New Club looks to introduce QDM to Oklahoma
(Tulsa World, Tulsa, OK USA): Are Oklahoma deer hunters harvesting far too many small, immature buck deer? Some officials with the Wildlife Department's game division are convinced of that, which is one of the major reasons for changes in our deer hunting regulations.
Next year, Oklahoma deer hunters will be allowed to harvest only two bucks during all seasons combined, with one major exception. Archery deer hunters will, however, be permitted to harvest a third buck in December. And archery deer season will also run from Oct. 1 hrough Dec. 31.
But a statewide organization has already been formed by some hunters who are trying to change the attitude of most state deer hunters.
"And we certainly want it understood, we're not just promoting harvesting strictly big, trophy deer by our organization's name, the Oklahoma Trophy Hunters Association," said the organization's president, Trent Hodgins, of Holdenville, OK. "We all love to eat venison, and want to do our share of taking the antlerless deer which always need to be part of our annual deer season harvest."
The organization's stated goals are to "develop and promote quality whitetail deer hunting within the state of Oklahoma, and to educate landowners, lease holders and deer hunters on how to achieve these goals."
Hodgins says that only one out of every 241 bucks harvested in Oklahoma would qualify as a trophy-class animal. And that's primarily because most deer hunters - whether with bow, muzzle loader or modern firearms - will still take the very first legal buck deer which comes by. Most of the bucks checked-in each year are only 1 1/2-year-old animals, so the Trophy Hunters Association motto is also "Pass the Buck."
If Oklahoma deer hunters want the opportunity to have some outstanding, trophy-class animals in our woods and fields, "the hunters will just have to start being more selective," Hodgins says.
A year's membership is $20. Membership includes newsletters, cap, patch, decal. The newsletter has excellent hunting tips and reports. For more info., contact: The Oklahoma Trophy Hunters Association: Hodgins, 615 Berton Street, Holdenville, OK 74848 or call 405-379-5317. (Written by Sam Powell, World Outdoors Writer.)