Geese leave a wheat field on the Washita National Wildlife Refuge near Butler. Phot by Levi Feltman of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Hunters have until Oct. 7 to apply for the goose and sandhill crane hunts this season at the Washita National Wildlife Refuge, located on the upper end of the Foss Reservoir in western Oklahoma .
Goose hunts have been offered on the refuge since 1982. Last year, 234 hunters bagged 117 geese during the refuge hunts.
“Washita continues to be a prime goose hunting destination and offers some of the most economical hunting in the state,” said Amber Zimmerman, refuge manager. “With a peak population near 100,000 most years, true waterfowlers are sure to get a thrill whether or not they take home their limit.”
Hunting is by permit only. Ten blinds situated on the edges of wheat fields are available each scheduled hunt day.
Non-transferable permits for six weekend hunts are selected by a random drawing. Applicants must be age 18 or older. Successful applicants may bring two other hunters.
All hunters must carry the required state and federal licenses and permits.
Non-toxic shot must be used. No more than 25 shells per hunter are allowed. A $20 blind fee must be paid by Nov. 4.
Weekend hunt dates available are Nov. 19-20, Nov. 26-27, Dec. 10-11, Dec. 17-18, Dec. 31-Jan. 1, and Jan. 7-8.
To apply for the drawing, hunters must submit their name, mailing address, telephone number and only one preferred hunt weekend. Applications can be mailed, faxed or delivered in person to the refuge.
Mailed applications must be postmarked by Oct. 7 and sent to the Washita National Wildlife Refuge, 20834 E. 940 Road, Butler OK 73625-5001. Faxed applications must be received by Oct. 7.
In addition, six Wednesday hunts are available (Nov. 16, Nov. 23, Dec. 14, Dec. 21, Dec. 28 and Jan. 4). Blinds for those hunts are filled by reservation only by calling the refuge on Tuesday before the scheduled hunt.
For more information, call the refuge at (580) 664-2205, email washita@fws.gov or visit the refuge’s website, http://washita.fws.gov.

This black bear weighed more than 340 pounds and was killed on opening day by Byg Guinn of Hodgen on private land.

Last year, hunters in southeastern Oklahoma were predicting the state’s first black bear season would open and close on the same day since  the season had to close once 20 bears were killed.

They were so wrong. Only four bears were killed on opening day and just 19 for the entire month-long season. Hunters should have saved their boasting for this year.

On Friday, the opening day of the bear archery season, hunters checked in 31 bears – 25 males and six females. Season over. The largest trophy was a black bear taken in Latimer County, killed by Bob Burgett of Kiowa.

The bear, shot east of Hartshorne, weighed 463 pounds after it was field dressed, said Joe Hemphill, southeast region chief for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation

Burgett’s bear easily weighed more than 600 pounds on the hoof, he said.

Several bears weighing more than 300 pounds were taken by bow hunters Friday. Kelsey Weaver, 17, of Poteau became the state’s first female hunter to kill a bear.

Kelsey Weaver, 17, of Poteau had her nails done one day and shot a bear with a crossbow on the next day.

Twelve of the 31 bears came from Le Flore County, 12 from Pushmataha County, four from Latimer County and three from McCurtain County, Hemphill said.

The big question is, why did hunters have so much more success this season? Hemphill said the acorn crop wasn’t as plentiful in southeastern Oklahoma this year so more bears were attracted to bait.

“Bait is drawing a lot more bears than we expected it to,” he said.

However, Hemphill thinks the biggest reason for the increase was the use of crossbows, which are legal for all bow hunters for the first time this year.

Before this season, crossbows could only be used by bow hunters with a physical disability and hunters age 60 or older.

At least 20 of the 31 bears checked in Friday to state wildlife officials were killed by hunters using crossbows, Hemphill said.

“I think crossbows made a major difference, just my opinion,” he said.

The fact that the black bear season lasted just one day left some hunters disgruntled and Hemphill said state wildlife officials would be re-examining the regulations for next year.

One possibility is to impose separate bag limits on bears for the archery and muzzleloader seasons to give hunters more opportunities, he said.

“We are definitely going to do something different,” Hemphill said.

Hemphill wasn’t concerned that 11 bears more than the imposed season limit of 20 were killed. In the beginning, state wildlife officials were “very conservative” in deciding that only 20 bears could be taken by hunters, he said.

Liberalizing the bag limit would not harm the black bear population, which studies show is continuing to grow in southeast Oklahoma, he said.

Travis Elliott of Poteau killed a cinnamon-colored black bear on opening day of black bear season.

Jason Rhodes of Jones arrowed this 342-pound black bear near Muse on Friday.