Commission votes to extend Oklahoma's deer gun season on private land

<br>OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma deer gun season will be longer than nine days for the first time since 1970. <br><br>The Oklahoma Wildlife Commission voted 5-2 on Monday to extend the deer gun season

Tuesday, March 4th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The Oklahoma deer gun season will be longer than nine days for the first time since 1970.

The Oklahoma Wildlife Commission voted 5-2 on Monday to extend the deer gun season to 16 days on private land, where most hunting in Oklahoma occurs.

Most of the public hunting areas were not included in the extension. A number of residents in southeastern Oklahoma, where the state's two largest public hunting areas are located, objected to a longer season.

In the past 12 years, the commission twice passed a longer season only to rescind that vote when landowner groups objected.

Now there are five new commissioners and surveys by the state Wildlife Conservation Department show most hunters and landowners favor a longer season.

The season will begin the first Saturday before Thanksgiving and continue for 16 consecutive days.

The deer gun season will remain at nine days on two-thirds of the state's wildlife management areas, including Honobia and Three Rivers in southeastern Oklahoma, the largest public hunting areas.

The deer gun season in the Ouachita National Forest in southeastern Oklahoma also will remain at nine days.

Deer herds in most of the public areas could not support a longer season, wildlife officials said.

Commissioner Harland Stonecipher and Chairman Lewis R. Stiles voted against the extension.

Stiles didn't want the 16-day season to extend to private land in McCurtain and Pushmataha counties, where much of the Three Rivers and Honobia Wildlife Management areas located.

Stiles said it will be a nightmare for enforcement to have different seasons on private land and public land. He also noted that loggers stop working during the gun season and most residents there do not want the longer season, Stiles said.

``My people will feel like they are being completely ignored, and I agree with them,'' Stiles said.

In Idabel, 551 people attended a public hearing regarding the change.

A total of 548 people showed up at the nine other public hearings across the state.