All information provided within this FAQ applies to Cherokee Nation Citizens and is effective as of January 1, 2022 with updates as of July 12, 2024.
*As of July 12, 2024, under a Hunting and Fishing Reciprocal Agreement signed among the Choctaw, Muscogee, and Chickasaw Nations, citizens of these nations who would be eligible to hunt or fish within their own reservation under their respective tribal laws will be permitted to hunt and fish within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. Similarly, Cherokee citizens may hunt and fish on the reservation lands of these Nations, using their tribal citizenship card as their hunting and fishing license.
Cherokee Nation and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation have cross deputization agreements to ensure enforcement of tribal and state wildlife laws across the Cherokee Nation Reservation, and you should not be ticketed while hunting within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. But it is possible that you could be inadvertently cited for hunting and fishing without a license while hunting within approved areas. If you receive a ticket from an Oklahoma game warden while hunting within the boundaries of the Cherokee, Choctaw, Muscogee, or Chickasaw Nations, please contact the Cherokee Nation Wildlife Department at wildlife@cherokee.org
Any Oklahoma resident with a valid State of Oklahoma hunting and/or fishing license can hunt and fish within the Cherokee Nation reservation in accordance with applicable law and respect for private property rights. Any citizen of the Muscogee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Nations who would be eligible to hunt or fish within their own reservation under their respective tribal laws may hunt or fish within the Cherokee Nation Reservation. However, there are designated lands within Cherokee Nation Reservation boundaries that are available only for Cherokee Nation citizens. Cherokee Nation maintains a map of designated lands available to Cherokee citizens for hunting and fishing at: Cherokee Nation Fish and Wildlife Map.
Following the Hunting and Fishing Reciprocal Agreement, Cherokee Nation is working closely with Choctaw Nation regarding bear harvest and reporting. Cherokee citizens who wish to harvest a bear during the 2024 archery or muzzleloader season must create an account with Choctaw Nation through the Chahta Achvffa Portal. Cherokee citizens must abide by the laws, including season dates and bag limits, set by Choctaw Nation when hunting bear within any reservation.
Tribal citizens may not hunt or harvest black bear without receiving a permit from Choctaw Nation no later than September 30, 2024
Bear season is only open to:
For more details on bear hunting, please visit the Choctaw Nation Wildlife Conservation Bear Hunting page.
Choctaw Nation Wildlife Conservation: https://www.choctawnation.com/services/wildlife-conservation/
All wildlife harvests must be reported under the Gadugi account of the individual who harvested the animal, including minors. Children cannot report their harvest under their parent or guardian’s account. To create an account, please visit gadugiportal.cherokee.org.
