North Dakota Deer Hunting Season: Dates, Rules, and What You Need to Know
May 13, 2026
North Dakota is one of the northern plains’ most rewarding states for deer hunters, offering both white-tailed and mule deer across a diverse mix of prairie grasslands, river bottoms, badlands, and agricultural land. Whether you’re drawing a gun tag for the first time or returning for another archery season, understanding the rules before you head afield is what separates a successful hunt from a costly mistake.
This guide covers the 2025–26 deer hunting season in North Dakota — from season dates and weapon-specific rules to license requirements, CWD transport restrictions, and youth season opportunities. All dates and regulations below are based on the 2025–26 proclamation from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF). Always verify the latest details directly with NDGF before you hunt, as dates and rules can change.
Important Note: As of May 2026, the 2026 deer lottery application deadline is tentatively set for June 3, 2026. Check gf.nd.gov for confirmation before applying.
North Dakota Deer Hunting Season Dates
North Dakota’s 2025–26 deer seasons include a statewide archery season running from August 29, 2025 through January 4, 2026, and a regular firearm season for all units from November 7 through November 23, 2025. These are the two primary seasons, but additional season types run alongside them.
The archery period covers the entire state and runs from August 29, 2025 through January 4, 2026, giving bowhunters an extended window that spans the rut and into winter. This is one of the longer archery seasons in the region and provides excellent opportunity for hunters who prefer the challenge of close-range hunting.
Below is a quick-reference summary of the 2025–26 season dates, as reported by eRegulations based on NDGF proclamation data:
| Season Type | Dates (2025–26) | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Deer Bow (Archery) | August 29, 2025 – January 4, 2026 | Statewide |
| Youth Deer | September 19 – (see youth section) | Statewide |
| Deer Gun (Regular) | November 7 – 23, 2025 | All Units |
| Muzzleloader | Concurrent with Gun/Bow (see below) | Statewide (limited tags) |
Shooting hours run from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour past sunset, and at the end of shooting hours, hunters must stop hunting and begin heading out of the field.
Pro Tip: North Dakota has a tendency to finalize draw dates very close to deadlines. Check gf.nd.gov frequently to confirm season dates as they are officially locked in.
Weapon-Specific Seasons in North Dakota
The North Dakota Game and Fish Director officially declares open seasons for taking deer with bow (Deer Bow), firearms (Deer Gun), muzzleloader, and the Youth Deer season. Each season type has its own equipment rules and license structure.
Archery (Deer Bow): The bow season is the most accessible season in terms of license availability. Resident archery licenses may be purchased through the Department’s Bismarck office, online, or through authorized license vendors, and a person may only purchase one regular season archery license per year. For nonresidents, general nonresident bow licenses for white-tailed deer are available for purchase, but 300 nonresident any-deer licenses — which include mule deer — are issued by lottery only.
When hunting with archery equipment, mechanical broadheads and lighted nocks are allowed, but telescopic sights, range-finding devices, battery-powered or electronically lighted sights, or other electronic devices attached to the bow or arrow are not permitted.
Deer Gun (Firearm): Deer Gun licenses are issued by a weighted lottery drawing among eligible applicants as prescribed by the Director, and unsuccessful lottery applicants may apply for any remaining licenses in a subsequent lottery drawing. For the 2025 season, 42,300 Deer Gun licenses, including gratis licenses, were issued, and special permits designating the type of deer and unit are a part of the Deer Gun license.
Muzzleloader: A maximum of 403 licenses are available for statewide antlered white-tailed deer, and a maximum of 403 licenses are available for statewide antlerless white-tailed deer. Equipment rules are strict: muzzleloading long guns must be .45 caliber or larger, and handguns .50 caliber or larger, loaded through the muzzle with flint or percussion ignition and firing black powder or black powder substitutes. Smokeless powders are not legal, and telescopic sights are prohibited — though no-magnification (1X) scopes are permitted.
Key Insight: You may use any legal firearm or bow during the regular Deer Gun season. A bow can legally be used to fill a Deer Gun license, giving you flexibility in the field.
Bag Limits and Antler Restrictions in North Dakota
Big game species in North Dakota are managed through limited licensing, meaning the number of licenses issued controls harvest rather than daily bag limits. Most big game licenses are valid for one animal of the specified species and sex, and deer licenses may be for either antlered or any deer, depending on the license type and unit.
In practical terms, the bag limit for white-tailed and mule deer is one buck, with antlerless deer available by permit only. Your license specifies the unit, the species, and the sex of deer you are authorized to take — and you must strictly follow what is printed on your permit.
For the bow season, residents may take unlimited deer of any kind, while nonresidents are limited to any white-tailed deer statewide without restrictions. Nonresident any-deer archery tags that include mule deer are lottery-only, as noted above.
Regarding antler restrictions, North Dakota does not impose statewide antler point restrictions in the way some states do. Instead, special permits designating the type of deer and unit are part of the Deer Gun license, and your specific license determines whether you may take an antlered buck, an antlerless deer, or either sex. Always read your permit carefully before hunting.
