Cookson WMA: deer harvest, rules and map
Cookson WMA is 15,041 acres of public hunting land in Cherokee County and Adair County, managed by ODWC. Hunters took 58 deer on it in 2025-26, by ODWC's Big Game Harvest Report, and 66 a season on average over the 6 seasons ODWC published. Deer gun season is closed here, outside controlled hunts.
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 | 15,041 acres (ODWC) |
|---|---|
| County | Cherokee, Adair |
| ODWC region | Northeast |
| Deer harvested, 2025-26 | 58 |
| Deer per 1,000 acres, 2025-26 | 3.9 (worked out from ODWC's two figures) |
| Deer gun season | Closed (controlled hunts only) |
| Camping | Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas only, and only during open hunting seasons on the area. |
| Area contact | (918) 260-8959 |
| Towns | Marble City (4 mi), Stilwell (9 mi) and Vian (12 mi) |
How many deer are harvested on Cookson WMA?
ODWC's count of deer taken on Cookson WMA, season by season, from its WMA harvest table.
| Season | Deer harvested | Antlered | Antlerless | Archery | Gun | Muzzleloader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 58 | |||||
| 2024-25 | 74 | 37 | 37 | 60 | 13 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 78 | 45 | 33 | 58 | 16 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 65 | 32 | 33 | 49 | 12 | 4 |
| 2021-22 | 59 | 27 | 32 | 47 | 9 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 60 |
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 Cookson WMA?
- Area closed to all activities for controlled deer and elk hunts Sept. 24-25, Oct. 23-25, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, Nov. 7-8 and Nov. 14-15, 2026.
Closed seasons: Deer Gun, Deer Muzzleloader, Youth Deer Gun, Holiday Antlerless Deer Gun and Turkey Fall Gun.
Same as statewide: Turkey Fall Archery and Deer Archery.
Seasons with special restrictions
- Quail, Squirrel, Rabbit, Crow, Dove, Rail, Gallinule, Snipe, Woodcock, Trapping, Predator/ Furbearer Calling, Waterfowl: Closed from the opening day of deer archery season through deer gun season.
- Pursuit with hounds for Furbearers: Closed from the opening day of deer archery season through deer gun season and during spring turkey season.
- Turkey Spring, Youth Turkey Spring: One-tom limit combined; seasons combined, area combined.
Other restrictions
- Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas only, and only during open hunting seasons on the area.
- Closed to all nonhunting activities, except hunter camping, from Oct. 1 - Jan. 31 and during spring turkey season.
Source: ODWC 2026-27 special area regulations, Cookson WMA.
How do you get to Cookson WMA?
Cookson WMA lies in Cherokee County and Adair County. Nearest towns: Marble City (4 miles), Stilwell (9 miles), Vian (12 miles) and Sallisaw (13 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OK 82 (2.8 miles).
Which wildlife management areas are near Cookson WMA?
| Area | Distance | Deer harvested, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Tenkiller WMA | 8.5 mi | 11 |
| Cherokee WMA | 9.9 mi | 257 |
| Ozark Plateau WMA | 11.5 mi | 5 |
| Lower Illinois River Public Fishing and Hunting Area | 13.1 mi | 6 |
| Thomas A. Bamberger Sr. WMA | 14 mi | 2 |
OLAP walk-in hunting tracts within 20 miles: Sequoyah_H002 (485 acres, 13.2 mi).
Questions hunters ask
How many deer are killed on Cookson WMA?
ODWC counts 58 deer on Cookson WMA in 2025-26. Its seasons on record: 2025-26 58, 2024-25 74, 2023-24 78, 2022-23 65, 2021-22 59 and 2020-21 60.
Is deer gun season open on Cookson WMA?
No. ODWC's 2026-27 rules close Cookson WMA to deer gun season; deer gun hunting there is by controlled hunt only.
Can you camp on Cookson WMA?
Hunter and angler camping is allowed in designated areas only, and only during open hunting seasons on the area, by ODWC's 2026-27 regulations.
Where is Cookson WMA?
In Cherokee County and Adair County. Nearest towns: Marble City (4 miles), Stilwell (9 miles) and Vian (12 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 Cherokee County Adair County Tenkiller WMA Cherokee WMA Ozark Plateau WMA