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Seat: Nowata
Nowata County Hunting
From archery in October to spring gobblers, this Nowata County guide lists the dates, antlerless zone limits, harvest record, public tracts and contacts for hunters based around Nowata.
Photo: Jack Gray (CC BY 2.0)
Deer zone rules for Nowata County
Every acre of Nowata County falls in Antlerless Deer Zone 3 on the ODWC map. 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 3 | 100% | 2 | 2 | Two | Either sex |
Nowata 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.
Nowata County deer numbers by season
For 2025 the county tally stands at 1,591 deer, placing Nowata County 36th statewide. That is 1.3% of the 124,050 deer ODWC tallied by county, a figure that leaves out WMA harvest. A year earlier the county reported 1,589, so 2025 came in 0% higher.
Peak and trough in the data: 2,145 deer (2001) and 1,069 deer (2010). A typical recent season here, averaged over 10 years, is about 1,473 deer.
Archery produced 24% of the 2025 total and the gun season 66%, while antlerless deer were 733 of 1,591.
Nowata County deer by method, 2016-2025
| Year | Archery | ML | Firearm | Antlerless | County total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 249 | 117 | 1,012 | 473 | 1,378 |
| 2017 | 299 | 220 | 951 | 525 | 1,470 |
| 2018 | 302 | 150 | 1,043 | 556 | 1,495 |
| 2019 | 350 | 125 | 916 | 519 | 1,391 |
| 2020 | 352 | 171 | 998 | 675 | 1,521 |
| 2021 | 323 | 84 | 850 | 502 | 1,257 |
| 2022 | 365 | 92 | 1,174 | 729 | 1,631 |
| 2023 | 310 | 111 | 987 | 637 | 1,408 |
| 2024 | 387 | 88 | 1,114 | 750 | 1,589 |
| 2025 | 375 | 158 | 1,058 | 733 | 1,591 |
Back years for Nowata County:
- 1999Not readable
- 20002,094
- 20012,145
- 20031,785
- 20041,611
- 20051,622
- 20061,840
- 20071,458
- 20081,333
- 20091,785
- 20101,069
- 20111,750
- 20121,785
- 20131,427
- 20141,686
Nowata County public-area deer harvest
| Tract | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Oologah WMA | 296 | 283 |
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.
Nowata County 2026-27 dates in one table
Statewide rows plus the zone and area rows that reach Nowata County: 58 in all, grouped by species.
| Game | Method | Covers | Opening day | Closing day | 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 | 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
| 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.
Nowata County big game zones and disease rules
Elk hunting in Nowata County
Nowata County is Northeast Zone country for elk, which means private acreage, a signed permission and the zone quota. Look up the zone quota (Northeast Zone 20) before every elk hunt, because a filled quota closes the zone.
Nowata 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 Nowata County
Nowata 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 Nowata County. Statewide, the 2025 Game Harvest Survey put spring turkeys near 11,232.
Quail and pheasant in Nowata County
Pheasant hunting is closed in Nowata County. 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 Nowata County
Ducks in Nowata County follow the Zones 1 and 2 calendar; ODWC publishes no boundary between those two zones and they share dates. Oologah WMA: Wetland Development Units close to waterfowl at 1 p.m., nontoxic shot only. East of I-35, Nowata County has no open season on sandhill cranes or jackrabbits.
| 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.
Nowata County public land and acreage
The table below lists all 2 public areas on our list that reach into Nowata County. Put together, the agency and federal layers trace about 14,626 public acres, near 4.0% of the county.
| Place | Type | Acres | Hunted for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oologah WMA | WMA | 14,086 | doves, turkey, deer | wetland units, nonresident check-in |
| Oologah Lake (Corps) | Corps lake | — | — | controlled hunts |
Nowata County anchor tracts, largest first
- Hunters reach Oologah WMA, some 14,086 acres, from Nowata County or from Rogers County. Its permitted game runs to doves, turkey, deer and quail. Watch for wetland units, nonresident check-in, non-ambulatory access. Phone for hunting questions: (918) 629-5286.
- Oologah Lake (Corps) is listed as a corps lake, and its boundary takes in Rogers County too. Also flagged: controlled hunts. The Corps record carries no acreage; its district page could not be read. In 2025, 1 controlled hunt were drawn for it.
Nowata County hunters can also try these
- Copan Lake (Corps)Washington County; centre to centre 21 miles
- Copan WMAWashington County; centre to centre 22 miles (7,532 ac)
- Hulah Lake (Corps)Osage County; centre to centre 29 miles
- Candy Creek WMAOsage County; centre to centre 30 miles (605 ac)
- Hulah WMAOsage County; centre to centre 33 miles (16,162 ac)
- Osage WMA – Rock Creek UnitOsage County; centre to centre 34 miles (3,722 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.
