Johnston County, Oklahoma: deer harvest, public land and seasons
Hunters took 1,351 deer in Johnston County in 2025-26, 42nd of Oklahoma's 77 counties, by ODWC's Big Game Harvest Report (838 antlered, 513 antlerless). That count leaves out deer taken on wildlife management areas and OLAP land. Johnston County's harvest went from 1,408 in 2020-21 to 1,351 in 2025-26 (down 4%). The county holds 21,963 acres of WMA land in 4 areas and 2 OLAP walk-in hunting tracts (500 acres).
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 | 1,351 (42nd of 77 counties) |
|---|---|
| Antlered and antlerless, 2025-26 | 838 and 513 |
| Highest of six seasons | 1,408 in 2020-21 |
| Size | 643 square miles of land |
| Wildlife management areas | Texoma-Washita Arm WMA, Arbuckle Springs WMA, Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit, Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area |
| OLAP walk-in hunting | 2 tracts, 500 acres |
| Towns | Tishomingo, Mannsville, Bromide, Wapanucka and Ravia |
How many deer are harvested in Johnston County?
ODWC's yearly count for Johnston County, every deer checked in the county outside wildlife management areas and OLAP land. Johnston County's harvest went from 1,408 in 2020-21 to 1,351 in 2025-26 (down 4%).
| Season | Deer harvested | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,351 | 838 | 513 | 421 | 825 | 105 |
| 2024-25 | 1,173 | 668 | 505 | 348 | 760 | 65 |
| 2023-24 | 1,128 | 660 | 468 | 294 | 694 | 140 |
| 2022-23 | 1,307 | 751 | 556 | 388 | 836 | 83 |
| 2021-22 | 1,361 | 807 | 554 | 376 | 874 | 111 |
| 2020-21 | 1,408 | 773 | 635 | 417 | 818 | 173 |
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.
Johnston County deer by method and sex, 2025-26
| Method | Antlerless | Antlered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 157 | 264 | 421 |
| Gun | 329 | 496 | 825 |
| Muzzleloader | 27 | 78 | 105 |
Mule deer, elk, pronghorn and bear in Johnston 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 | 2 | 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 Johnston County?
Johnston County holds 21,963 acres of ODWC wildlife management area land, 5.2% of the county:
| Area | Acres in the county | Deer harvested on the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Texoma-Washita Arm WMA | 11,387 | 40 |
| Arbuckle Springs WMA | 3,869 | 50 |
| Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit | 3,366 | 30 |
| Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area | 3,341 | 57 |
OLAP, the Oklahoma Land Access Program, leases private land for walk-in hunting. ODWC's 2026 layer shows 2 tracts in Johnston County:
| Tract | Type | Acres | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnston_H004 | Walk-In Hunting Archery & Shotgun | 350 | Sep. 1 - May 16 |
| Johnston_H005 | Walk-In Hunting Archery & Shotgun | 150 | Sep. 1 - May 16 |
OLAP tracts: ODWC OLAP layer, June 2026; rules in ODWC's OLAP program.
What is Johnston County like?
Johnston County covers 643 square miles of land. Its towns include Tishomingo, Mannsville, Bromide, Wapanucka, Ravia and Milburn. Highways: OK 7 (38 miles in the county), OK 1 (29 miles in the county), US 377 (26 miles in the county), OK 99 (26 miles in the county) and OK 22 (23 miles in the county). Water: Washita River.
How does Johnston County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer harvested, 2025-26 | Rank of 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Johnston | 1,351 | 42 |
| Atoka | 2,981 | 4 |
| Bryan | 2,147 | 18 |
| Carter | 2,165 | 16 |
| Coal | 1,805 | 28 |
| Marshall | 493 | 72 |
| Murray | 789 | 67 |
| Pontotoc | 2,258 | 14 |
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 Johnston 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 Johnston County, Oklahoma?
ODWC counts 1,351 deer taken in Johnston County in 2025-26, leaving out WMA and OLAP land. Over the six seasons from 2020-21 the county ranged from 1,128 (2023-24) to 1,408 (2020-21).
Is there public hunting land in Johnston County?
Yes: Texoma - Washita Arm WMA (11,387 acres in the county), Arbuckle Springs WMA (3,869 acres in the county), Tishomingo WMA (3,366 acres in the county) and Blue River Public Fishing & Hunting Area (3,341 acres in the county), plus 2 OLAP walk-in hunting tracts on private land ODWC leases for public access (500 acres).
When is deer gun season in Johnston 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 Johnston County?
In 2025-26: gun 825, archery 421, muzzleloader 105, 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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