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Seat: Arnett
Ellis County Hunting
From archery in October to spring gobblers, this Ellis County guide lists the dates, antlerless zone limits, harvest record, public tracts and contacts for hunters based around Arnett.
Photo: NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory (CC BY 2.0)
Deer zone rules for Ellis County
Zone boundaries run through Ellis County, leaving Zone 2 (about 58%) and Zone 7 (about 42%) by area. No county list settles a zone question in Oklahoma: the boundaries are road lines on the ODWC map, which this page links.
| Zone | Part of county | Muzzleloader limit | Gun limit | Holiday limit | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 58% | 4 | 4 | Two | Either sex |
| Zone 7 | 42% | 4 | 4 | Two | Either sex |
Ellis County deer segments, 2026-27
| Hunt | Starts | Ends | Bag note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Six deer is the combined season limit, and only two of the six may be antlered. The three-inch rule decides the category: antler that long makes the deer antlered. From December 18 to December 31 the holiday antlerless season allows two more does on top of the six-deer limit. January archery deer, through the 15th, are charged to the 2026 season total. ODWC holds back nonresident deer licenses bought mid-season for two days.
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 Ellis County
Ellis County deer numbers by season
For 2025 the county tally stands at 906 deer, placing Ellis County 65th statewide. That is 0.7% of the 124,050 deer ODWC tallied by county, a figure that leaves out WMA harvest. A year earlier the county reported 966, so 2025 came in 6% lower.
Peak and trough in the data: 1,431 deer (2009) and 599 deer (2014). A typical recent season here, averaged over 10 years, is about 866 deer.
Archery produced 15% of the 2025 total and the gun season 80%, while antlerless deer were 343 of 906.
Ellis County deer by method, 2016-2025
| Year | Archery | ML | Firearm | Antlerless | County total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 85 | 34 | 540 | 209 | 659 |
| 2017 | 94 | 69 | 578 | 235 | 741 |
| 2018 | 101 | 51 | 646 | 240 | 798 |
| 2019 | 184 | 82 | 718 | 245 | 984 |
| 2020 | 168 | 71 | 855 | 376 | 1,094 |
| 2021 | 120 | 64 | 640 | 320 | 824 |
| 2022 | 158 | 45 | 653 | 307 | 856 |
| 2023 | 118 | 58 | 652 | 307 | 828 |
| 2024 | 155 | 51 | 760 | 360 | 966 |
| 2025 | 133 | 51 | 722 | 343 | 906 |
Back years for Ellis County:
- 1999843
- 20001,138
- 20011,214
- 20031,016
- 20041,045
- 20051,144
- 20061,071
- 20071,159
- 20081,336
- 20091,431
- 20101,360
- 2011996
- 2012903
- 2013792
- 2014599
Ellis County public-area deer harvest
| Tract | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Packsaddle WMA | 92 | 105 |
| Ellis County WMA | 53 | 45 |
Ellis County harvest of other big game
| Species | Year | Year | Year | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mule deer reported | 2022: 15 | 2023: 17 | 2024: 9 | 2025: 11 |
| Elk | 2024: 1 |
The statewide figure for 2025 is 133,791 deer.
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.
Ellis County 2026-27 dates in one table
Statewide rows plus the zone and area rows that reach Ellis County: 61 in all, grouped by species.
| Game | Method | Covers | Opening day | Closing day | Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed deer | Archery | Zone 2, 7, 8 | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| White-tailed deer | Youth gun | Zone 2, 7, 8 | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Muzzleloader | Zone 2, 7, 8 | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Gun | Zone 2, 7, 8 | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| White-tailed deer | Holiday antlerless | Zone 2, 7, 8 | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Mule deer | All deer seasons | Statewide | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Archery | Special Northwest elk zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Youth elk gun | Special Northwest elk zone | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Special Northwest elk zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Elk | Gun | Special Northwest elk zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Elk | Holiday antlerless elk | Special Northwest 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 | |
| Pheasant | Season | Pheasant counties | Dec 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 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.
Ellis County big game zones and disease rules
Elk hunting in Ellis County
Ellis County is Special Northwest Zone country for elk, which means private acreage, a signed permission and the zone quota. Look up the zone quota (Special Northwest Zone 8) before every elk hunt, because a filled quota closes the zone.
Mule deer reported here: 17 for 2023, 9 for 2024 and 11 for 2025; antlerless mule deer may not be taken with a firearm in the youth or holiday hunts.
Ellis County is outside the four CWD surveillance areas; deer and elk from other states still may not be brought in whole.
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.
Turkey, quail and ducks in Ellis County
Ellis County turkey rules
Fall turkey here: archery October 1 to January 15, 2027 and gun October 31 to November 20, 2026, one tom for the fall. Next spring, April 16 opens a month of gobbler hunting that ends May 16, 2027; the youth days come a week earlier. Turkey hunters must stay 100 yards from any bait. Turkey harvest is not published for Ellis County. Statewide, the 2025 Game Harvest Survey put spring turkeys near 11,232.
Quail and pheasant in Ellis County
Roosters may be hunted in Ellis County above SH 51, December 1 to January 31, 2027. The quail season (November 14 to February 15, 2027) allows 10 birds daily and 20 in possession after day one. Upland hours on OLAP ground end at 4:30 p.m.
Waterfowl around Ellis County
Ducks in Ellis County follow the Zones 1 and 2 calendar; ODWC publishes no boundary between those two zones and they share dates. Packsaddle WMA: Wetland Development Units close to waterfowl at 1 p.m., nontoxic shot only. West of I-35 in Ellis County, cranes may be hunted October 17 to January 17, 2027 with a federal crane permit, and jackrabbits October 1 to March 15, 2027.
| Duck segment | Dates |
|---|---|
| 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.
