Ask most people what they think of when someone mentions Oklahoma, and the answer is likely to include college football or Broadway musicals. But that’s only because most people aren’t serious whitetail bowhunters. Although somewhat off the radar for hunters outside the region, the Sooner State really is one of the best places for chasing big deer. In short, it’s still a bit of a “sleeper,” and those are becoming harder to find all the time.
Naturally, as is the case anywhere else, not all parts of the state offer equal odds. As the accompanying map shows, the better counties tend to be a bit scattered. But that’s not a bad thing. What it means is that big deer can be shot anywhere. If you’re on the right piece of land, you could encounter a Pope & Young-class buck in any county in Oklahoma.
With large tracts of public land scattered all over the state, the decision on where to bowhunt depends largely on the type of habitat you prefer. As you move east to west across Oklahoma, there’s dramatic change in the landscape. The landscape opens up, with rolling hardwood-pine forests giving way to gentler pastureland and finally wide-open plains and prairies. By the time you reach the Panhandle, you’re in classic “high plains” habitat. Here, whitetails share the land…
