Oklahoma › Species › American Woodcock
Doves, woodcock, snipe, rails and crows
American woodcock hunting in Oklahoma, 2026-27
Seasons, bag limits, license prices and where to hunt woodcock in 2026-27.
Photo: Jean Ogden Just Chaos Photography (CC BY 2.0)
American Woodcock hunting at a glance
Oklahoma woodcock hunters work with 1 window between November 7, 2026 and December 21, 2026 this season. Bag in one line for the woodcock: Three daily.
- In short (woodcock): Nov 7-Dec 21; falconry Dec 22-Feb 21.
- Take (woodcock): Three daily.
From ODWC season dates page, ODWC migratory bird regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 44 (as of November 2, 2026), checked November 3, 2026.
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Every woodcock season row
Woodcock carry 2 rows in the 2026-27 ODWC tables, with one area for all of them.
| Window | Zone or area | Take | Begins | Through | Days | Right now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Statewide | Three daily, six/nine possession. | Nov 7, 2026 | Dec 21, 2026 | 45 | |
| Extended Falconry | Statewide | Limits below | Dec 22, 2026 | Feb 21, 2027 | 62 |
Footnotes for woodcock
- Hawking hours one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
From ODWC regulation page, ODWC regulation page and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 45, checked November 3, 2026.
American Woodcock limits in Oklahoma
The woodcock limits come from the regulations guide and the ODWC species pages, with each season row's own bag after them.
| Applies to | Rule |
|---|---|
| Woodcock / snipe / rail / gallinule | Woodcock 3; snipe 8; rail 25; gallinule 15 daily; possession three daily limits. |
| Migratory possession rule | One daily limit after one day hunted, two after two days, never more than three daily limits; field possession one daily limit. |
| Season | Three daily, six/nine possession. |
| Extended Falconry | Three daily, nine in possession, migratory game birds singly or in aggregate. |
From ODWC regulation page, ODWC migratory bird regulations and 2026-2027 Oklahoma Fishing & Hunting Regulations p. 45, checked November 3, 2026.
American Woodcock under the federal framework
- HIP (woodcock): Migratory bird hunters 63 and younger (youth not hunting waterfowl exempt); $3 (free online).
- Birds in hand (woodcock): One daily limit after one day hunted, two after two days, never more than three daily limits; field possession one daily limit.
- Federal bait rule (woodcock): Federal baiting rules: no hunting over bait; an area stays baited 10 days after complete removal.
- Federal overlap (woodcock): Dual violation: state migratory bird violations are also federal violations (50 CFR Part 20).
The falconry row adds December 22, 2026 to February 21, 2027 for woodcock.
From ODWC duck, merganser and coot page and ODWC licensing page, checked November 3, 2026.
American Woodcock: the harvest record
For woodcock the numbers are survey estimates for the whole state; ODWC notes small samples and possible recall bias.
| Survey row | Hunters | Days hunted | Harvest estimate | 95% range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodcock | 270 | 1,486 | 1,351 | 292 to 2,411 |
From 2025 Game Harvest Survey, checked November 3, 2026.
Oklahoma public land with woodcock seasons
The largest of 96 public areas that name woodcock.
| Public land | Kind | County | 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 |
| Sequoyah NWR | Refuge | Haskell, Muskogee +1 | 20,807 |
| Keystone WMA | WMA | Creek, Osage +1 | 20,686 |
From lands.json (ODWC area pages, special regulations, OLAP layer and federal rules), checked November 3, 2026.
American Woodcock: guns, bows and methods
| Row | May use | May not use |
|---|---|---|
| Migratory birds | For woodcock: Shotgun 10 ga or smaller holding 3 shells, archery, raptors; nontoxic shot for waterfowl and coots statewide and all shotgun hunting on WDUs and refuges. | Not for woodcock: traps, nets, rifles, pistols, slugs, guns over 10 ga, sink boxes, vehicles/aircraft, moving motorboats, live decoys, recordings (except crow and COLGS), bait. |
- Dogs (woodcock): Dogs may not be used to take bear, deer, elk, antelope or turkey; year-round training/sport chase allowed without means to kill outside season; leashed tracking dog for downed game after notifying a game warden.
- Baiting (woodcock): No turkey hunting within 100 yards of bait; no placing or hunting over bait on ODWC-owned or managed lands (incl. licensed Corps lands); no bear baiting on WMAs; federal migratory bird baiting rules (10-day rule). No general private-land deer baiting ban found.
Shotgun shot larger than #4 buckshot is not legal for woodcock unless the target is a feral hog.
From ODWC migratory bird regulations, ODWC general hunting regulations and ODWC turkey regulations, checked November 3, 2026.
American Woodcock: orange, reporting and transport
- American Woodcock: orange: No. The orange rule for other hunters during big game firearm dates exempts waterfowl, crow, crane and dove hunters, which takes in woodcock.
