Controlled hunts to close portions of Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge will temporarily close portions of the public use area for a few days in November and December to conduct controlled hunts.

These hunts, which are conducted in cooperation with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, are an important part of the deer and elk management on the Refuge, according to a press release.

The deer hunt will be conducted Nov. 14-16. The Refuge’s public use areas west of the Visitor Center to Headquarters will be closed to other public uses during this hunt. The closed areas include Quanah Parker Lake and Dam, Boulder Picnic area, Lost Lake, Burford Lake, Osage Lake, French Lake, Burma Road, the Narrows, Crater Lake and Dog Run Hollow trail system.

All of the public use areas west of Headquarters and east of the Visitor Center will remain open to the public during this hunt. These areas include Elk Mountain, Sunset Picnic area, Charon’s Garden, Post Oak/Treasure Lakes, Mt. Scott, Jed Johnson Lake and Rush Lake. Specific details on closed areas will be posted in the Visitor Center.

Additional elk hunts will be conducted on: Nov. 20-24, Nov. 27-Dec. 1, Dec. 11-15, Dec. 18-21, and Jan. 8-12, 2024. Closed areas will change for each hunt.

More hunt closure information will be available on the Refuge website at: www.fws.gov/refuge/wichita_mountains, Facebook, or by contacting the Refuge Visitor Center at 580-429-2197.