Oklahoma › Species › Striped Skunk
Furbearers
Striped skunk hunting and trapping in Oklahoma, 2026-27
2026-27: Open all year; limits, licenses, public land and legal hours from ODWC.
Photo: Thesagemarmot (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Oklahoma striped skunk rules this season
Oklahoma keeps striped skunks open on every day of the 2026-27 license year, July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 in the ODWC rows. Limit as ODWC words it for striped skunks: No limit; year-round.
- Season outline (skunk): Dec 1-Feb 28 (year-round for beaver, nutria, raccoon, striped skunk); firearms, archery, legal traps.
- Allowed (skunk): No limit; year-round.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50 (as of November 2, 2026), checked November 3, 2026.
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Striped Skunk dates, 2026-27
The skunk rows apply in the same area every day of the season.
| Season | Where | Bag | Opens | Closes | Days | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year-round | Statewide | Limit table | Every day | Year-round |
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50, checked November 3, 2026.
Striped Skunk: limit rows
What one hunter may take and keep of striped skunks, row by row, from the 2026-27 rules.
| Limit for | Limit text |
|---|---|
| Furbearers | Bobcat season 20; foxes two daily/six season (one/two red); otter six season; others no limit. |
| Year-round | Skunk: no daily, season or possession limit. |
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 50, checked November 3, 2026.
Trapping and night rules for striped skunks
- Striped Skunk in daylight: any legal firearm or archery.
- Striped Skunk, night: .22 rimfire rifle/pistol and a carried light only while pursuing furbearers with hounds.
- Traps for striped skunks: box/colony, smooth-jawed offset foothold (8 in. land / 8.5 in. water jaw spread), dogproof, body-grip 12 in. in full-submersion sets on private land, and cable restraints (not on WMAs).
On Department land, skunk traps always carry the owner's name or customer ID.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
Striped Skunk harvest and best counties
There is no Oklahoma harvest number for striped skunks in the sources read, by county or statewide, so none is shown and none is estimated.
From 2025 Game Harvest Survey and ODWC Big Game Harvest Report, checked November 3, 2026.
Where to hunt striped skunks on public ground
Pick from 90 public areas with striped skunks; each land page has the area map, contacts and special rules.
| Area | Land type | In | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouachita WMA | WMA | Le Flore, McCurtain | 354,559 |
| Ouachita WMA – Le Flore Unit | WMA unit | Le Flore | 221,559 |
| Three Rivers WMA | WMA | McCurtain, Pushmataha | 185,199 |
| Ouachita WMA – McCurtain & Tiak Units | WMA unit | McCurtain | 133,000 |
| Honobia Creek WMA | WMA | Pushmataha | 78,998 |
| Camp Gruber Training Center | Military | Muskogee | 51,840 |
| Eufaula WMA | WMA | Latimer, McIntosh +2 | 48,614 |
| Wister WMA | WMA | Le Flore | 35,500 |
| Cherokee WMA | WMA | Cherokee | 31,360 |
| Black Kettle WMA | WMA | Roger Mills | 30,710 |
| Fort Gibson WMA | WMA | Cherokee, Mayes +1 | 25,298 |
| Fort Gibson PHA | PHA | Cherokee, Mayes +1 | 21,798 |
| James Collins WMA | WMA | Latimer, Pittsburg | 21,353 |
| Keystone WMA | WMA | Creek, Osage +1 | 20,686 |
| Packsaddle WMA | WMA | Ellis | 19,659 |
From lands.json (ODWC area pages, special regulations, OLAP layer and federal rules), checked November 3, 2026.
Legal weapons and methods for striped skunks
| Weapon rule | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Furbearers | For striped skunks: Any legal firearm or archery by day; .22 rimfire and light while hunting with hounds at night in season; traps listed in fur rules incl. cable restraints (not on WMAs). | Not for striped skunks: any trap not listed; lights/thermal/night vision from a public road. |
- Trapping (skunk): Traps checked every 24 hours, owner name or customer ID on traps (always on Department lands), no traps in paths/roads used by people or dogs, posting signs for offset foothold traps at public-road entrances (not on private land unless the owner asks), permission required on posted, occupied or agricultural land.
- Headlighting/spotlighting (skunk): No taking any deer, feral animal or wildlife (except fish and frogs) with a vehicle-mounted spotlight or other powerful light at night or with night scopes; exceptions for furbearer hound hunters and landowner nuisance coyote/feral swine control.
- Shooting from roads (skunk): No shooting from or across any public road, highway, right-of-way or railroad right-of-way.
Loaded firearms stay out of vehicles when hunting striped skunks, muzzleloaders uncapped and crossbows uncocked.
From ODWC furbearer and coyote regulations and ODWC general hunting regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
Rules in the field for striped skunks
- Orange and striped skunks: During open big game firearm dates, yes by day: all other hunters and trappers in open areas during those firearm seasons must wear an orange head covering or upper garment, except waterfowl, crow, crane and dove hunters and furbearer hunters at night.
