Canton WMA: deer harvest, rules and map
Canton WMA is 17,729 acres of public hunting land in Dewey County, Blaine County and Major County, managed by ODWC. Hunters took 196 deer on it in 2025-26, by ODWC's Big Game Harvest Report, and 144 a season on average over the 6 seasons ODWC published. Deer gun is closed on Canton WRP and open, with limits, on the rest of the area.
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 | 17,729 acres (ODWC) |
|---|---|
| County | Dewey, Blaine, Major |
| ODWC region | Northwest |
| Deer harvested, 2025-26 | 196 |
| Deer per 1,000 acres, 2025-26 | 11.1 (worked out from ODWC's two figures) |
| Deer gun season | Closed on Canton WRP; see the rules below |
| Camping | Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas. |
| Area contact | (580) 541-5319 |
| Towns | Longdale (next to it), Canton (next to it) and Seiling (8 mi) |
How many deer are harvested on Canton WMA?
ODWC's count of deer taken on Canton WMA, season by season, from its WMA harvest table. ODWC prints the area in parts (Canton WMA and Canton WRP); the totals below add them.
| Season | Deer harvested | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 196 | |||||
| 2024-25 | 155 | 72 | 83 | 73 | 53 | 29 |
| 2023-24 | 129 | 58 | 71 | 49 | 40 | 40 |
| 2022-23 | 153 | 73 | 80 | 56 | 64 | 33 |
| 2021-22 | 113 | 54 | 59 | 45 | 50 | 18 |
| 2020-21 | 116 |
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 Canton WMA?
- Canton WMA: Area closed to all activities for controlled deer hunts Nov 21-22, 2026.
- Canton WRP: All shotgun hunting is restricted to federally approved nontoxic shot.
Closed seasons (Canton WMA): Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun and Pheasant.
Same as statewide (Canton WMA): Youth Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Waterfowl, Crane, Turkey Fall Archery and Deer Archery.
Closed seasons (Canton WRP): Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Youth Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun, Turkey Fall Gun, Quail, Pheasant, Snipe, Woodcock and Trapping.
Seasons with special restrictions
- Canton WMA: Crow, Rabbit, Squirrel, Snipe, Woodcock: Closed the first nine days of deer gun season.
- Canton WMA: Deer Gun: Closed for controlled hunts (opening weekend) and the last seven days of deer gun season. Closed to antlerless hunting.
- Canton WMA: Quail: Closed during the first nine days of deer gun season. Closed to non-resident hunting February 1-15. Hunting hours close at 4:30 p.m. daily.
- Canton WMA: Pursuit with hounds for Furbearers, Predator/Furbearer Calling: Closed during deer gun season.
- Canton WMA: Turkey Fall Gun: Shotgun only.
- Canton WMA: Trapping: Open to water sets, live box traps and enclosed trigger traps only through Jan. 31. Open same as statewide Feb. 1 through end of February.
- Canton WMA: Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring: One-tom limit; seasons combined, area combined.
- Canton WRP: Deer Archery, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Crow, Waterfowl, Crane, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey Fall Archery, Pursuit with hounds for Furbearers, Predator/Furbearer Calling: Closed Oct. 15 - Jan. 31.
- Canton WRP: Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring: One-tom limit; seasons combined, area combined.
Other restrictions
- Canton WMA: The Prairie Dog Refuge is closed to prairie dog hunting.
- Canton WMA: Closed to all nonhunting activities, except hunter camping, from Oct. 1 - Feb. 15.
- Canton WMA: Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas.
- Canton WRP: Closed to all nonhunting activities from Oct. 1 - Feb. 15.
- Canton WRP: No camping allowed.
Source: ODWC 2026-27 special area regulations, Canton WMA; ODWC 2026-27 special area regulations, Canton WRP.
How do you get to Canton WMA?
Canton WMA lies in Dewey County, Blaine County and Major County. Nearest towns: Longdale (next to it), Canton (next to it), Seiling (8 miles) and Fairview (10 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OK 58 (0.7 miles), OK 51 (1.2 miles) and US 60 (3.5 miles). Water: Canton Lake.
Which wildlife management areas are near Canton WMA?
| Area | Distance | Deer harvested, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Dewey County WMA | 15.6 mi | 1 |
| Sandhills WMA | 16.6 mi | 22 |
| Major County WMA | 17.1 mi | |
| Drummond Flats WMA | 28.1 mi | 16 |
OLAP walk-in hunting tracts within 20 miles: Blaine_H002 (160 acres, next to it), Dewey_H006 (160 acres, 3.2 mi), Dewey_H007 (80 acres, 3.7 mi), Dewey_H004 (160 acres, 16.5 mi) and Dewey_H005 (150 acres, 16.8 mi).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed on Canton WMA?
ODWC counts 196 deer on Canton WMA in 2025-26. Its seasons on record: 2025-26 196, 2024-25 155, 2023-24 129, 2022-23 153, 2021-22 113 and 2020-21 116.
Is deer gun season open on Canton WMA?
On part of it. ODWC's 2026-27 rules close deer gun on Canton WRP; elsewhere on the area: Deer Gun: Closed for controlled hunts (opening weekend) and the last seven days of deer gun season. Closed to antlerless hunting..
Can you camp on Canton WMA?
Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas, by ODWC's 2026-27 regulations.
Where is Canton WMA?
In Dewey County, Blaine County and Major County. Nearest towns: Longdale (next to it), Canton (next to it) and Seiling (8 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 Dewey County Blaine County Major County Dewey County WMA Sandhills WMA Major County WMA