Ellis County public land and acreage
The table below lists all 2 public areas on our list that reach into Ellis County. Put together, the agency and federal layers trace about 24,997 public acres, near 3.2% of the county.
| Place | Type | Acres | Hunted for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Packsaddle WMA | WMA | 19,659 | deer, doves, turkey | wetland units, nonresident check-in |
| Ellis County WMA | WMA | 4,800 | deer, doves, turkey | nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access |
Ellis County anchor tracts, largest first
- Hunters reach Packsaddle WMA, some 19,659 acres, without leaving Ellis County. Its permitted game runs to deer, doves, turkey and woodcock. Watch for wetland units, nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access. Phone for hunting questions: (580) 515-2030.
- Ellis County WMA is listed as a WMA of about 4,800 acres. The area supports deer, doves, turkey and woodcock by the ODWC listing. Also flagged: nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access. Hunting questions go to (580) 515-2030.
Ellis County hunters can also try these
- Fort Supply WMAWoodward County; centre to centre 21 miles (5,462 ac)
- Fort Supply Lake (Corps)Woodward County; centre to centre 24 miles
- Hal and Fern Cooper WMAHarper County and Woodward County; centre to centre 27 miles (16,120 ac)
- Black Kettle WMARoger Mills County; centre to centre 36 miles (30,710 ac)
- Black Kettle National Grassland (Oklahoma)Roger Mills County; centre to centre 37 miles (30,688 ac)
- Lake Evans Chambers (Department Lake)Beaver County; centre to centre 43 miles (204 ac)
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.
Ellis County ODWC contacts and local help
ODWC runs wildlife work in Ellis County from the Northwest Region; Scott Parry is the regional supervisor. By area, Ellis County is 58% Northwest and 42% Southwest. Report violations in Ellis County to the District 7 wardens; the captain is Jeff Headrick. District 7 of the Wildlife Conservation Commission includes Ellis County. Plan on about 125 miles in a straight line to reach the agency office in Lawton. Field offices take no cash, so call before driving over.
Ellis County town guides
Ellis County holds 4 incorporated towns and cities plus 0 unincorporated Census communities. Ellis County largest places by the 2024 estimate: Shattuck (1,191), Arnett (486) and Gage (415). Ellis County had 3,601 residents in 2024, a 4.1% dip from the 2020 base, spread over 1,231 square miles of land.
- Arnettpop. 486 · seat
Ellis County services for hunters
Businesses on file in Ellis County: 1 game processor, 2 gun and outdoor shops and 1 commercial hunting area or guide. None of our taxidermists are in Ellis County; the list reaches into adjoining counties. Call ahead: directory listings change, and only the tagged rows come from ODWC lists.
Ellis County versus its neighbours
| Neighbour | Doe zone | Elk | Fall turkey | Duck zone | 2025 deer | Apart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodward County | 2 | Special Northwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,099 | 30 miles |
| Roger Mills County | 7 | Special Northwest/Northwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,394 | 36 miles |
| Harper County | 2 | Northwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 468 | 40 miles |
| Dewey County | 7/2 | Special Northwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,197 | 44 miles |
| Beaver County | 2/1 | Panhandle | Open | Panhandle | 388 | 54 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.
Benches, bays and clay throwers for Ellis County
The guide finds 1 range inside Ellis County, from WMA benches to gun clubs and indoor lanes.
Ranges from ODWC’s WMA shooting range list and WMA pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 3, 2026.
Legal hunting times, Ellis County
ODWC prints no sunrise and sunset table, so the times here are worked out for Ellis County with the NOAA solar formula.
| Day | Moment | First sun | Last sun | Deer hours | Duck hours | Bird dog hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:33 a.m. | 7:24 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 7:54 p.m. | 7:03 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. | 7:33 a.m. to 7:24 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 7:53 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:23 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. | 7:53 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opens | 7:22 a.m. | 5:29 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:59 p.m. | 6:52 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. | 7:22 a.m. to 5:29 p.m. |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Gun deer closes | 7:36 a.m. | 5:25 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:55 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. | 7:36 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:46 a.m. | 5:28 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:46 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery closes | 7:49 a.m. | 5:46 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 6:16 p.m. | 7:19 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:49 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Spring turkey | 7:06 a.m. | 8:12 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 8:42 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 8:12 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 8:12 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.


Ellis County rules in brief
Are suppressors legal for deer in Ellis County?
Yes, suppressors are legal for deer.
Who can process a Ellis County deer?
Gage Locker Service, Cinnamon Creek Wild Game Processing and Alberts Deer Processing top our distance list.
How many does may a hunter take in Ellis County?
Antlerless limits by zone (Zone 2: muzzleloader 4, gun 4; Zone 7: muzzleloader 4, gun 4), plus two in the holiday hunt, inside the six-deer combined limit.
How does Ellis County compare with other counties for deer?
65th of 77 counties in 2025, with 906 deer.
How do I report an elk from Ellis County?
Through E-Check within 24 hours, after checking that the zone quota is still open.
Does the black bear season reach Ellis County?
No; the bear area lies in the southeast corner of the state.
Is there a turkey harvest figure for Ellis County?
No; ODWC estimates turkey harvest only for the state as a whole.
Are jackrabbits legal game in Ellis County?
Yes, west of I-35.
Does OLAP lease any walk-in land in Ellis County?
None are listed.
Where can Ellis County hunters buy a license?
Through Go Outdoors Oklahoma, online or in the app, or from license vendors.
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.
Ellis County reminders for 2026-27
Get written permission before hunting private land in Ellis County, and for elk it is required by rule.
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: Russ (CC BY 2.0).