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Hunting seasons
Oklahoma Seasons West of I-35
Sandhill crane and jackrabbit seasons stop at I-35: dates, counties, permits, limits, public land and legal light.
Photo: USFWS Midwest Region (Public Domain Mark 1.0)
Sandhill crane and jackrabbit west of I-35
Two Oklahoma seasons stop at Interstate 35. Statewide except east of I-35 (closed). for sandhill cranes, and no open season on jackrabbits east of i-35; 10/20 limit in cimarron, texas, beaver. The rows list 40 counties that lie wholly or partly west of I-35; where the interstate splits a county, only the part west of it is open.
| Species | Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Today | Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackrabbit | Season | West of I-35 | Oct 1, 2026 | Mar 15, 2027 | Three daily, six in possession; Cimarron,… | |
| Sandhill crane | Season | West of I-35 | Oct 17, 2026 | Jan 17, 2027 | Three daily; possession three daily… | |
| Sandhill crane | Extended Falconry | West of I-35 | Jan 18, 2027 | Jan 31, 2027 | Three daily, nine in possession, migratory… |
Counties wholly or partly west of I-35 (40)
Alfalfa County, Beaver County, Beckham County, Blaine County, Caddo County, Canadian County, Carter County, Cimarron County, Cleveland County, Comanche County, Cotton County, Custer County, Dewey County, Ellis County, Garfield County, Garvin County, Grady County, Grant County, Greer County, Harmon County, Harper County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Kay County, Kingfisher County, Kiowa County, Logan County, Love County, Major County, McClain County, Murray County, Noble County, Oklahoma County, Roger Mills County, Stephens County, Texas County, Tillman County, Washita County, Woods County, Woodward County
From the ODWC teal, geese and crane page, the ODWC small game regulations and the 2026-2027 regulations guide p. 50, checked November 3, 2026.
Crane permits, limits and the whooping crane rule
- Crane permit: All crane hunters, $3 (free online).
- Crane notes: Closed east of I-35. Federal sandhill crane permit required (free online, $3 from dealers); no state waterfowl license or duck stamp needed.
- Crane limit: 3 daily.
- Jackrabbit limit: Three daily, six in possession; Cimarron, Texas and Beaver counties 10 daily, 20 in possession.
- Whooping cranes: Protected and endangered; taking one requires the Director's written permission (29 O.S. § 5-412). Whooping crane page.
- Outfitters: $1,000 resident / $2,000 nonresident for businesses guiding waterfowl or crane hunts (New for 2026-27.)
The 2025 Game Harvest Survey estimates 1,351 jackrabbits taken by 541 hunters statewide (95% range 249 to 2,454); ODWC publishes no crane harvest figure in the sources read.
From the ODWC license fees, the ODWC general hunting regulations and the 2025 Game Harvest Survey, checked November 3, 2026.
Public crane land and legal light
29 public areas list sandhill crane; the largest follow.
| Area | Type | Counties | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salt Plains NWR | Refuge | Alfalfa | 32,464 |
| Black Kettle WMA | WMA | Roger Mills | 30,710 |
| Packsaddle WMA | WMA | Ellis | 19,659 |
| Sandy Sanders WMA | WMA | Beckham, Greer +1 | 19,100 |
| Beaver River WMA | WMA | Beaver | 18,624 |
| Hal and Fern Cooper WMA | WMA | Harper, Woodward | 16,120 |
| Rita Blanca WMA | WMA | Cimarron | 15,575 |
| Canton WMA | WMA | Blaine, Dewey | 14,877 |
| Waurika WMA | WMA | Cotton, Jefferson +1 | 10,580 |
| Washita NWR | Refuge | Custer | 8,088 |
| Optima WMA | WMA | Texas | 8,062 |
| Hackberry Flat WMA | WMA | Tillman | 7,566 |
| Fort Supply WMA | WMA | Woodward | 5,462 |
| Drummond Flats WMA | WMA | Garfield | 5,122 |
| Beaver River WMA – McFarland Unit | WMA unit | Beaver | 5,110 |
| Date | Point | County | Near | Sunrise | Sunset | Legal window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 17, 2026 | Crane opener | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:58 a.m. | 7:12 p.m. | 7:28 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Crane opener | Woodward County | Woodward area | 7:45 a.m. | 7:00 p.m. | 7:15 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Crane opener | Comanche County | Lawton area | 7:40 a.m. | 6:58 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 6:58 p.m. |
| Oct 17, 2026 | Crane opener | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:37 a.m. | 6:53 p.m. | 7:07 a.m. to 6:53 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Crane closes | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 8:01 a.m. | 5:58 p.m. | 7:31 a.m. to 5:58 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Crane closes | Woodward County | Woodward area | 7:47 a.m. | 5:46 p.m. | 7:17 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Crane closes | Comanche County | Lawton area | 7:40 a.m. | 5:46 p.m. | 7:10 a.m. to 5:46 p.m. |
| Jan 17, 2027 | Crane closes | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:38 a.m. | 5:40 p.m. | 7:08 a.m. to 5:40 p.m. |
Sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula for the county centre (Central Time); ODWC prints no table.
Lands from lands.json; hours rule from the ODWC migratory bird regulations; checked November 3, 2026.
Two sandhill cranes flying with wings spread against white clouds. Photo: Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0)
Sandhill crane flying low with wings raised. Photo: John Fowler (CC BY 2.0)
Three sandhill cranes walking on green grass beside a pond. Photo: Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Oklahoma Seasons West of I-35: answers
When is sandhill crane season?
October 17, 2026 to January 17, 2027, with a falconry season January 18-31.
Is jackrabbit season open statewide?
No open season on jackrabbits east of I-35; 10/20 limit in Cimarron, Texas, Beaver.
What is the jackrabbit limit?
Three daily, six in possession; Cimarron, Texas and Beaver counties 10 daily, 20 in possession.
Do crane hunters need a waterfowl license?
No state waterfowl license or duck stamp; a federal sandhill crane permit (free online, $3 from dealers) and HIP.
When is jackrabbit season?
October 1, 2026 to March 15, 2027, west of I-35 only.
Which counties are west of I-35?
Alfalfa, Beaver, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cimarron, Cleveland, Comanche, Cotton, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Greer, Harmon, Harper, Jackson, Jefferson, Kay, Kingfisher, Kiowa, Logan, Love, Major, McClain, Murray, Noble, Oklahoma, Roger Mills, Stephens, Texas, Tillman, Washita, Woods and Woodward.
Can I hunt sandhill cranes east of I-35?
No. The sandhill crane season is closed east of I-35.
Is nontoxic shot required for sandhill cranes?
The ODWC page does not state a nontoxic shot requirement for cranes.
Other photos on this page: Larry Lamsa (CC BY 2.0); John Fowler (CC BY 2.0); Joseph Gage (CC BY-SA 2.0).