Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area: deer harvest, rules and map
Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area is 3,341 acres of public hunting land in Johnston County, managed by ODWC. Hunters took 57 deer on it in 2025-26, by ODWC's Big Game Harvest Report, and 35 a season on average over the 6 seasons ODWC published. Deer gun, by ODWC's 2026-27 rules for the area: Open the entire 16 days of deer gun season. Closed to antlerless hunting. Shotguns with slugs only.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: ODWC's Big Game Harvest Reports. Rules: ODWC's 2026-27 special area regulations. Boundary: ODWC's WMA map.
This areaOther wildlife management areaOLAP walk-in tractCounty lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 3,341 acres (ODWC) |
|---|---|
| County | Johnston |
| ODWC region | Central |
| Deer harvested, 2025-26 | 57 |
| Deer per 1,000 acres, 2025-26 | 17.1 (worked out from ODWC's two figures) |
| Deer gun season | Open the entire 16 days of deer gun season. Closed to antlerless hunting. Shotguns with slugs only. |
| Camping | Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas. |
| Area contact | (580) 920-5773 |
| Towns | Milburn (6 mi), Bromide (6 mi) and Tishomingo (7 mi) |
How many deer are harvested on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
ODWC's count of deer taken on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area, season by season, from its WMA harvest table.
| Season | Deer harvested | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 57 | |||||
| 2024-25 | 49 | 24 | 25 | 36 | 13 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 29 | 11 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 19 |
Source: ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports (2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21), Table 2, WMA harvest by sex and method. A season missing from the table had no row for the area or its table did not reconcile. Method and sex columns are left blank for 2025-26 and 2020-21: that year's table adds up row by row and to its printed total, but its columns do not match the printed column totals, so only the totals are used.
What are the 2026-27 hunting rules on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
- All hunting is restricted to shotguns or archery equipment only.
Closed seasons: Deer Muzzleloader, Turkey Fall Gun and Trapping.
Same as statewide: Deer Archery, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Quail, Snipe, Woodcock, Waterfowl, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey Fall Archery, Pursuit with hounds for Furbearers and Predator/Furbearer Calling.
Seasons with special restrictions
- Youth Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun: Shotguns with slugs only.
- Deer Gun: Open the entire 16 days of deer gun season. Closed to antlerless hunting. Shotguns with slugs only.
- Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring: One-tom limit; seasons combined.
Other restrictions
- Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas.
Source: ODWC 2026-27 special area regulations, Blue River PFHA.
How do you get to Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area lies in Johnston County. Nearest towns: Milburn (6 miles), Bromide (6 miles), Tishomingo (7 miles) and Wapanucka (9 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OK 7 (it crosses or touches the area), US 377 (1 mile) and OK 99 (1 mile).
Which wildlife management areas are near Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
| Area | Distance | Deer harvested, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Arbuckle Springs WMA | 4.3 mi | 50 |
| Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit | 7.5 mi | 30 |
| Texoma-Washita Arm WMA | 7.9 mi | 40 |
| Hickory Creek WMA | 30.7 mi | 35 |
| Love Valley WMA | 32 mi | 86 |
OLAP walk-in hunting tracts within 20 miles: Johnston_H004 (350 acres, 8.8 mi) and Johnston_H005 (150 acres, 8.8 mi).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
ODWC counts 57 deer on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area in 2025-26. Its seasons on record: 2025-26 57, 2024-25 49, 2023-24 40, 2022-23 23, 2021-22 23 and 2020-21 19.
Is deer gun season open on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
Yes, with limits. ODWC's 2026-27 rule: Deer Gun: Open the entire 16 days of deer gun season. Closed to antlerless hunting. Shotguns with slugs only.
Can you camp on Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas, by ODWC's 2026-27 regulations.
Where is Blue River Public Fishing and Hunting Area?
In Johnston County. Nearest towns: Milburn (6 miles), Bromide (6 miles) and Tishomingo (7 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Deer harvest: ODWC Big Game Harvest Reports, 2025-26, 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-21, WMA table.
- Seasons and rules: ODWC 2026-27 hunting regulations, special area regulations.
- Boundary and acres: ODWC Public WMA Boundaries. Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024. Water: USGS NHD.
FilledTag is not part of the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. ODWC's regulations and posted signs are the final word.
Oklahoma hunting Johnston County Arbuckle Springs WMA Tishomingo Wildlife Management Unit Texoma-Washita Arm WMA