- American Woodcock check-in: No E-Check for woodcock. HIP certification is required each license year. Tag birds left with others; head or fully feathered wing attached in transport (except doves); COLGS participants register for the harvest survey.
- Handing over woodcock: 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.
American Woodcock license prices
Youth 17 and under need no base license, but the Youth Annual Super license is required for woodcock if they are big game, turkey, waterfowl or furbearers.
| License | Who buys | Group | Fee | Lasts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Hunting | Resident | Age 18+ | $36 | 365 days |
| Youth Annual Super Hunting | Resident | Age 17 and under | $26 | 365 days |
| Harvest Information Program (HIP) Permit | Both | Migratory bird hunters 63 and younger (youth not hunting wat | $3 (free online) | July 1-June 30 |
From the ODWC license fee page and the ODWC license requirements, checked November 3, 2026.
American Woodcock shooting light on key dates
Times for woodcock are worked out for the centre of each county with the NOAA solar formula; ODWC prints no sunrise and sunset table, only the rule.
ODWC hour rule for woodcock: One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset unless otherwise provided; COLGS extends to one-half hour after sunset; WDUs waterfowl close 1 p.m.
| When | Event | County | Place | Sunrise | Sunset | Shooting hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 7, 2026 | Start | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:19 a.m. | 5:49 p.m. | 6:49 a.m. to 5:49 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Start | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 6:57 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 6:27 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Start | Tulsa County | Tulsa area | 6:52 a.m. | 5:23 p.m. | 6:22 a.m. to 5:23 p.m. |
| Nov 7, 2026 | Start | McCurtain County | Idabel area | 6:44 a.m. | 5:22 p.m. | 6:14 a.m. to 5:22 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Final day | Cimarron County | Boise City area | 7:59 a.m. | 5:37 p.m. | 7:29 a.m. to 5:37 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Final day | Oklahoma County | Oklahoma City area | 7:35 a.m. | 5:20 p.m. | 7:05 a.m. to 5:20 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Final day | Tulsa County | Tulsa area | 7:31 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 7:01 a.m. to 5:13 p.m. |
| Dec 21, 2026 | Final day | McCurtain County | Idabel area | 7:21 a.m. | 5:13 p.m. | 6:51 a.m. to 5:13 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.
Northern bobwhite walking along a gravel road edge. Photo: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Male northern bobwhite quail. Photo: ilouque (CC BY 2.0)
Northern bobwhite quail on a sandy trail beside green grass. Photo: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Common questions on woodcock
Is there a daily limit on woodcock?
Woodcock 3; snipe 8; rail 25; gallinule 15 daily; possession three daily limits. One daily limit after one day hunted, two after two days, never more than three daily limits; field possession one daily limit.
What days are open for woodcock in Oklahoma?
The first woodcock row opens November 7, 2026 and the last closes December 21, 2026; every segment is in the season table.
What firearms are allowed for woodcock hunting?
For woodcock, ODWC permits shotgun 10 ga or smaller holding 3 shells, archery, raptors; nontoxic shot for waterfowl and coots statewide and all shotgun hunting on WDUs and refuges.
Do I need a special permit for woodcock?
For woodcock: Annual Hunting (resident, $36); Youth Annual Super Hunting (resident, $26); Harvest Information Program (HIP) Permit (both, $3 (free online)).
What public places are open for woodcock?
The biggest of the 96 listed areas are Ouachita WMA, Ouachita WMA – Le Flore Unit and Three Rivers WMA.
When does legal shooting time start for woodcock?
Hours for woodcock: One-half hour before official sunrise to official sunset unless otherwise provided; COLGS extends to one-half hour after sunset; WDUs waterfowl close 1 p.m.
Is there a harvest report for woodcock?
No E-Check for woodcock. HIP certification is required each license year. Tag birds left with others; head or fully feathered wing attached in transport (except doves); COLGS participants register for the harvest survey.
Do woodcock hunters need hunter orange in Oklahoma?
No. The orange rule for other hunters during big game firearm dates exempts waterfowl, crow, crane and dove hunters, which takes in woodcock.
What gauge is legal for woodcock?
Shotgun 10 ga or smaller holding 3 shells, archery, raptors; nontoxic shot for waterfowl and coots statewide and all shotgun hunting on WDUs and refuges. Not legal: Traps, nets, rifles, pistols, slugs, guns over 10 ga, sink boxes, vehicles/aircraft, moving motorboats, live decoys, recordings (except crow and COLGS), bait.
Is Sunday woodcock hunting legal in Oklahoma?
Sundays are normal days for woodcock; ODWC prints no Sunday restriction.
Other photos on this page: cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0); ilouque (CC BY 2.0); cuatrok77 (CC BY-SA 2.0).