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The Cross Timbers
Pontotoc County Hunting
Everything a hunter needs before a trip to Pontotoc 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 Ada.
Photo: Brad Holt (CC BY 2.0)
Antlerless deer zones covering Pontotoc County
Measured on the ODWC zone layer, Pontotoc County is Zone 6 (about 36%), Zone 9 (about 33%) and Zone 5 (about 32%). 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.
| Zone | Share of county | Muzzleloader does | Gun does | Holiday bonus | Archery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 6 | 36% | 2 | 2 | Two | Either sex |
| Zone 9 | 33% | 2 | 2 | Two | Either sex |
| Zone 5 | 32% | 2 | 2 | Two | Either sex |
Pontotoc County deer openers and closing days
| Window | Begins | Ends | 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 |
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.
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 Pontotoc County
Pontotoc County deer counts and trends
Hunters checked 2,258 deer in Pontotoc County during the 2025-26 seasons, 14th of the 77 counties. Statewide the county rows sum to 124,050; Pontotoc County accounts for roughly 1.8%. Up 4% from 2,168 in 2024.
Across the 25 report years on file, the high mark is 2,258 deer in 2025 and the low is 730 in 1999. The 2016-2025 average works out to about 1,796 deer per year (10 years with figures).
In 2025 rifles and shotguns took 59% of the county deer, archery 32% and muzzleloaders 9%; antlerless deer made up 43%.
Bow, muzzleloader and gun deer in Pontotoc County
| Year | Archery | ML | Firearm | Antlerless | County total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 393 | 171 | 767 | 418 | 1,331 |
| 2017 | 510 | 199 | 996 | 621 | 1,705 |
| 2018 | 407 | 162 | 911 | 551 | 1,480 |
| 2019 | 437 | 228 | 731 | 498 | 1,396 |
| 2020 | 481 | 238 | 1,025 | 700 | 1,744 |
| 2021 | 623 | 171 | 1,176 | 794 | 1,970 |
| 2022 | 654 | 154 | 1,187 | 824 | 1,995 |
| 2023 | 560 | 208 | 1,146 | 796 | 1,914 |
| 2024 | 691 | 176 | 1,301 | 995 | 2,168 |
| 2025 | 712 | 214 | 1,332 | 969 | 2,258 |
Older totals for Pontotoc County:
- 1999730
- 20001,108
- 20011,115
- 20031,099
- 2004978
- 2005992
- 20061,399
- 20071,169
- 20081,385
- 20091,458
- 20101,274
- 20111,409
- 20121,315
- 20131,124
- 20141,437
For scale, the whole state reported 133,791 deer in the 2025 seasons.
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.
Pontotoc County hunting dates from September to May
Elk, duck and turkey rows here are the versions for the zones and county lists that include Pontotoc County.
| Species | Hunt | Applies to | First day | Last day | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | Southeast elk zone | Oct 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | |
| Elk | Youth elk gun | Southeast elk zone | Oct 16, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 | |
| Elk | Muzzleloader | Southeast elk zone | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 1, 2026 | |
| Elk | Gun | Southeast elk zone | Nov 21, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 | |
| Elk | Holiday antlerless elk | 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 | |
| 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.
Other big game rules in Pontotoc County
Pontotoc County and the elk zones
Elk hunting in Pontotoc County falls under the Southeast Zone: private land only, and only with written landowner consent. Zone quotas for 2026-27: Southeast Zone 5; ODWC closes a zone once its quota is reached, so check the quota before each hunt.
No SSA covers Pontotoc County. Only antlers, deboned meat, teeth, hides and finished mounts may be brought into Oklahoma from other states.
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.
Pontotoc County turkey, upland and waterfowl rules
Pontotoc County turkey seasons
Pontotoc 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 Pontotoc County figure is shown.
Upland hunting around Pontotoc County
The pheasant area does not include Pontotoc 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.
Pontotoc County ducks, geese and cranes
Pontotoc County is outside the Panhandle duck area, so it hunts on the shared Zone 1 and 2 dates. Being east of I-35, Pontotoc County is closed to cranes and jackrabbits.
| Duck dates | From and to |
|---|---|
| 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.
Pontotoc County ground open without a lease
Pontotoc County is a private-land county on our list, without its own WMA or federal tract. Mapped public acreage for the county is zero; OLAP tracts are not part of that measure.
Pontotoc County outskirts: areas in other counties
- Arbuckle Springs WMAJohnston County (3,874 ac), 21 miles as the crow flies
- Chickasaw National Recreation AreaMurray County (4,500 ac), 25 miles as the crow flies
- Blue River PFHAJohnston County (3,367 ac), 26 miles as the crow flies
- Texoma-Washita Arm WMAJohnston County (13,286 ac), 36 miles as the crow flies
- Tishomingo Wildlife Management UnitJohnston County (3,150 ac), 36 miles as the crow flies
- Lexington WMACleveland County (9,512 ac), 37 miles as the crow flies
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.