Nowata County on the Oklahoma hunting calendar
Kinds on file here: field trial stake. Count: 1 published result.
Placings on record
| Held | Name | Who won | Read at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2025 | Indian Territory Bird Hunters Club 2025 · field trial stake in Lenapah | Jane's Atlantic Way (first, NBHA Kurt Ochsner Memorial Open Shooting Dog) Southern Shadow's Bootlegger (runner-up) Lil Elhew Chief Snakefeather (NBHA Open Puppy) Horse With No Name (NBHA Open Shooting Dog) Bandit Hill Bess (NBHA Jack Myers Memorial Amateur Shooting Dog) Firebug (NBHA Amateur Shooting Dog) | Source |
Nowata County ODWC contacts and local help
ODWC runs wildlife work in Nowata County from the Northeast Region; Matt Mattioda is the regional supervisor. Report violations in Nowata County to the District 1 wardens; the captain is Hank Jenks. District 1 of the Wildlife Conservation Commission includes Nowata County. Plan on about 42 miles in a straight line to reach the agency office in Miami. Field offices take no cash, so call before driving over.
Nowata County town guides
Nowata County holds 6 incorporated towns and cities plus 1 unincorporated Census community. Nowata County largest places by the 2024 estimate: Nowata (3,592), South Coffeyville (694) and Lenapah (281). Nowata County had 9,561 residents in 2024, a 2.5% rise from the 2020 base, spread over 566 square miles of land.
Nowata County services for hunters
Businesses on file in Nowata County: 1 game processor, 1 gun or outdoor shop and 1 commercial hunting area or guide. None of our taxidermists are in Nowata County; the list reaches into adjoining counties. Call ahead: directory listings change, and only the tagged rows come from ODWC lists.
Nowata County versus its neighbours
| Neighbour | Doe zone | Elk | Fall turkey | Duck zone | 2025 deer | Apart |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 3/2 | Northeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,521 | 17 miles |
| Craig County | 3/4 | Northeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,588 | 23 miles |
| Rogers County | 3/4 | Northeast | Closed | Zones 1 and 2 | 2,928 | 28 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 Nowata County
With nothing listed inside Nowata County, here are the three nearest choices.
Of ODWC’s 15 WMA ranges, Copan WMA Shooting Range is closest, about 23 miles from the Nowata County centre. Full page
Ranges from ODWC’s WMA shooting range list and WMA pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 3, 2026.
Legal hunting times, Nowata County
ODWC prints no sunrise and sunset table, so the times here are worked out for Nowata 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 | 7:16 a.m. | 7:08 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 7:38 p.m. | 6:46 a.m. to 7:08 p.m. | 7:16 a.m. to 7:08 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 7:37 a.m. | 6:36 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 7:06 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. | 7:37 a.m. to 6:36 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opens | 7:06 a.m. | 5:11 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Gun deer closes | 7:21 a.m. | 5:07 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. | 7:21 a.m. to 5:07 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:31 a.m. | 5:09 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:39 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. to 5:09 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery closes | 7:34 a.m. | 5:28 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:28 p.m. |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:48 a.m. | 7:57 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 8:27 p.m. | 6:18 a.m. to 7:57 p.m. | 6:48 a.m. to 7:57 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.
Nowata County rules in brief
Are suppressors legal for deer in Nowata County?
Yes, suppressors are legal for deer.
Who can process a Nowata County deer?
Anderson Processing, Peck's Custom Butchering and Lyle's Custom Meat Processing top our distance list.
How many does may a hunter take in Nowata County?
Antlerless limits by zone (Zone 3: muzzleloader 2, gun 2), plus two in the holiday hunt, inside the six-deer combined limit.
Are county deer numbers for Nowata County public?
Yes, in the yearly Big Game Harvest Report, by method and sex; this page charts it back to 2003.
Are elk seasons in Nowata County the same as deer dates?
Yes, elk segments follow the statewide deer windows in this zone.
Is Nowata County in a CWD surveillance area?
No; the four SSAs are in Cimarron, Texas, Woodward/Major/Woods and McCurtain.
Is there fall archery turkey in Nowata County?
October 1 to January 15, 2027, statewide.
Are jackrabbits legal game in Nowata County?
No; jackrabbits are closed east of I-35.
Can I put bait on public land in Nowata County?
No; baiting is illegal on lands ODWC owns or manages.
Where can Nowata 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.
Nowata County reminders for 2026-27
Get written permission before hunting private land in Nowata 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: Alabama Extension (CC0 1.0).