Black Bear in Southeastern Oklahoma: Season, Counties, Rules and Living With Bears

By Seth Willyard, Blue River Realty

Yes, there are black bears in Southeastern Oklahoma, and you can hunt them. Oklahoma State University researchers put the Ouachita Mountains population at about 1,300 bears, and the state has held a season there since 2009. For 2026 the archery season runs October 1 to 18 and the muzzleloader season October 24 to November 1, the limit is one bear per hunter for the year, and the license must be bought before the season opens.

If you own or are looking at land in the Kiamichi and Ouachita country, bears matter in two ways: as a game animal with its own season, and as a neighbor that will find your feeder, your cooler and your trash. This guide covers both. It is part of our Oklahoma recreational land guide.

How bears came back

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) says black bears once ranged across all of what is now Oklahoma, and that sightings had become rare by the early 1900s. The recovery started across the state line. Arkansas relocated about 250 bears from northern Minnesota and Manitoba, that population grew well enough for Arkansas to reopen bear hunting in 1980, and bears spread from there into southwest Missouri and eastern Oklahoma.

OSU Extension's 2020 fact sheet describes two populations in eastern Oklahoma today:

• Ouachita Mountains, southeast: a growing population of approximately 1,300 bears, open to hunting since 2009.
• Ozarks, east-central: about 100 bears, younger on average, and dependent on bears moving in from Arkansas because local reproduction does not offset mortality.

ODWC describes the primary range as southeastern and east-central Oklahoma and says sightings are possible anywhere in the eastern half of the state. On its public hunting areas in our region it rates bears as present in fair numbers on Honobia Creek WMA, good numbers on Three Rivers WMA and the Ouachita WMA Le Flore Unit, and low numbers on Pushmataha WMA.

The 2026 season at a glance

All of this is from ODWC's bear regulations page for 2026, accessed October 2026.

Three points catch people out.

Buy the license before opening day. Archery bear licenses are not sold on or after the first day of archery season, and muzzleloader licenses follow the same rule. For 2026 that means the archery deadline has passed, and a muzzleloader license has to be bought before October 24. An unfilled archery bear license carries over to the muzzleloader season.

The nonresident 5-day license does not work. ODWC says the adult nonresident 5-day hunting license is not valid for bear. Nonresidents need the annual license.

Owning land does not waive it. ODWC's exemptions page gives resident landowners an exemption from the annual hunting license on their own land, lists no landowner exemption from the bear license, and gives nonresident landowners no exemptions at all. We go through this in owning land vs hunting public land.

Where the season is open

Both seasons are open only in:

• All of Choctaw, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties
• The parts of McIntosh, Muskogee and Sequoyah counties south of Interstate 40
• The parts of Atoka, Bryan, McIntosh and Pittsburg counties east of U.S. Highway 69

That takes in the whole Kiamichi and Ouachita mountain region, including the country around Talihina, Poteau and Broken Bow.

On public land, bear archery and muzzleloader seasons follow statewide dates on Honobia Creek WMA, Three Rivers WMA and the Ouachita WMA. Pushmataha WMA is open for bear archery but closed for bear muzzleloader. Honobia Creek and Three Rivers also require the Land Access Permit.

What is prohibited

ODWC lists these for bear:

• Baiting on wildlife management areas
• Shooting cubs or females with cubs
• Shooting a collared bear
• Pursuing denned bears
• Pursuing bears with dogs

A note on bait. The prohibition ODWC lists is for wildlife management areas, and its general WMA rules ban bait for all hunting there. The 2026 bear page does not restrict bait on private land. That is one of the main practical differences between hunting bear on your own tract and on public ground, and it is worth a call to ODWC's southeast region office to confirm the current private-land rule before you put anything out. Remember also that a bait site trains bears to visit, which is the opposite of what you want near a cabin or camp.

Legal equipment follows the big game rules: compound bows of at least 30 pounds draw weight, recurves and longbows of at least 40 pounds, broadheads at least 7/8 inch wide, crossbows of at least 100 pounds draw; muzzleloading rifles and pistols of .40 caliber or larger firing a single projectile. Muzzleloader hunters must wear a hunter orange head covering and upper garment totalling at least 400 square inches.

After the shot: tagging and check-in

Bear is checked differently from deer. You cannot E-Check a bear online.

1. Immediately attach a field tag to the carcass with your name, customer ID number, and the date and time of harvest.
2. Call an ODWC representative. The bear regulations page lists the current names and phone numbers for the southeast region's bear biologist and wildlife technicians.
3. The hunter who killed the bear must be the one to check it in. ODWC then issues a carcass tag that stays with the animal.
4. You may quarter a bear to get it out, but the head and the sex organs must stay attached to the skin until a Department employee has checked it.

Plan the pack-out before you hunt. Much of this country is steep, and vehicle access on public land is restricted.

Living with bears on your land

A buyer from Dallas or Oklahoma City usually has not had to think about bears. In this region you do, and the routine is simple.

What draws them. ODWC lists unsecured garbage, pet food left outdoors, bird feeders, deer corn feeders, bee hives and grills with food residue. It adds that bears are more likely to approach homes in sparsely populated wooded areas or next to large timber. That describes most recreational tracts here.

When. ODWC says reports start in May, mostly yearling males leaving their mothers, drop in June and July when blackberries and other soft mast are plentiful, and climb again in August as that food dries up. Bears usually come at night first, then in daylight if they keep being rewarded.

