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Home › Oklahoma › Counties › Cleveland County

The Cross Timbers

Cleveland County Hunting

Everything a hunter needs before a trip to Cleveland County: which antlerless zone the ODWC map draws, how many deer the county gave up each fall, open dates, public land and who to call in Norman.

Zone checkDeer numbersSeason table
6Antlerless zone
Southeast and SouthwestElk zones
OpenFall gun turkey
Zones 1 and 2Duck zone
CentralODWC region
1,545Deer reported, 2025

Photo: Daniel Rodriguez (CC BY 2.0)

Antlerless deer zones covering Cleveland County

Zone 6 is the only antlerless zone the ODWC layer places in Cleveland County. Those lines follow highways, not county borders, and ODWC prints them only as a map, so anyone hunting near a boundary road should read the Oklahoma zone map before taking a doe.

ZoneShare of countyMuzzleloader doesGun doesHoliday bonusArchery
Zone 6100%22TwoEither sex

Cleveland County deer openers and closing days

WindowBeginsEndsAllowed
ArcheryOct 1, 2026Jan 15, 2027Either sex
Youth gunOct 16, 2026Oct 18, 2026Two, one antlered
MuzzleloaderOct 24, 2026Nov 1, 2026Zone limit applies
GunNov 21, 2026Dec 6, 2026Zone limit applies
Holiday antlerlessDec 18, 2026Dec 31, 2026Two antlerless

Across all segments a hunter may fill six deer in total, and no more than two of them may carry antlers. A deer counts as antlered when it shows at least three inches of antler above the hairline, whatever its sex. The holiday antlerless hunt from December 18 to December 31 adds two antlerless deer that sit outside the six-deer cap. Early-January archery kills count toward the same 2026 total as the fall deer. A nonresident deer license bought once a season is under way carries a two-day waiting period.

Zone 6 pageAntlerless mapZone overview

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.

Nearby

Places to hunt and shoot around Cleveland County

Shooting Ranges Near Norman

Range · 3 mi from Cleveland County

Directions
Hunting Near Norman, Oklahoma

Town · 3 mi from Cleveland County

Directions
Shooting Ranges Near Moore

Range · 12 mi from Cleveland County

Directions
Shooting Ranges Near Midwest City

Range · 18 mi from Cleveland County

Directions
Pottawatomie County OLAP Limited Access Area LA001

Public land · 20 mi from Cleveland County

Directions
Shooting Ranges Near Oklahoma City

Range · 21 mi from Cleveland County

Directions

Cleveland County deer counts and trends

Hunters checked 1,545 deer in Cleveland County during the 2025-26 seasons, 38th of the 77 counties. Statewide the county rows sum to 124,050; Cleveland County accounts for roughly 1.2%. Up 6% from 1,454 in 2024.

Cleveland County deer harvest by season, 2003-202505001,0001,5002,000'03: 726726'03'04: 690690'04'05: 689689'05'06: 1,0321,032'06'07: 774774'07'08: 924924'08'09: 984984'09'10: 979979'10'11: 1,0281,028'11'12: 1,5171,517'12'13: 1,2341,234'13'14: 1,0211,021'14'16: 878878'16'17: 1,3121,312'17'18: 1,0501,050'18'19: 1,2021,202'19'20: 1,2471,247'20'21: 1,4801,480'21'22: 1,2751,275'22'23: 1,5061,506'23'24: 1,4541,454'24'25: 1,5451,545'25

Blank years: 2015 not published (no readable ODWC county table). WMA deer are tallied apart from county rows.

Across the 25 report years on file, the high mark is 1,545 deer in 2025 and the low is 591 in 1999. The 2016-2025 average works out to about 1,295 deer per year (10 years with figures).

In 2025 rifles and shotguns took 52% of the county deer, archery 37% and muzzleloaders 12%; antlerless deer made up 46%.

