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Antlerless Zone 2
Kay County Hunting
Kay County hunting for 2026-27: antlerless deer Zone 2, the county deer harvest since 1999, every dated season that reaches the county, 2 public areas, plus the ODWC staff and businesses near Newkirk.
Photo: Thesagemarmot (CC BY-SA 3.0)
How many deer a hunter can take in Kay County
Kay County is a one-zone county: Zone 2 covers it from line to line. Zone edges run along state and U.S. highways shown on the ODWC map; check it whenever a lease sits close to one.
| Zone | Share | Antlerless (ML) | Antlerless (gun) | Holiday antlerless | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 2 | 100% | 4 | 4 | Two | Either sex |
Kay County deer calendar, 2026-27
| Segment | From | Through | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
However the tags are split between bow, muzzleloader and rifle, the total stops at six deer and two antlered. Three inches of visible antler is the line between an antlered and an antlerless deer. The late-December antlerless window (December 18 to December 31) gives two extra antlerless deer. The last two weeks of bow season fall in January but belong to the 2026 tally. Nonresident deer tags bought after the season starts cannot be used 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 Kay County
Deer checked in Kay County, year by year
Kay County ranked 44th among Oklahoma counties in 2025 with 1,325 deer reported. County rows in the report add up to 124,050 deer, so Kay County supplied about 1.1% of them. Compared with the 1,435 deer of 2024, the count fell by 8%.
Since 1999 the count has ranged from 1,022 (2019) up to 1,545 (2010). Mean harvest since 2016 is roughly 1,205 deer across 10 reported seasons.
622 antlerless deer (47%) were in the 2025 count, and the gun season delivered 940.
How Kay County deer were taken each year
| Season | Archery | Muzzleloader | Gun | Antlerless share | Deer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 236 | 73 | 853 | 471 | 1,162 |
| 2017 | 257 | 148 | 733 | 452 | 1,138 |
| 2018 | 223 | 99 | 763 | 422 | 1,085 |
| 2019 | 240 | 109 | 673 | 385 | 1,022 |
| 2020 | 291 | 109 | 848 | 555 | 1,248 |
| 2021 | 215 | 104 | 747 | 450 | 1,066 |
| 2022 | 275 | 98 | 930 | 603 | 1,303 |
| 2023 | 281 | 132 | 854 | 562 | 1,267 |
| 2024 | 320 | 78 | 1,037 | 674 | 1,435 |
| 2025 | 259 | 126 | 940 | 622 | 1,325 |
The Kay County record from 1999:
- 19991,049
- 20001,361
- 20011,466
- 20031,198
- 20041,454
- 20051,374
- 20061,431
- 20071,252
- 20081,313
- 20091,420
- 20101,545
- 20111,450
- 20121,508
- 20131,081
- 20141,221
Deer from WMAs and lakes in Kay County
| Area | Deer 2024 | Deer 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Kaw WMA | 430 | 389 |
More Kay County big game figures
| Species | Year | Year | Year | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk checked | 2023: 1 |
Statewide, Oklahoma hunters checked 133,791 deer in 2025-26, counting WMA and OLAP 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.
Kay County season list, every species
A search box narrows the 66 rows by species; WMAs and refuges may layer their own area rules on top.
| Species | Window | Reach | From | Through | Today? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Northeast elk zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Youth elk gun | Northeast elk zone | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Northeast elk zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Elk | Gun | Northeast elk zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Elk | Holiday antlerless elk | Northeast elk zone | Dec 18, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | |
| Elk | Archery | Northwest elk zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Youth elk gun | Northwest elk zone | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Northwest elk zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Elk | Gun | Northwest elk zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Elk | Holiday antlerless elk | 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.
Kay County elk and bear country
Kay County elk zone
Kay County touches the Northwest Zone and Northeast Zone for elk, and each requires private land and written landowner consent. ODWC caps the harvest by zone (Northwest Zone 8 and Northeast Zone 20) and reports each elk within 24 hours through E-Check.
ODWC has drawn no CWD surveillance area in Kay County. The carcass import rule for deer and elk shot out of state applies everywhere.
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.
Kay County feathered game rules
Kay County toms, fall and spring
ODWC keeps Kay County open for fall gun turkey (October 31 to November 20, 2026); the fall limit is a single tom. Spring turkey in Kay County: youth April 10 to April 11, 2027, everyone April 16 to May 16, 2027, one tom. Turkeys may not be hunted within 100 yards of grain or feed; standing crops are not bait. County turkey numbers are not published; statewide, the 2025 survey estimate was 11,232 spring birds by 42,295 hunters.
Kay County upland birds
Pheasant season covers all of Kay County, December 1 to January 31, 2027, two cocks a day. From November 14 to February 15, 2027 quail are open across Oklahoma, Kay County included. Quail and pheasant on OLAP close at half past four.
Kay County migratory bird notes
Zones 1 and 2 take in Kay County for ducks, with identical dates this season. Crane season (October 17 to January 17, 2027) and jackrabbit season (October 1 to March 15, 2027) reach the part of Kay County west of I-35.
| Season | Window |
|---|---|
| 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.
Kay County lands where the public may hunt
Our Oklahoma land list has 2 hunting areas reaching into Kay County; the largest is Kaw Wildlife Management Area at 17,450 acres. Mapped public land adds up to roughly 24,799 acres, 4.2% of the county.
| Area | Kind | Acreage | Game | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaw WMA | WMA | 17,450 | deer, doves, ducks | nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access |
| Kaw Lake (Corps) | Corps lake | — | — | controlled hunts |
Kay County areas with the most acres
- Kaw WMA shows up on our list as a WMA measured at 17,450 acres that spills into Osage County. Species on record there: deer, doves, ducks and turkey. The record adds nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access. The area page gives (405) 823-7936 for hunting.