What to do about it. From ODWC and OSU Extension:

• Keep garbage in sealed, heavy metal containers or inside a sturdy building. Do not leave bagged trash at a camp between visits.
• Never feed bears, and do not leave pet food outside.
• Store grills indoors or clean off food residue after each use.
• Take down bird feeders in summer and early fall.
• Protect bee hives, poultry and livestock with electric fencing, set at least 50 yards from wooded areas where you can.
• Accept that a corn feeder is a bear feeder. If bears start working one near your cabin, the fix is to move or remove the feeder.

Anything you store in an unattended camper, shed or cabin should be treated the same way. Our guides to first improvements on raw land and off-grid cabin living cover secure storage.

If you meet one. ODWC's advice: stay calm and leave the area. If the bear is close, do not run. Face it, make yourself look bigger, and back away slowly without turning your back or blocking its escape route. Make noise if you cannot leave. If a black bear charges, fight back and do not play dead. People who spend a lot of time in the woods can carry bear spray.

If one becomes a problem. Report conflicts to the ODWC bear project staff listed on its bear sighting page or to any game warden. Private nuisance wildlife control operators are not permitted to handle bears. Bears are a game animal with a set season and a one-bear limit, so a bear in a feeder or a trash can is a call to ODWC, not something to deal with yourself.

Is bear a reason to buy here?

It is a real one. The open area is a short list of Oklahoma counties, and the mountain country in it is where Blue River Realty sells surveyed tracts with legal deeded access and owner financing. We do not promise bears on any particular tract. If bear hunting is high on your list, ask us what owners and neighbors have seen on camera near the tracts you are considering, and see what is available on our recreational land for sale and hunting land for sale pages. Call (539) 426-1374 or contact us.

For deer and turkey dates see the Oklahoma deer and turkey seasons and licenses guide, and for other animals you will share the land with, see predators and nuisance wildlife. This article is general information, not legal advice; ODWC's current regulations control.

Frequently asked questions

When is bear season in Oklahoma in 2026?

Archery bear season runs October 1 to October 18, 2026, and muzzleloader bear season runs October 24 to November 1, 2026. The limit is one bear of either sex for both seasons combined. ODWC states there is no quota for the muzzleloader season as of June 2026. There is no modern rifle bear season.

How much is an Oklahoma bear license?

For 2026 the bear license is $101 for residents and $506 for nonresidents, in addition to an annual hunting license ($36 resident, $209 nonresident). The license must be bought before the first day of the season you plan to hunt. The adult nonresident 5-day hunting license is not valid for bear.

Which Oklahoma counties are open for bear hunting?

All of Choctaw, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties; the parts of McIntosh, Muskogee and Sequoyah counties south of Interstate 40; and the parts of Atoka, Bryan, McIntosh and Pittsburg counties east of U.S. Highway 69. The rest of the state is closed.

Can you hunt bears with dogs or over bait in Oklahoma?

Pursuing bears with dogs is prohibited everywhere. ODWC's bear rules prohibit baiting on wildlife management areas and do not state a restriction for private land on the 2026 page, so confirm the private-land rule with ODWC before the season. Shooting cubs, females with cubs, collared bears and denned bears is prohibited.

How many black bears are in Southeastern Oklahoma?

Oklahoma State University Extension's 2020 fact sheet estimates approximately 1,300 black bears in the Ouachita Mountains of Southeastern Oklahoma and describes the population as growing. A second, smaller population of about 100 bears lives in the Ozarks of east-central Oklahoma. ODWC does not publish a population figure on its bear pages.

What should I do if a bear keeps coming to my cabin or feeder?

Remove what it is coming for. Secure garbage in metal containers or indoors, bring in pet food, clean or store the grill, and take down or move bird and corn feeders. Electric fencing protects hives and poultry. If the bear keeps returning, report it to ODWC's bear staff or a game warden.

Sources

1. ODWC — Bear, Big Game Season regulations — 2026 season dates, open area, limit, quota statement, license purchase deadline, prohibited activities, check-in procedure (accessed October 2026).
2. ODWC — Hunting Seasons — 2026-27 season dates.
3. ODWC — Big Game Regulations — legal archery and muzzleloader equipment, hunter orange, shooting hours, field tagging, bear check-in.
4. ODWC — License Fees and License Exemptions — 2026 bear and hunting license fees; landowner exemptions.
5. OSU Extension — What Do Eastern Oklahomans Think of Black Bears? (NREM-9030, June 2020) — approximately 1,300 bears in the Ouachita Mountains, hunting since 2009, about 100 bears in the east-central population.
6. ODWC — Bear Hunting resources — historic range, Arkansas reintroduction of about 250 bears, 1980 Arkansas season, spread into eastern Oklahoma.
7. ODWC — Bear Basics — range, attractants, seasonal pattern of reports, prevention advice, 50-yard electric fence guidance.
8. ODWC — Bear Sighting — encounter advice and who to contact about conflicts.
9. OSU Extension — Frequently Asked Questions for Wildlife Damage and Disease (NREM-9026, August 2018) — bear damage prevention: metal trash bins, electric fencing for hives.
10. ODWC — Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators, additional information — bears are not handled by private nuisance wildlife control operators.
11. ODWC area pages for Honobia Creek WMA, Three Rivers WMA, Ouachita WMA Le Flore Unit and Pushmataha WMA — bear abundance ratings and which bear seasons are open on each.