Bow, muzzleloader and gun deer in Cleveland County

YearArcheryMLFirearmAntlerlessCounty total
2016301114463331878
20175521715895121,312
20183941634934101,050
20195221755054611,202
20204631616235481,247
20216131407276431,480
20225091166505921,275
20235661797616811,506
20246111187257381,454
20255681787997051,545

Older totals for Cleveland County:

  • 1999591
  • 2000681
  • 2001741
  • 2003726
  • 2004690
  • 2005689
  • 20061,032
  • 2007774
  • 2008924
  • 2009984
  • 2010979
  • 20111,028
  • 20121,517
  • 20131,234
  • 20141,021

Public-land deer in Cleveland County

Area20242025
Lexington WMA169158
Thunderbird State Park102—

For scale, the whole state reported 133,791 deer in the 2025 seasons.

Deer zoneWhitetail guide

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.

Cleveland County hunting dates from September to May

Elk, duck and turkey rows here are the versions for the zones and county lists that include Cleveland County.

SpeciesHuntApplies toFirst dayLast dayStatus
White-tailed deerArcheryZone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9Oct 1, 2026Jan 15, 2027
White-tailed deerYouth gunZone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9Oct 16, 2026Oct 18, 2026
White-tailed deerMuzzleloaderZone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9Oct 24, 2026Nov 1, 2026
White-tailed deerGunZone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9Nov 21, 2026Dec 6, 2026
White-tailed deerHoliday antlerlessZone 3, 4, 5, 6, 9Dec 18, 2026Dec 31, 2026
Mule deerAll deer seasonsStatewideOct 1, 2026Jan 15, 2027
ElkArcherySoutheast elk zoneOct 1, 2026Jan 15, 2027
ElkYouth elk gunSoutheast elk zoneOct 16, 2026Oct 18, 2026
ElkMuzzleloaderSoutheast elk zoneOct 24, 2026Nov 1, 2026
ElkGunSoutheast elk zoneNov 21, 2026Dec 6, 2026
ElkHoliday antlerless elkSoutheast elk zoneDec 18, 2026Dec 31, 2026
ElkArcherySouthwest elk zoneOct 1, 2026Jan 15, 2027
ElkYouth elk gunSouthwest elk zoneOct 16, 2026Oct 18, 2026
ElkMuzzleloaderSouthwest elk zoneOct 24, 2026Nov 1, 2026
ElkGunSouthwest elk zoneNov 21, 2026Dec 6, 2026
ElkHoliday antlerless elkSouthwest elk zoneDec 18, 2026Dec 31, 2026
Wild turkeyYouth fall turkeyOpen countiesOct 16, 2026Oct 18, 2026
Wild turkeyFall GunOpen countiesOct 31, 2026Nov 20, 2026
Wild turkeyFall ArcheryStatewideOct 1, 2026Jan 15, 2027
Wild turkeyYouth SpringStatewideApr 10, 2027Apr 11, 2027
Wild turkeySpringStatewideApr 16, 2027May 16, 2027
Feral hogsPrivate landPrivate landJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
QuailSeasonStatewideNov 14, 2026Feb 15, 2027
RabbitsSeasonStatewideOct 1, 2026Mar 15, 2027
JackrabbitSeasonWest of I-35Oct 1, 2026Mar 15, 2027
SquirrelsSeasonStatewideMay 15, 2026Feb 28, 2027
DovesSegment 1StatewideSep 1, 2026Oct 31, 2026
DovesSegment 2StatewideDec 1, 2026Dec 29, 2026
TealSeptember TealStatewideSep 12, 2026Sep 20, 2026
DucksYouth and veteran dayZones 1 and 2Nov 7, 2026Nov 7, 2026
DucksRegular segment 1Zones 1 and 2Nov 14, 2026Dec 6, 2026
DucksRegular segment 2Zones 1 and 2Dec 12, 2026Jan 31, 2027
DucksYouth and veteran dayZones 1 and 2Feb 6, 2027Feb 6, 2027
Canada geeseSeptember Canada gooseStatewideSep 12, 2026Sep 21, 2026
Dark geeseSegment 1StatewideNov 7, 2026Dec 6, 2026
Dark geeseSegment 2StatewideDec 12, 2026Feb 14, 2027
SpecklebelliesSegment 1StatewideNov 7, 2026Dec 6, 2026
SpecklebelliesSegment 2StatewideDec 12, 2026Feb 7, 2027
Light geeseSegment 1StatewideNov 7, 2026Dec 6, 2026
Light geeseSegment 2StatewideDec 12, 2026Feb 14, 2027
Light geeseConservation orderStatewideFeb 15, 2027Mar 30, 2027
Sandhill craneSeasonWest of I-35Oct 17, 2026Jan 17, 2027
WoodcockSeasonStatewideNov 7, 2026Dec 21, 2026
CoyoteYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
BobcatFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Gray foxFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
Red foxFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
RaccoonYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
Prairie dogYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
BeaverYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
NutriaYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
Striped skunkYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
BullfrogsYear-roundStatewideJul 1, 2026Jun 30, 2027
RailsSeasonStatewideSep 1, 2026Nov 9, 2026
GallinulesSeasonStatewideSep 1, 2026Nov 9, 2026
SnipeSeasonStatewideSep 26, 2026Jan 10, 2027
CrowsSegment 1StatewideOct 10, 2026Nov 16, 2026
River otterFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
BadgerFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
MinkFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
MuskratFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
OpossumFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
WeaselFurbearer seasonStatewideDec 1, 2026Feb 28, 2027
CrowsSegment 2StatewideDec 9, 2026Mar 4, 2027
RattlesnakesSeasonStatewideMar 1, 2027Jun 30, 2027

