Transcript Staff Writer

Residents will be heading to the woods by the hundreds in the weeks ahead, as hunting season opens in Oklahoma. Meanwhile, game wardens and other wildlife officials are reminding people they need to obey state hunting regulations and local ordinances.

"We ask that everyone wear their orange. If hunting from a tree stand, wear a safety harness. And be sure of the target and what lies beyond," said Chad Strang, game warden for Cleveland County.

People hunting within the Norman city limits must abide by a city ordinance (0-7273-56) which states in part that no person shall discharge any firearm, BB gun or air rifle within the city limits, with the exception of individuals practicing at an authorized firing range; police and security guards in performance of their duties; individuals lawfully defending themselves, their property, or another person or that person's property; and hunters in those areas zoned A-2 (agriculture), so long as the bullet or projectile does not pass nor is likely to pass through or fall within a populated area or place of habitation.

Norman Police Lt. John Bowman said the unrestricted shooting of firearms became a growing concern as development spread into east Norman.

"Anymore, you can't just go out and start shooting," Bowman said. "And as the years progress and development progresses, those restrictions will tighten up even further."

Hunting and fishing enthusiasts have been taking full advantage of the 1,874-acre Lake Thunderbird State Park -- so much so that officials from the wildlife department, state park and City of Norman implemented a parking permit program several years ago to begin regulating and overseeing the park traffic, Bowman said.

Anyone intending to use the state park is now required to acquire a parking permit, free of charge, at the state park office, located at the end of Alameda Drive. By requiring the permits, officials are able to keep track of the vehicles and know who's in the woods, and also monitor how many people are using the park during the year. And because the parking is limited, maps are provided to show people where the designated parking and hunting areas are, he said.

More than 600 parking permits were issued last year, Bowman said. And according to park officials, more than 650 permits have been issued to date this year.

Hunting is allowed in specific undeveloped areas of the park -- as determined each year by a certified wildlife biologist who monitors the wildlife populations and determines control strategies and techniques.

"Locally, the deer hunting at Lake Thunderbird State Park is archery only," Strang said, with designated areas set aside each year for deer archery and water fowl hunting.

The deer season and archery season overlap, and bow-hunters on Lake Thunderbird are required to wear an orange hat or vest during the deer season, he said.

Strang said anyone hunting during rifle and muzzleloader seasons is required to wear 400 square inches of daylight fluorescent orange on the head and upper body. "Basically, a hat and vest," he said.

Another popular hunting region is the Lexington Wildlife Management Area -- an area off State Highway 77, five miles south and six miles east of Noble, comprised of 9,512 acres.

Strang said the area is open to muzzleloaders. "But it's buck only -- you can't harvest a doe," he said.

"People also go fishing and riding horseback out there. But when deer season starts, all the non-hunting activity ends," he said.

Strang said anyone entering a wildlife management area needs to check the particular regulations for that area. "Sometimes those regulations are more restrictive than the statewide rules," he said.

Anyone hunting deer in Oklahoma is required to have a hunting license and a deer tag, Strang said.

"The exception to that is landowners hunting on their own land, wouldn't need a hunting license. But they would still need a deer tag," he said.

Hunting licenses are available online at www.wildlifedepartment.com, or at any licensed dealer's location.

Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education course before purchasing any hunting license or hunting big game (deer, elk or antelope) with a firearm, Strang said.

Hunter education courses cover firearm safety, hunting regulations, responsibility and ethics, wildlife management and other topics. Hunter education course times and locations are listed on the Web site.

"We've got volunteer instructors who put on the hunter education course throughout the year, and each county game warden is required to put on a certain number a year. We try to do it in prime time before the big game season," he said.

Strang said any hunter, upon harvesting a deer, is required to complete the "Record of Game" section on the back of the hunting license form. In addition, the hunter must attach his or her name and hunting license number to the carcass with a tag. This tag must remain until it is checked at the nearest open hunter check station, he said.

"That's how you keep track of how many deer you can shoot," he said.

Strang said game wardens take lots of complaints about hunters who improperly dispose of deer and other wildlife carcasses.

Regulations prohibit the dumping of any dead animal in any well, spring, pond or stream of water or leaving it within one-quarter mile of any occupied dwelling or public highway, without burying it in an appropriate manner.

Hunters have the opportunity to donate their harvest to the Hunters Against Hunger Program, which facilitates the distribution of deer meat to hungry families in the state. Last year, Oklahoma hunters donated more than 34,000 pounds of venison to the program -- enough meat to provide nutritious meals for nearly 133,000 people, officials said.

Deer hunting is the most popular hunting season in Oklahoma, with an overall economic impact of more than $600 million, officials said. More than 84,000 archers, nearly 108,000 primitive firearms hunters and over 155,000 gun hunters participate in deer hunting each year.