Pontotoc County backup for a hunt: agency and town
The ODWC Central Region takes in Pontotoc County, with Jeff Pennington as wildlife supervisor. District 4 is the warden district for Pontotoc County; its captain is Tom Cartwright. Pontotoc County votes in commission District 4. Caddo has the closest ODWC office, roughly 50 miles away. Phone the office before a visit; cash is not accepted.
Pontotoc County home bases for a hunt
Pontotoc County splits its 11 Census places into 7 incorporated and 4 CDPs. Pontotoc County towns ranked by 2024 size: Ada (16,578), Byng (1,403) and Allen (803). Pontotoc County covers 720 square miles and gained 0.6% of its people between 2020 and 2024, ending at 38,310.
- Adapop. 16,578 · seat
Pontotoc County hunting businesses
Our directory has 6 game processors, 3 gun and outdoor shops and 3 commercial hunting areas and guides inside Pontotoc County. No taxidermists 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.
Pontotoc County border counties side by side
| Adjoining | Deer zone | Elk | Fall turkey | Duck dates | 2025 harvest | Centre to centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal County | 5/9 | Southeast | Closed | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,805 | 25 miles |
| Murray County | 9/6 | Southwest/Special Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 789 | 27 miles |
| Johnston County | 9 | Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,351 | 28 miles |
| Seminole County | 5 | Northeast/Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 2,089 | 31 miles |
| Hughes County | 5 | Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 2,079 | 34 miles |
| Garvin County | 6/9 | Southeast/Southwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 2,123 | 35 miles |
| Pottawatomie County | 5/6 | Northeast/Southeast | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 2,590 | 37 miles |
| McClain County | 6 | Southeast/Southwest | Open | Zones 1 and 2 | 1,250 | 48 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 Pontotoc County
Ranges on file for Pontotoc County: 1; every card states its access rule.
For a free public bench, Pontotoc County shooters can drive 35 miles to Texoma/Washita Arm WMA Shooting Range in Johnston County. Hours
Local shoot calendar
| Date, shoot | Format | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 | Pistol or rifle match | Enter |
| Dec 5, 2026 | Pistol or rifle match | Enter |
| Dec 6, 2026 | High power | Register |
| Dec 31, 2026 | ATA trap | Listing |
| Jan 2, 2027 | Pistol or rifle match | Enter |
| Feb 6, 2027 | Pistol or rifle match | Enter |
Ranges from ODWC’s WMA shooting range list and WMA pages, operators’ own sites and directory listings, checked November 3, 2026.
Pontotoc County hunting hours on season dates
Big game legal light around Pontotoc County starts 30 minutes before sunrise and ends 30 minutes after sunset; ducks and geese end at sunset.
| Date | Why it matters | Sunrise | Sunset | Deer and elk | Migratory | Quail, pheasant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | Archery deer opens | 7:20 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:42 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. |
| Oct 24, 2026 | Muzzleloader opens | 7:39 a.m. | 6:43 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 7:13 p.m. | 7:09 a.m. to 6:43 p.m. | 7:39 a.m. to 6:43 p.m. |
| Nov 21, 2026 | Gun deer opens | 7:06 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:50 p.m. | 6:36 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. | 7:06 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Dec 6, 2026 | Gun deer closes | 7:20 a.m. | 5:16 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. | 6:50 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. | 7:20 a.m. to 5:16 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | 7:30 a.m. | 5:19 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. | 7:00 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. to 5:19 p.m. |
| Jan 15, 2027 | Archery closes | 7:34 a.m. | 5:37 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 6:07 p.m. | 7:04 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. | 7:34 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. |
| Apr 16, 2027 | Spring turkey | 6:55 a.m. | 7:59 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 8:29 p.m. | 6:25 a.m. to 7:59 p.m. | 6:55 a.m. to 7:59 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.
Pontotoc County, answered
Can feral hogs be hunted year-round in Pontotoc County?
Yes on private land; department lands follow area rules.
How do I check a deer killed in Pontotoc County?
Attach a field tag, then E-Check it within 24 hours of leaving the hunt area.
What are the muzzleloader dates in Pontotoc County?
October 24, 2026 to November 1, 2026; antlerless limits follow the zone.
How many processors does this page list near Pontotoc County?
3: 3 South Processing, Martin's Meat & More and Sanders Slaughter & Processing.
What is the elk quota for Pontotoc County?
Southeast Zone: 5.
What share of Pontotoc County deer are antlerless?
43% in 2025.
Do turkeys from Pontotoc County need E-Check?
Yes, within 24 hours of leaving the hunt area.
Must a Pontotoc County deer be processed before moving it?
Only inside a CWD SSA, and none is in the county.
Can I put bait on public land in Pontotoc County?
No; baiting is illegal on lands ODWC owns or manages.
Can sandhill cranes be hunted in Pontotoc County?
No; it lies east of I-35.
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.
Pontotoc County odds and ends before opening day
Dates on this page cover 2026-27 only; ODWC publishes new regulations each summer.
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: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Southwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0).