Deer taken Jan. 1-15 count toward the 2026 limit.

From the ODWC hunting regulations and the 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing and Hunting Regulations (Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation), checked November 3, 2026.

Other big game rules in Cleveland County

Cleveland County and the elk zones

Because I-40 and I-35 divide the elk zones, Cleveland County sits partly in the Southeast Zone and Southwest Zone. Zone quotas for 2026-27: Southeast Zone 5 and Southwest Zone 30; ODWC closes a zone once its quota is reached, so check the quota before each hunt.

Southeast Zone: Private lands south of I-40 and east of I-35 (Carter/Murray east of I-35 are the Special Southeast Zone). Southwest Zone: Private lands south of I-40 and west of I-35, excluding Caddo, Comanche and Kiowa (Special Southwest Zone).

No SSA covers Cleveland County. Only antlers, deboned meat, teeth, hides and finished mounts may be brought into Oklahoma from other states.

Elk zone mapPronghorn areaDraw hunts

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.

Cleveland County turkey, upland and waterfowl rules

Cleveland County turkey seasons

Cleveland County is one of the 64 fall gun turkey counties: October 31 to November 20, 2026, with archery running October 1 to January 15, 2027. Spring gobblers open April 16, 2027 and close May 16, 2027, after a youth weekend on April 10 and 11. A 100-yard buffer from bait applies to turkey hunting statewide. ODWC estimates turkey harvest only statewide (11,232 spring birds in 2025), so no Cleveland County figure is shown.

Upland hunting around Cleveland County

The pheasant area does not include Cleveland County. Quail season, bobwhite and scaled, runs November 14 to February 15, 2027 statewide with a 10-bird daily bag. OLAP tracts close to quail and pheasant at 4:30 in the afternoon.

Cleveland County ducks, geese and cranes

Cleveland County is outside the Panhandle duck area, so it hunts on the shared Zone 1 and 2 dates. Sandhill cranes, three a day, are legal west of I-35 in Cleveland County from October 17 to January 17, 2027; jackrabbits too.

Duck datesFrom and to
Regular segment 1Nov 14–Dec 6
Regular segment 2Dec 12–Jan 31
Youth and veteran dayNov 7
Youth and veteran dayFeb 6
Rio Grande wild turkey walking through brush and grass
Rio Grande wild turkey walking through brush and grass
Fall gun turkeyPheasant countiesWild turkey

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.

Cleveland County ground open without a lease

9,483Public land, acres
9,483ODWC area acres
7,015State park acres*
388Military acres*

Lexington Wildlife Management Area, 9,512 acres, is the biggest of the 2 public areas we list for Cleveland County. Public ownership comes to around 9,483 acres (2.7%). We list state park and military land apart; neither is general hunting ground.

