Dove season nears; is your Go Outdoors Oklahoma account verified?

Opening day of dove hunting season is Sept. 1, just over a week away. And the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation reminds you to make sure you have the required hunting license and HIP permit, unless exempt.

With the new Go Outdoors Oklahoma system, it’s more important than ever for anyone who plans to hunt dove, deer, ducks, quail or any other game animals during any approaching open season to make sure your license profile is up-to-date.

With the new system, customers have the option to set up their licenses to auto-renew, order a durable hard card that combines all licenses held, order merchandise such as the Wildlife Management Area Atlas, and download the free Go Outdoors Oklahoma mobile app to have access to E-check and other information while in the field. Using the system also is required in order to purchase licenses, use E-check and more.

If you have ever bought a hunting or fishing license or permit, you should already have your own profile in the Department’s new online licensing system at license.gooutdoorsoklahoma.com.

“An expired license is an easy thing to overlook by mistake,” said Mike Chrisman, license section supervisor for the Wildlife Department. “Most annual hunting licenses for residents expire on the last day of the year. And sometimes, people will forget that the old license in their wallet is out of date.”

All sportsmen and sportswomen – especially lifetime license holders and returning customers – should log in promptly to update their information or complete their profile. In some cases, returning customers will need to have multiple profiles combined into one.

The main reason some customers may have several existing records is because of multiple purchases made over many years. These multiple records must be combined to form a single account in order for the customer to use the system. Checking your profile ahead of time ensures you will be able to purchase licenses, use e-check and more.

Don’t wait until the day before hunting season opens; log on in advance as much as possible. If you have multiple accounts, you will be notified to contact the Help Desk at (833) 457-7285 or email [email protected]. Help Desk hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Anyone planning to buy a license or permit in the future is invited to log in to create a profile in order to enjoy a seamless license-buying process.

Hunting seasons that open soon include dove on Sept. 1; teal and resident Canada goose, Sept. 7; rabbit, Oct. 1; and archery seasons for deer, elk, turkey, antelope and black bear, Oct. 1.

“The annual resident hunting or fishing license costs just $25, and that price has remained the same for many years,” Chrisman said. “Every time you buy a license, you are helping fund conservation activities that improve hunting and fishing across Oklahoma.”

To find out which hunting licenses, permits and certifications are required and who is exempt from specific licenses or permits, consult the current Oklahoma Hunting and Fishing Regulations Guide found online at wildlifedepartment.com, the Go Outdoors Oklahoma mobile app for Apple or Android, or in print wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.