Choctaw Nation Wildlife Conservation Releases Annual Big Game Report

DURANT, Okla. – The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (CNDWC) recently released the 2024-25 Big Game Harvest Report which details the health of game animal populations on the reservation and total animals harvested by Choctaw hunters for black bear, whitetail deer, elk, and turkey seasons.

The report utilizes information from harvest reports, hunter observations, and CNDWC data collections and observations in the field. CNDWC reports that Choctaw hunters harvested 2,519 whitetail deer (a 13% increase from 2023-24), 33 turkeys (a 45% decrease), and 7 black bears (a 30% decrease), during their respective seasons on the CNO reservation.

Other notable points from the report include:

• In addition to whitetail deer harvested on the reservation, Choctaw tribal members harvested 177 deer outside of the CNO under the 5 Tribes Wildlife Management Reciprocity Agreement.
• Hunters 20 years of age and younger harvested 37.3% of the whitetail deer taken. The 11–15-year-old range group was the largest of all ages, with 15.2% of the total harvest.

The 2024-2025 fall hunting season was the third year Choctaw Tribal Members were regulated by the Choctaw Tribal Code 110: Fish, Game, and Animals Code and the first year tribal members could hunt and fish in the Chickasaw, Cherokee, Muscogee, and Seminole Nations under the 5 Tribes Wildlife Management Reciprocity Agreement. Choctaw Tribal members hunting or fishing within the reservations must carry proof of tribal membership which serves as their hunting and fishing licenses.

CNDWC works closely with the state of Oklahoma to ensure hunting and fishing activities do not negatively impact animal populations on the reservation.