Outdoor briefs

Published: September 30, 2007

•Doves – Through Oct. 30

•Teal – Through today

•Squirrels – Through Jan. 31

Deer archery season opens statewide Monday.

Bowhunters helped make Oklahoma deer hunting history last year when their harvest of 17,567 deer contributed to an all-time annual state harvest record of 119,349.

Jerry Shaw, big game biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, said the 2007 archery season looks promising for hunters as well.

"The state looks good this year as far as deer health is concerned,” he said. "All the rain has caused there to be a lot of food still available that usually is gone by this time of year, so the deer in the state are eating very well.”

Some parts of the state experienced a late frost last year, hurting the crop of some mast-bearing tree species, but trees such as red oaks, which bloom later in the year than other oaks, may provide good sites for locating deer.

Archery season runs from Oct. 1 to Jan. 15. The last two weeks of the season are antlerless hunting only.

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has made it easier for adults to hunt this season but made big-game hunting more restrictive for youth.

Oklahoma has a new apprentice-designated license for adults. Individuals who have not completed the state Wildlife Department's hunter education course may get an apprentice license and still hunt with a licensed hunter, 21 years or older, who has completed the course or is exempt from hunter education.

Cost of the apprentice license is the same as a normal hunting license: $25.

Also new this year, hunters under the age of 16 must complete a hunter education course to hunt big game or to buy any big game hunting license.

Public meetings on the Grand Lake Shoreline Management Plan are scheduled Tuesday and Thursday.

Tuesday's meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Cleora School. Thursday's meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Grove Community Center.

The Grand River Dam Authority will present the final draft of the plan.

The GRDA board will vote on the final plan in November.

The final draft of the plan can be viewed online at www.grda.com. Public comments on the final draft can be emailed to smp@grda.com.

The Tracker Marine Bass Circuit will hold its tournament trail championship Oct. 13-14 on Lake Eufaula.

Take off will be from Eufaula Cove. Entry fee is $200.

For more information, visit www.backyardbassin.com or call Stan Thomas at (580) 229-5800, or email stan@backyardbassin.com.

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