Carter County, Oklahoma: deer harvest, public land and seasons
Hunters took 2,165 deer in Carter County in 2025-26, 16th of Oklahoma's 77 counties, by ODWC's Big Game Harvest Report (1,292 antlered, 873 antlerless). That count leaves out deer taken on wildlife management areas and OLAP land. Carter County's harvest went from 1,534 in 2020-21 to 2,165 in 2025-26 (up 41%). The county has no wildlife management area.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: ODWC's Big Game Harvest Reports, 2020-21 to 2025-26. Public land: ODWC's WMA and OLAP maps, 2026.
Wildlife management areaOLAP walk-in tractCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| Deer harvested, 2025-26 | 2,165 (16th of 77 counties) |
|---|---|
| Antlered and antlerless, 2025-26 | 1,292 and 873 |
| Highest of six seasons | 2,165 in 2025-26 |
| Size | 822 square miles of land |
| Wildlife management areas | None |
| OLAP walk-in hunting | None in ODWC's 2026 layer |
| Towns | Ardmore, Lone Grove, Healdton, Springer and Dickson |
How many deer are harvested in Carter County?
ODWC's yearly count for Carter County, every deer checked in the county outside wildlife management areas and OLAP land. Carter County's harvest went from 1,534 in 2020-21 to 2,165 in 2025-26 (up 41%).
| Season | Deer harvested | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,165 | 1,292 | 873 | 645 | 1,351 | 169 |
| 2024-25 | 1,608 | 916 | 692 | 470 | 1,066 | 72 |
| 2023-24 | 1,366 | 869 | 497 | 360 | 870 | 136 |
| 2022-23 | 1,586 | 938 | 648 | 467 | 1,021 | 98 |
| 2021-22 | 1,485 | 967 | 518 | 469 | 932 | 84 |
| 2020-21 | 1,534 | 1,011 | 523 | 431 | 948 | 155 |
Source: ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports (2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21), Table 1, harvest by county, sex and method. The 2020-21 report labels the columns female and male. Each table was checked against its printed totals.
Carter County deer by method and sex, 2025-26
| Method | Antlerless | Antlered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 248 | 397 | 645 |
| Gun | 573 | 778 | 1,351 |
| Muzzleloader | 52 | 117 | 169 |
Mule deer, elk, pronghorn and bear in Carter County
ODWC's county tables for its other big game, in the seasons whose tables reconcile:
| Species | 2025-26 | 2024-25 | 2023-24 | 2022-23 | 2021-22 | 2020-21 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Blank means the county had no row that season or that season's table did not reconcile (mule deer in 2025-26 and 2023-24, elk in 2023-24 and 2020-21).
Where can you hunt public land in Carter County?
Carter County has no wildlife management area in ODWC's 2026 boundaries.
What is Carter County like?
Carter County covers 822 square miles of land. Its towns include Ardmore, Lone Grove, Healdton, Springer, Dickson and Wilson. Highways: US 70 (62 miles in the county), I-35 (43 miles in the county), OK 53 (41 miles in the county), OK 76 (39 miles in the county) and US 77 (32 miles in the county). Water: Lake Murray, City Lake and Upper Bayou Site 10 Reservoir.
How does Carter County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer harvested, 2025-26 | Rank of 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Carter | 2,165 | 16 |
| Garvin | 2,123 | 20 |
| Jefferson | 1,149 | 54 |
| Johnston | 1,351 | 42 |
| Love | 1,044 | 59 |
| Marshall | 493 | 72 |
| Murray | 789 | 67 |
| Stephens | 1,835 | 26 |
When are Oklahoma's 2026 deer seasons?
Deer seasons are statewide; antlerless days and limits are set by zone, and ODWC draws its antlerless zones along highways, so check ODWC's antlerless zone map for Carter County. The combined season limit is six deer, no more than two antlered.
| Season | 2026-27 dates |
|---|---|
| Deer archery | Oct. 1, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027 |
| Youth deer gun | Oct. 16-18, 2026 |
| Deer muzzleloader | Oct. 24 to Nov. 1, 2026 |
| Deer gun | Nov. 21 to Dec. 6, 2026 |
| Holiday antlerless deer gun | Dec. 18-31, 2026 |
Source: ODWC 2026-27 deer seasons. Wildlife management areas can close or shorten a season; each WMA's page lists its own.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are harvested in Carter County, Oklahoma?
ODWC counts 2,165 deer taken in Carter County in 2025-26, leaving out WMA and OLAP land. Over the six seasons from 2020-21 the county ranged from 1,366 (2023-24) to 2,165 (2025-26).
Is there public hunting land in Carter County?
Carter County has no wildlife management area or OLAP walk-in tract in ODWC's 2026 maps. The nearest WMAs are in the neighboring counties.
When is deer gun season in Carter County in 2026?
Statewide: Nov. 21 to Dec. 6, 2026, with muzzleloader Oct. 24 to Nov. 1 and archery Oct. 1, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027. How many antlerless deer you may take depends on the antlerless zone, which ODWC maps by highways rather than county lines. WMAs set their own rules.
Which method takes the most deer in Carter County?
In 2025-26: gun 1,351, archery 645, muzzleloader 169, by ODWC's table.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest by county: ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports, 2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21. The 2023-24 and 2020-21 tables are pictures, read by OCR and kept only where they match ODWC's printed totals.
- Wildlife management areas: ODWC Public WMA Boundaries. OLAP: ODWC OLAP layer. Acres measured by FilledTag.
- Seasons: ODWC 2026-27 hunting regulations. County, towns and highways: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024.
FilledTag is not part of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
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