Public areaTypeSize (ac)Main gameAlso
Lexington WMAWMA9,512deer, doves, duckscontrolled hunts, nonresident check-in
Thunderbird State ParkState park1,874deer, ducks—

Cleveland County public land, the large blocks

  • Lexington WMA is listed as a WMA of about 9,512 acres. Game on the area list: deer, doves, ducks and rabbits. Listed extras: controlled hunts, nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access. The ODWC hunting contact is (405) 823-8714. Controlled hunts in 2025: 1.
  • Hunters reach Thunderbird State Park, some 1,874 acres, without leaving Cleveland County. Species on record there: deer and ducks. Call (405) 360-3572 (hunting).

Cleveland County outskirts: areas in other counties

* Reference acres only.

Area listOLAP tracts

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.

Cleveland County hunts, dinners and trials

County total as of November 3, 2026: 1 upcoming listing. Count 1 draw-only controlled hunt among them.

Dates ahead

DateEventLocationSign-up or detailsOrigin
Nov 14–19, 2026Lexington WMA deer controlled huntEvent details
next Nov 14
4 hunts left
540 permits
gun
Source, checked 11/2/2026
The whole state, every dateODWC Controlled Hunts

Spotted a flyer for a local hunt or banquet? Send it

Cleveland County backup for a hunt: agency and town

The ODWC Central Region takes in Cleveland County, with Jeff Pennington as wildlife supervisor. District 5 is the warden district for Cleveland County; its captain is Gary Emmons. Cleveland County votes in commission District 5. Oklahoma City has the closest ODWC office, roughly 22 miles away. Phone the office before a visit; cash is not accepted.

Jeff Pennington

ODWC Central supervisor

(405) 650-0149
Gary Emmons

Warden district captain

(405) 850-8701
Oklahoma City Headquarters

Nearest ODWC office, 22 miles · 1801 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, 73105

(405) 521-3721Directions

Cleveland County home bases for a hunt

Cleveland County splits its 6 Census places into 6 incorporated and 0 CDPs. Cleveland County towns ranked by 2024 size: Norman (131,010), Moore (63,845) and Noble (7,779). Cleveland County covers 539 square miles and gained 2.8% of its people between 2020 and 2024, ending at 303,952.

Cleveland County hunting businesses

Our directory has 3 game processors, 8 taxidermists and 9 gun and outdoor shops inside Cleveland County. No commercial hunting areas and guides turned up inside the county, so the cards below include neighbours. Cards run from businesses inside the county to those in bordering counties, nearest first by map distance.

Thunderbird Custom Meat

Norman, Cleveland County · some 6 mi off · ODWC processor list

(405) 364-5270Map
Hilltop Custom Processing

Lexington, Cleveland County · some 11 mi off

(405) 527-7048MapWebsite
Action Taxidermy & Deer Processing

Lexington, Cleveland County · some 16 mi off

(405) 527-0070MapWebsite
Mack Daddy's Taxidermy, LLC

Noble, Cleveland County · some 5 mi off

(405) 508-0155MapWebsite
Johnsons Taxidermy

Norman, Cleveland County · some 6 mi off

(405) 292-3337MapWebsite
Gregorys Sporting Goods

Oklahoma City, Cleveland County

(405) 672-4230MapWebsite
Harsh Firearms

Norman, Cleveland County · some 9 mi off

(405) 820-3111MapWebsite
Hog Wild LLC

Purcell, McClain County · ODWC commercial hunting area

(405) 464-9453MapWebsite

Cleveland County border counties side by side

AdjoiningDeer zoneElkFall turkeyDuck dates2025 harvestCentre to centre
McClain County6Southeast/SouthwestOpenZones 1 and 21,25015 miles
Pottawatomie County5/6Northeast/SoutheastOpenZones 1 and 22,59021 miles
Oklahoma County6Northwest/Northeast/Southeast/SouthwestOpenZones 1 and 21,77225 miles
Canadian County6Northwest/SouthwestOpenZones 1 and 21,27744 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.

