Archery black bear season opened October 1st, and closed that day with a full quota. October 1st was a beautiful day in Oklahoma, making it perfect for bear hunters. In one day there were 32 black bears harvested. Last year it took a month to harvest a dozen less.

This was Oklahoma's second black bear season. The two seasons have seen two very different extremes. In 2010 it was cold, there were a lot of acorns, and it took a month for archers to get 20 bears. In 2011 the weather was mild, there were not a lot of acorns present, and it took one day for archers to get 32 bears.

Leading up to the season the hunters were busy with their bait stations, searching, and practicing their shots. “I had no idea the season would open and close so quickly, but I am glad I took advantage of the opportunity,” said Nels Rodefeld, information and education chief for the Wildlife Department and one of the successful hunters who harvested a bear on Friday. “Sportsmen in Oklahoma are so fortunate to have such a broad diversity of game to hunt. Even though bear season is now closed, there are still so many opportunities to hunt and so many game species to choose from.” From Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation [2].