducks | Youth and veteran day | Zones 1 and 2 | Feb 6, 2027 | Feb 6, 2027 | |
| Canada geese | September Canada goose | Statewide | Sep 12, 2026 | Sep 21, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Dark geese | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 | |
| Specklebellies | Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Specklebellies | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Feb 7, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Segment 1 | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Light geese | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 12, 2026 | Feb 14, 2027 | |
| Light geese | Conservation order | Statewide | Feb 15, 2027 | Mar 30, 2027 | |
| Sandhill crane | Season | West of I-35 | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | |
| Woodcock | Season | Statewide | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 21, 2026 | |
| Coyote | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Bobcat | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Gray fox | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Red fox | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Raccoon | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Prairie dog | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Beaver | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Nutria | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Striped skunk | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Bullfrogs | Year-round | Statewide | Jul 1, 2026 | Jun 30, 2027 | |
| Rails | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Gallinules | Season | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 | Nov 9, 2026 | |
| Snipe | Season | Statewide | Sep 26, 2026 | Jan 10, 2027 | |
| Crows | Segment 1 | Statewide | Oct 10, 2026 | Nov 16, 2026 | |
| River otter | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Badger | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Mink | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Muskrat | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Opossum | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Weasel | Furbearer season | Statewide | Dec 1, 2026 | Feb 28, 2027 | |
| Crows | Segment 2 | Statewide | Dec 9, 2026 | Mar 4, 2027 | |
| Rattlesnakes | Season | Statewide | Mar 1, 2027 | Jun 30, 2027 |
From the ODWC hunting regulations and the 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations (Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), checked November 3, 2026.
Elk, bear and CWD notes for Carter County
Where Carter County fits for elk
The Southwest Zone and Special Southeast Zone each reach part of Carter County; check which side of the interstate a lease lies on. The elk quota set for 2026-27 reads Southwest Zone 30 and Special Southeast Zone 8; elk must be reported through E-Check within 24 hours.
No CWD Selective Surveillance Area reaches Carter County, so the on-site processing rule does not apply, but the statewide ban on importing whole cervid carcasses does.
Elk zones and quotas from the ODWC elk regulations; bear area from the ODWC bear page; pronghorn from the ODWC antelope page; CWD areas and rules from the ODWC SSA page and ODWC CWD page; harvest figures from the ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports. Checked November 3, 2026.
Carter County bird calendar by zone
Carter County fall and spring turkey
The fall gun season reaches Carter County, October 31 to November 20, 2026; bows may be used for fall turkey October 1 to January 15, 2027. Youth spring turkey falls on April 10 to April 11, 2027, and the regular spring season follows April 16 to May 16, 2027. Feeders and scattered grain put a 100-yard no-turkey circle around them. There is no county turkey figure for Carter County: the only number is the statewide 2025 survey estimate of 11,232 spring turkeys.
Carter County upland dates
Carter County has no open pheasant season. Quail hunters in Carter County work the statewide dates, November 14 to February 15, 2027. Bird hunters on OLAP tracts must quit at 4:30 p.m.
Carter County duck hunting
Carter County falls in duck Zones 1 and 2, which share every 2026-27 date, so no zone line matters here. Carter County lies wholly or partly west of I-35, so sandhill cranes (October 17 to January 17, 2027) and jackrabbits (October 1 to March 15, 2027) are open there.
| Period | Days |
|---|---|
| Regular segment 1 | Nov 14–Dec 6 |
| Regular segment 2 | Dec 12–Jan 31 |
| Youth and veteran day | Nov 7 |
| Youth and veteran day | Feb 6 |
Turkey rules from the 2026-2027 regulations, fall turkey and ODWC turkey regulations; statewide turkey estimate from the 2025 Game Harvest Survey; pheasant from the ODWC pheasant page; ducks from the ODWC duck page; cranes from the ODWC crane page. Checked November 3, 2026.
Open hunting ground in Carter County
No WMA, Corps lake, refuge or national forest on our list lies inside Carter County, so hunting here is mostly on private land. The ODWC and federal layers show no public acreage inside the county; walk-in tracts are points and are not measured. State parks and military land are excluded from the public figure.
Carter County backup areas beyond the county
- Cross Timbers WMA20 miles straight-line, 10,547 acres in Love County
- Chickasaw National Recreation Area22 miles straight-line, 4,500 acres in Murray County
- Hickory Creek WMA23 miles straight-line, 7,363 acres in Love County
- Texoma-Washita Arm WMA29 miles straight-line, 13,286 acres in Johnston County
- Love Valley WMA31 miles straight-line, 7,746 acres in Love County
- Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit35 miles straight-line, 3,150 acres in Johnston County
Areas from our Oklahoma land list (ODWC where to hunt area pages, the ODWC OLAP rules and OLAP layer, USFS, USFWS, Corps and NPS records); acres by kind from the ODWC Public WMA Boundaries layer, USFS, USFWS, USACE Tulsa District and PAD-US layers (GIS measures, not official acreages, lake surfaces removed). Checked November 3, 2026.
Listings tied to Carter County
Within the county line: 1 upcoming listing and 5 published results (DU chapter dinner, UKC nite hunt and bird dog championship), checked November 3, 2026.