- Striped Skunk: reporting: No E-Check for striped skunks. If you give one away, write out the transfer details (names, addresses, customer ID, date, number and type).
- Transfers of striped skunks: Give written or electronic transfer information (names, addresses, customer ID, date taken, number/type, confirmation number); no compensation.
From the ODWC big game regulations, ODWC general hunting regulations and the 2026-2027 regulations guide, checked November 3, 2026.
Licenses and permits for striped skunks
Hunter education is required unless the license carries an apprentice designation (age 30 and under) or the hunter is 31 or older or a service member.
| License | Residency | For | Cost | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Hunting | Resident | Age 18+ | $36 | 365 days |
| Youth Annual Super Hunting | Resident | Age 17 and under | $26 | 365 days |
| Nonresident Annual Hunting | Nonresident | Age 18+ | $209 | 365 days |
From the ODWC license fee page and the ODWC license requirements, checked November 3, 2026.
Legal hours for striped skunks
Each row applies the ODWC hour rule for striped skunks to sunrise and sunset at a county centre, Central Time.
Rule that sets skunk hours: Furbearers at night only with hounds and a .22 rimfire plus carried light in the open furbearer season; coyote and prairie dog no light or sight dog dark to daylight; feral swine at night only by landowner/designee with the night exemption; nuisance coyote/hog control provisions for landowners and ag lessees outside deer gun seasons.
| When | Event | County | Place | Sunrise | Sunset | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:59 a.m. | 5:37 p.m. | – |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:35 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | – |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | Tulsa County | Tulsa area | 7:31 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | – |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Shortest day | McCurtain County | Idabel area | 7:21 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | – |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 6:31 a.m. | 9:12 p.m. | – |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 6:14 a.m. | 8:48 p.m. | – |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | Tulsa County | Tulsa area | 6:07 a.m. | 8:44 p.m. | – |
| Jun 21, 2027 | Longest day | McCurtain County | Idabel area | 6:07 a.m. | 8:33 p.m. | – |
Rules from the ODWC big game regulations and ODWC migratory bird regulations; sunrise and sunset worked out with the NOAA solar formula (Central Time); checked November 3, 2026. Legal hours for all 77 counties.
Green wheat field stretching to the horizon on the southern Great Plains of Oklahoma. Photo: Billy Hathorn (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Green wheat field glowing under storm light at sunset on the plains. Photo: Guy Teague (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Two-track dirt road climbing a grassy hill toward a lone tree in central Oklahoma. Photo: Kool Cats Photography (CC BY 2.0)
Striped Skunk questions
Can I trap striped skunks in Oklahoma?
Traps checked every 24 hours, owner name or customer ID on traps (always on Department lands), no traps in paths/roads used by people or dogs, posting signs for offset foothold traps at public-road entrances (not on private land unless the owner asks), permission required on posted, occupied or agricultural land.
Can skunk hunters go out on Sundays?
No Sunday ban exists; seasons run seven days a week.
What does ODWC allow for striped skunks?
Per the 2026-27 rules: No limit; year-round.
What dates apply to striped skunks in Oklahoma?
Yes, striped skunks have no closed season.
What guns and bows are legal for striped skunks?
Approved skunk gear: Any legal firearm or archery by day; .22 rimfire and light while hunting with hounds at night in season; traps listed in fur rules incl. cable restraints (not on WMAs).
What license do I need for striped skunks in Oklahoma?
Licenses that apply: Annual Hunting (resident, $36); Youth Annual Super Hunting (resident, $26); Nonresident Annual Hunting (nonresident, $209).
Which Oklahoma WMAs have skunk seasons?
90 public areas in this guide list striped skunks; the largest are Ouachita WMA, Ouachita WMA – Le Flore Unit and Three Rivers WMA.
What are the legal hours for striped skunks?
Skunk hunters use these hours. Furbearers at night only with hounds and a .22 rimfire plus carried light in the open furbearer season; coyote and prairie dog no light or sight dog dark to daylight; feral swine at night only by landowner/designee with the night exemption; nuisance coyote/hog control provisions for landowners and ag lessees outside deer gun seasons.
Do I have to report striped skunks I take in Oklahoma?
No E-Check for striped skunks. If you give one away, write out the transfer details (names, addresses, customer ID, date, number and type).
Is blaze orange needed for striped skunks in Oklahoma?
During open big game firearm dates, yes by day: all other hunters and trappers in open areas during those firearm seasons must wear an orange head covering or upper garment, except waterfowl, crow, crane and dove hunters and furbearer hunters at night.
Other photos on this page: Billy Hathorn (CC BY-SA 3.0); Guy Teague (CC BY-SA 2.0); Kool Cats Photography (CC BY 2.0).