"People also go fishing and riding horseback out there. But when deer season starts, all the non-hunting activity ends," he said.

Strang said anyone entering a wildlife management area needs to check the particular regulations for that area. "Sometimes those regulations are more restrictive than the statewide rules," he said.

Anyone hunting deer in Oklahoma is required to have a hunting license and a deer tag, Strang said.

"The exception to that is landowners hunting on their own land, wouldn't need a hunting license. But they would still need a deer tag," he said.

Hunting licenses are available online at www.wildlifedepartment.com, or at any licensed dealer's location.

Anyone born after Dec. 31, 1971, must successfully complete a hunter education course before purchasing any hunting license or hunting big game (deer, elk or antelope) with a firearm, Strang said.

Hunter education courses cover firearm safety, hunting regulations, responsibility and ethics, wildlife management and other topics. Hunter education course times and locations are listed on the Web site.

"We've got volunteer instructors who put on the hunter education course throughout the year, and each county game warden is required to put on a certain number a year. We try to do it in prime time before the big game season," he said.

Strang said any hunter, upon harvesting a deer, is required to complete the "Record of Game" section on the back of the hunting license form. In addition, the hunter must attach his or her name and hunting license number to the carcass with a tag. This tag must remain until it is checked at the nearest open hunter check station, he said.

"That's how you keep track of how many deer you can shoot," he said.

Strang said game wardens take lots of complaints about hunters who improperly dispose of deer and other wildlife carcasses.

Regulations prohibit the dumping of any dead animal in any well, spring, pond or stream of water or leaving it within one-quarter mile of any occupied dwelling or public highway, without burying it in an appropriate manner.

Hunters have the opportunity to donate their harvest to the Hunters Against Hunger Program, which facilitates the distribution of deer meat to hungry families in the state. Last year, Oklahoma hunters donated more than 34,000 pounds of venison to the program -- enough meat to provide nutritious meals for nearly 133,000 people, officials said.

Deer hunting is the most popular hunting season in Oklahoma, with an overall economic impact of more than $600 million, officials said. More than 84,000 archers, nearly 108,000 primitive firearms hunters and over 155,000 gun hunters participate in deer hunting each year.