Rifle zero and clay practice in Cleveland County

Ranges on file for Cleveland County: 2; every card states its access rule.

Lexington WMA Shooting Range
ODWC WMA range

Etowah, Cleveland County

Lines: 30 yd pistol, 100 yd rifle, trap, archery tower

Public, license needed · wildlifedepartment.com, checked Nov 2, 2026

American Armory & Tactical
indoor range

Norman, Cleveland County

Lines: shotgun, rifle, handgun, rimfire

Access not stated · boisegunclub.com, checked Nov 2, 2026

15 more ranges in neighbouring counties.

NASP school archery: 3 upcoming in Cleveland County. NASP list

Ranges from ODWC’s WMA shooting range list and WMA pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 3, 2026.

First and last shooting light, Cleveland County

Big game legal light around Cleveland County starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; ducks and geese end at sunset.

DateWhy it mattersSunriseSunsetDeer and elkMigratoryQuail, pheasant
Oct 1, 2026Archery deer opens7:23 a.m.7:15 p.m.6:53 a.m. to 7:45 p.m.6:53 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.7:23 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.
Oct 24, 2026Muzzleloader opens7:42 a.m.6:45 p.m.7:12 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.7:12 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.7:42 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Nov 21, 2026Gun deer opens7:10 a.m.5:21 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 5:51 p.m.6:40 a.m. to 5:21 p.m.7:10 a.m. to 5:21 p.m.
Dec 6, 2026Gun deer closes7:24 a.m.5:17 p.m.6:54 a.m. to 5:47 p.m.6:54 a.m. to 5:17 p.m.7:24 a.m. to 5:17 p.m.
Dec 21, 2026Shortest day7:34 a.m.5:21 p.m.7:04 a.m. to 5:51 p.m.7:04 a.m. to 5:21 p.m.7:34 a.m. to 5:21 p.m.
Jan 15, 2027Archery closes7:37 a.m.5:39 p.m.7:07 a.m. to 6:09 p.m.7:07 a.m. to 5:39 p.m.7:37 a.m. to 5:39 p.m.
Apr 16, 2027Spring turkey6:57 a.m.8:02 p.m.6:27 a.m. to 8:32 p.m.6:27 a.m. to 8:02 p.m.6:57 a.m. to 8:02 p.m.

Turkey hours end at sunset in fall and spring.

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.

Cleveland County beside its nearest counties

Measured centre to centre.

McClain County

Fall gun turkey open

Pottawatomie County

ODWC Central Region

Oklahoma County

2,909 public acres

Grady County

Antlerless 6/8

Wildlife management areasShooting hoursCWD surveillance areas
Fall evening light on the flooded shore of Keystone Lake
Fall evening light on the flooded shore of Keystone LakePhoto: Pondfishfarmer (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Pink sunrise behind bare cottonwoods and an old shed on open range
Pink sunrise behind bare cottonwoods and an old shed on open rangePhoto: Jack Gray (CC BY 2.0)

Cleveland County, answered

What are the muzzleloader dates in Cleveland County?

October 24, 2026 to November 1, 2026; antlerless limits follow the zone.

Which processor is nearest Cleveland County in a straight line?

Thunderbird Custom Meat.

Is public land in Cleveland County open to elk hunting?

Only through controlled hunts; the elk zones are private land only.

How many deer does Cleveland County average each year?

About 1,295 a season since 2016.

Is fall gun turkey open in Cleveland County?

Open, October 31 to November 20, 2026.

Does Cleveland County have a bear quota this year?

Bear hunting is closed in this county.

Which public area in Cleveland County is largest?

Lexington Wildlife Management Area, about 9,512 acres.

When do regular duck dates start in Cleveland County?

November 14, 2026.

How much orange must a Cleveland County deer hunter wear?

400 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange on head and upper body during firearm big game seasons.

What number reaches the Cleveland County region supervisor?

(405) 650-0149.

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.

Cleveland County odds and ends before opening day

Dates on this page cover 2026-27 only; ODWC publishes new regulations each summer.

Oklahoma seasonsAntlerless zonesAll countiesRegulations (PDF)

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: Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Public Domain Mark 1.0).