McCurtain County Wilderness Area

The largest expanse of untouched, shortleaf pine and hardwood forest area in the nation lies in the more than 14,000 acres of the McCurtain County Wilderness Area, which was set aside by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1918 for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Hardwoods such as sweet and black gums, red maples, elms and old-growth oaks shoot up from the earth along trickling streams, breaking up the expanse of towering shortleaf pines. The area is open to controlled hunts of white-tailed deer and eastern wild turkey, and features a smattering of smaller game such as cottontail and swamp rabbits and migrating waterfowl. Check the seasons and licensing info before you plan to hunt.