- Kaw Lake (Corps) (Corps lake) stretches over the line into Osage County. Watch for controlled hunts. The Corps lists no hunting acreage for it, and the Tulsa District page could not be read for more detail. Controlled hunts in 2025: 1.
Open-on-foot tracts in Kay County
ODWC leases 6 walk-in tracts in Kay County through OLAP, totalling roughly 1,176 acres. The tracts are mostly Wetland and Alfalfa hayfield. Foot traffic only, no camping, archery and shotgun only, and a Land Access Permit ($100 resident / $200 nonresident) for most hunters.
- Kay County H020481 ac
- Kay County H021240 ac
- Kay County H023160 ac
- Kay County H025160 ac
- Kay County H02480 ac
- Kay County (limited access) LA00155 ac
Kay County overflow: public ground over the line
- John Dahl WMA480 acres in Osage County, roughly 34 miles away
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.
Hunts, banquets and trials in Kay County
On November 3, 2026 the county showed 2 upcoming listings, covering DU chapter dinner and ODWC youth draw. Only drawn permit holders take part in the 1 controlled hunt listed.
Not yet held
| Dates | Event | Where | Button | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 13–15, 2026 | Kaw Lake COE youth deer hunt | Event details | Source | |
| Jan 16, 2027 | Kaw Dinner-Ponca City · DU chapter dinner | Ponca City: MLZ Ranch | Buy tickets | Source |
Kay County people to call and places to stay
For wildlife questions, Kay County falls to the ODWC Central Region and supervisor Jeff Pennington. Kay County game wardens report to Ben Bickerstaff, captain of District 8. For commission business, Kay County sits in District 8. The nearest ODWC office open to the public, Oklahoma City Headquarters in Oklahoma City, is about 94 miles from mid-county in a straight line. ODWC field offices do not accept cash; phone ahead.
Kay County towns to stay in
Kay County Census geography: 7 incorporated, 4 census-designated, 11 places in all. Kay County head counts, largest first: Ponca City (24,234), Blackwell (6,016) and Tonkawa (2,988). Kay County is home to about 43,437 people (2024), roughly 47 per land square mile, 0.6% fewer than in 2020.
Kay County meat, mounts and ammo
In Kay County itself we found 2 game processors, 1 taxidermist and 5 gun and outdoor shops. Kay County has nothing on file for commercial hunting areas and guides. Tags mark ODWC-listed processors and commercial hunting areas; untagged rows are from Yellow Pages and store locators.
Kay County and the counties that touch it
| County | Zones | Elk zone | Fall gun | Ducks | Deer (2025) | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noble County | 2 | Northwest/Northeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,680 | 30 miles |
| Grant County | 2 | Northwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,724 | 36 miles |
| Osage County | 2 | Northeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 5,062 | 43 miles |
| Garfield County | 2 | Northwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,176 | 47 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.
Kay County: WMA benches, gun clubs and trap fields
Up to six Kay County ranges appear as cards, with any extras in a table.
Ranges from ODWC’s WMA shooting range list and WMA pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 3, 2026.
When legal light begins in Kay County
Quail and pheasant hours are sunrise to sunset, shorter than the big game window, and OLAP walk-in land closes to them at 4:30 p.m.
| Date | Season point | Sunrise | Sunset | Big game | Waterfowl | Quail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:23 a.m. | 7:14 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:44 p.m. | 6:53 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. | 7:23 a.m. to 7:14 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 7:43 a.m. | 6:42 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. | 7:43 a.m. to 6:42 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opens | 7:13 a.m. | 5:17 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:47 p.m. | 6:43 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. | 7:13 a.m. to 5:17 p.m. |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Gun deer closes | 7:27 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:43 p.m. | 6:57 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. | 7:27 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:37 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery closes | 7:40 a.m. | 5:34 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 6:04 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. | 7:40 a.m. to 5:34 p.m. |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:54 a.m. | 8:03 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 8:33 p.m. | 6:24 a.m. to 8:03 p.m. | 6:54 a.m. to 8:03 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.
Kay County hunters ask
Is public land in Kay County open to elk hunting?
Only through controlled hunts; the elk zones are private land only.
How many deer were taken in Kay County last season?
1,325 in the 2025-26 seasons, 44th of 77 counties (county rows exclude WMA deer).
What are the 2026-27 spring gobbler dates for Kay County?
April 16 to May 16, 2027, one tom.
Are mule deer found in Kay County?
ODWC tables list no recent mule deer from the county.
If Kay County has little public ground, where is the nearest area?
John Dahl Wildlife Management Area, about 34 miles from the county centre.
Is pheasant open in Kay County?
Yes, countywide.
Is a hunter education card needed in Kay County?
Yes, unless 31 or older, military, or hunting on an apprentice license.
What commission district is Kay County in?
District 8.
Is Kay County split between antlerless zones?
No, the ODWC layer puts the whole county in Zone 2.
Where might a Kay County hunter drop off a deer?
S & D Wild Game Processing heads the distance list.
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.
Kay County closing notes
ODWC can change dates after the regulations print; recheck the season pages before a Kay County hunt.
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: Birding for Climate (Public domain).