Osage County, Oklahoma: deer harvest, public land and seasons
Hunters took 5,062 deer in Osage County in 2025-26, 1st of Oklahoma's 77 counties, by ODWC's Big Game Harvest Report (2,877 antlered, 2,185 antlerless). That count leaves out deer taken on wildlife management areas and OLAP land. Osage County's harvest went from 4,398 in 2020-21 to 5,062 in 2025-26 (up 15%). The county holds 42,688 acres of WMA land in 8 areas and 4 OLAP walk-in hunting tracts (882 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 | 5,062 (1st of 77 counties) |
|---|---|
| Antlered and antlerless, 2025-26 | 2,877 and 2,185 |
| Highest of six seasons | 5,409 in 2022-23 |
| Size | 2,247 square miles of land |
| Wildlife management areas | Hulah WMA, Osage WMA Western Wall Unit, Keystone WMA, Skiatook WMA, Osage WMA Rock Creek Unit, Kaw WMA, Candy Creek WMA, John Dahl WMA |
| OLAP walk-in hunting | 4 tracts, 882 acres |
| Towns | Pawhuska, Hominy, Avant, Barnsdall and Fairfax |
How many deer are harvested in Osage County?
ODWC's yearly count for Osage County, every deer checked in the county outside wildlife management areas and OLAP land. Osage County's harvest went from 4,398 in 2020-21 to 5,062 in 2025-26 (up 15%).
| Season | Deer harvested | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 5,062 | 2,877 | 2,185 | 1,287 | 3,309 | 466 |
| 2024-25 | 4,739 | 2,526 | 2,213 | 1,254 | 3,222 | 263 |
| 2023-24 | 4,379 | 2,466 | 1,913 | 1,002 | 2,967 | 410 |
| 2022-23 | 5,409 | 2,963 | 2,446 | 1,520 | 3,506 | 383 |
| 2021-22 | 4,055 | 2,436 | 1,619 | 1,009 | 2,708 | 338 |
| 2020-21 | 4,398 | 2,470 | 1,928 | 1,074 | 2,859 | 465 |
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.
Osage County deer by method and sex, 2025-26
| Method | Antlerless | Antlered | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | 553 | 734 | 1,287 |
| Gun | 1,461 | 1,848 | 3,309 |
| Muzzleloader | 171 | 295 | 466 |
Mule deer, elk, pronghorn and bear in Osage 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 | 1 |
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 Osage County?
Osage County holds 42,688 acres of ODWC wildlife management area land, 2.9% of the county:
| Area | Acres in the county | Deer harvested on the whole area, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Hulah WMA | 19,177 | 261 |
| Osage WMA Western Wall Unit | 7,317 | 47 |
| Keystone WMA | 5,695 | 272 |
| Skiatook WMA | 4,499 | 84 |
| Osage WMA Rock Creek Unit | 3,730 | 26 |
| Kaw WMA | 1,169 | 389 |
| Candy Creek WMA | 621 | 28 |
| John Dahl WMA | 480 | 33 |
OLAP, the Oklahoma Land Access Program, leases private land for walk-in hunting. ODWC's 2026 layer shows 4 tracts in Osage County:
| Tract | Type | Acres | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osage_H004 | Walk-In Hunting Archery & Shotgun | 480 | Sept. 1 - May 16 |
| Osage_H002 | Walk-In Hunting Archery & Shotgun | 162 | Sept. 1 - May 16 |
| Osage_H005 | Walk-In Hunting Archery & Shotgun | 160 | Sept. 1 - May 16 |
| Osage_H003 | Walk-In Hunting Archery & Shotgun | 80 | Sept. 1 - May 16 |
OLAP tracts: ODWC OLAP layer, June 2026; rules in ODWC's OLAP program.
What is Osage County like?
Osage County covers 2,247 square miles of land. Its towns include Pawhuska, Hominy, Avant, Barnsdall, Fairfax and Shidler. Highways: OK 11 (68 miles in the county), US 60 (67 miles in the county), OK 99 (52 miles in the county), OK 20 (44 miles in the county) and OK 18 (39 miles in the county). Water: Shell Lake and Skiatook Lake.
How does Osage County compare with its neighbors?
| County | Deer harvested, 2025-26 | Rank of 77 |
|---|---|---|
| Osage | 5,062 | 1 |
| Kay | 1,325 | 44 |
| Noble | 1,680 | 34 |
| Pawnee | 2,163 | 17 |
| Tulsa | 1,282 | 47 |
| Washington | 1,521 | 39 |
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 Osage 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 Osage County, Oklahoma?
ODWC counts 5,062 deer taken in Osage County in 2025-26, leaving out WMA and OLAP land. Over the six seasons from 2020-21 the county ranged from 4,055 (2021-22) to 5,409 (2022-23).
Is there public hunting land in Osage County?
Yes: Hulah WMA (19,177 acres in the county), Osage WMA - Western Wall (7,317 acres in the county), Keystone WMA (5,695 acres in the county), Skiatook WMA (4,499 acres in the county), Osage WMA - Rock Creek (3,730 acres in the county), Kaw WMA (1,169 acres in the county), Candy Creek WMA (621 acres in the county) and John Dahl WMA (480 acres in the county), plus 4 OLAP walk-in hunting tracts on private land ODWC leases for public access (882 acres).
When is deer gun season in Osage 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 Osage County?
In 2025-26: gun 3,309, archery 1,287, muzzleloader 466, 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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