Next on the list
| Held | Event | Where held | Action | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 19, 2026 | South Central Oklahoma Dinner-Ardmore · DU chapter dinner | Ardmore: Ardmore Convention Center | Buy tickets | Source |
Latest winners
| Night or day | Event | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 4, 2026 | Oklahoma State CH UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 2) | Bad Habit's Baby Tank TW, Seth Wright 225+ (cast winner) | Source |
| Jul 4, 2026 | Oklahoma State CH UKC Nite Hunt (Hunt 1) | Crow Bottom Blue Bonnet BLU, Jon C Pass 225+ (cast winner) | Source |
| Feb 7, 2026 | NGSPA Region 7 Championships 2026 · bird dog championship in Ardmore | O B's Stick In The Mud (winner, NGSPA 7 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship) M S R's Kiss My Lily (runner-up) | Source |
| Jan 6, 2026 | NGSPA Quail Championships 2026 | Texas Sophisticated Tomboy (winner, NGSPA Quail Open Shooting Dog Championship) O B's Stick In The Mud (runner-up) | Source |
| Feb 8, 2025 | NGSPA Region 7 Championships 2025 · bird dog championship in Ardmore | Texas Sophisticated Tomboy (winner, NGSPA Region 7 Open Shooting Dog Championship) Hi N's Dirty Secret (runner-up) | Source |
Carter County supervisors, wardens and stores
Carter County belongs to the ODWC Central Region, whose wildlife supervisor is Jeff Pennington ((405) 650-0149). Captain Gary Emmons heads District 5, the game warden district covering Carter County. Commission district: District 3. Of the six public ODWC offices, the Caddo one is closest to Carter County, near 56 miles as the crow flies. No cash at ODWC field offices; ring before you go.
Carter County communities
Carter County lists 9 towns or cities with their own government and 1 unincorporated places. Carter County centres of population: Ardmore (25,064), Lone Grove (5,276) and Healdton (2,376). Carter County counted 49,135 people in the Vintage 2024 estimate, 2.4% up on 2020.
- Ardmorepop. 25,064 · seat
Carter County processors, taxidermists and shops
Carter County listings: 1 game processor, 1 taxidermist, 3 gun and outdoor shops and 2 commercial hunting areas and guides. The ODWC processor list supplies the tagged processors, some of them Hunters Against Hunger participants; other rows come from business directories.
Carter County adjoining counties
| County | Antlerless zone | Elk zone | Fall gun turkey | Ducks | Deer 2025 | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray County | 9/6 | Southwest/Special Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 789 | 20 miles |
| Love County | 9 | Southeast/Southwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,044 | 20 miles |
| Garvin County | 6/9 | Southeast/Southwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 2,123 | 32 miles |
| Jefferson County | 9/8 | Southwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,149 | 33 miles |
| Marshall County | 9 | Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 493 | 33 miles |
| Stephens County | 9/8/6 | Southwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,835 | 36 miles |
| Johnston County | 9 | Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,351 | 36 miles |
Region, supervisor and commission district from the ODWC wildlife region layer and commission district layer; warden district and captain from the ODWC game warden directory; offices from the ODWC office list; towns from the Census 2024 Gazetteer and Vintage 2024 estimates; services from the ODWC game processor list, ODWC commercial hunt list, store locators and Yellow Pages as tagged; neighbours from the Census county adjacency file. Checked November 3, 2026.
Sighting in a deer rifle around Carter County
Carter County lists 1 range, all clubs, shops or private grounds.
Hickory Creek WMA Shooting Range in Love County is the nearest state-run range, roughly 22 miles. Open it
Upcoming here
| When, name | Type | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 16-17, 2027 | Gun show | Source page |
Ranges from ODWC’s WMA shooting range list and WMA pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 3, 2026.
Carter County legal light
Deer, elk, pronghorn, bear and hogs may be hunted from half an hour before official sunrise to half an hour after official sunset; turkey and migratory birds stop at sunset.
| Date | Opener or close | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer | Ducks | Quail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:22 a.m. | 7:15 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 7:41 a.m. | 6:46 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 7:16 p.m. | 7:11 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. | 7:41 a.m. to 6:46 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opens | 7:08 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 6:38 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Gun deer closes | 7:21 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:31 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:53 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery closes | 7:35 a.m. | 5:41 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 6:11 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 7:35 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:58 a.m. | 8:00 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. | 6:28 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. | 6:58 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. |
Hours rules from the ODWC big game regulations and the 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out for this location with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 3, 2026. Legal hours for every county.
Carter County questions we hear
Which public area in Carter County is largest?
Our list has no area with published acres inside the county line.
What time do OLAP tracts close for quail in Carter County?
4:30 p.m.
Do archers in Carter County wear orange during gun season?
Yes, an orange head covering or upper garment.
Who is the game warden captain for Carter County?
Gary Emmons, District 5, (405) 850-8701.
Which antlerless deer zone covers Carter County?
Zone 9 and Zone 6 by the ODWC zone layer; the boundary follows roads, so check the ODWC map near a line.
Which deer processors are closest to Carter County?
Sugar Hill Meat Processing, Arctic Processing and W R Meat Processing, nearest first; call before you drop off a deer.
Do elk rules in Carter County need landowner permission?
Yes; ODWC requires the landowner's permission in writing.
Did the Carter County deer count rise or fall last year?
2,165 in 2025 against 1,608 in 2024.
Can I hunt turkey over bait in Carter County?
No; not within 100 yards of bait or feed.
Can pronghorn be hunted in Carter County?
No; only Cimarron and part of Texas County are open.
Answers from the 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations, ODWC hunting regulations, the ODWC hunter orange rule, E-Check rules, ODWC seasons, the ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports and the sources above. Checked November 3, 2026.
Carter County last checks before the truck is loaded
Near an antlerless zone road in Carter County, the ODWC map decides which limit applies.
Sources: 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations, ODWC hunting, Census and the sources in each section. Checked November 3, 2026.
Other photos on this page: Thomas & Dianne Jones (CC BY 2.0).