Additional seasons may be proclaimed for antlerless deer only and will run concurrently with the Deer Gun, muzzleloader, and Deer Bow seasons if the Game and Fish Director determines that an adequate number of licenses remain unissued after the regular lottery. These concurrent season licenses may be used during any open season, provided the unit, sex, and species printed on the license is followed.
License and Tag Requirements in North Dakota
Getting the right combination of licenses before you hunt is essential. For Deer Gun season, you need a fishing, hunting, and furbearer certificate, the general game and habitat stamp or a combination license, and the deer license itself. Gratis license holders need only the gratis license.
Due to demand exceeding availability, the following licenses are allocated by lottery: bighorn sheep, elk, moose, pronghorn, tundra swan, turkey, and white-tailed and mule deer. This means you must plan well ahead and apply during the designated application window.
The lottery system uses a weighted bonus points approach. North Dakota uses a weighted bonus points system for Deer Gun, muzzleloader deer, nonresident archery deer, pronghorn, swan, and spring and fall wild turkey lotteries. This system behaves as a hybrid between standard bonus and preference point systems, and it provides a substantial increase in draw odds when reaching four points.
Applicants can miss one year and retain their points, but if an applicant fails to apply for two consecutive years, they will lose their points for that species. Keep your application streak alive even in years when you don’t plan to hunt.
Regarding landowner access, North Dakota offers resident gratis licenses and nonresident landowner licenses to residents and nonresidents who own at least 150 acres of land in an open hunting area, as well as residents who lease such land for agricultural purposes and actively farm or ranch. These licenses are valid for the designated land described on the license and can be used during the Deer Bow, Deer Gun, or muzzleloader seasons.
Hunter Education is required — hunters born after December 31, 1961 must have passed a certified state or provincial hunter education course in order to purchase a North Dakota hunting license.
Once you harvest a deer, hunters must attach the date of kill from their license tag to the deer immediately after harvesting. Do not wait until you return to camp or your vehicle.
Common Mistake: Failing to attach your kill date tag immediately after harvest is a violation. Fill it out at the kill site before moving the animal.
Hunting Zones and Public Land Rules in North Dakota
Big game hunting in North Dakota is managed by specific units that correspond to different regions of the state. Deer, pronghorn, and elk licenses are valid only in designated units, and season dates may vary by unit. When applying for big game licenses, hunters must specify their preferred unit.
Unit boundaries matter significantly. White-tailed deer license holders for units 4B and 4C must hunt in their assigned unit for the first two and a half days (November 7–9, 2025), after which they may hunt either or both units for the remainder of the Deer Gun season. Similar rules apply to units 4D and 4E.
Over 2 million acres of PLOTS (Private Land Open to Sportsmen) land provides walk-in hunting access on private land, supplementing the state’s public Wildlife Management Areas. This is a major benefit for hunters without private land access.
However, nonresident access to public land is restricted during a specific window. In accordance with North Dakota law, nonresidents are prohibited from hunting from October 11, 2025 through October 17, 2025 on Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas or Conservation PLOTS areas, with an exception for nonresidents hunting on PLOTS land they own.
Certain National Wildlife Refuges may be open to deer hunting during the Deer Bow and Muzzleloader seasons, and some National Wildlife Refuges will be open during the Deer Gun season, including some that require a special refuge permit to control access. Check with the specific refuge before hunting.
For those hunting near urban areas, the South Bismarck/Mandan Deer Management Zone covers portions of the cities of Bismarck, Mandan, and adjacent areas, including both public and privately owned land. Special rules apply in this zone, so review those before hunting near city boundaries. If you enjoy other hunting opportunities in the state, you may also want to explore pheasant hunting season in North Dakota or dove hunting season in North Dakota.
Hunter Orange and Safety Requirements in North Dakota
Blaze orange is a mandatory safety requirement during certain North Dakota deer seasons. Orange clothing is mandatory for all big game hunters during the primary Deer Gun season, the Youth Deer season, and the Muzzleloader season. Archery-only hunters are not required to wear blaze orange during the bow season, but it is strongly recommended for visibility and safety.
Beyond the orange requirement, North Dakota regulations require ethical field conduct at all times. No person shall kill or cripple any big game animal without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and retain it in their actual custody, and no person shall waste, destroy, spoil, or abandon the edible flesh of a big game animal at the place where it was taken or between that place and their permanent residence, a taxidermist, a common carrier, or a commercial processor.
Shooting hours apply to all seasons: hunting is legal from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Plan your entry and exit routes accordingly so you are not caught in the field after legal hours.
Pro Tip: Even when not required, wearing blaze orange during the archery season in areas with concurrent gun seasons or other hunting activity significantly increases your visibility to other hunters.
Harvest Reporting Requirements in North Dakota
North Dakota requires mandatory harvest reporting for all deer, and this is not optional. North Dakota requires mandatory harvest reporting for all deer, pronghorn, elk, and moose through the NDGF online system or by phone, and reporting must be completed within specific timeframes.
Harvest reporting is mandatory for deer, elk, moose, and antelope within 48 hours via the NDGFD portal. Missing this window is a violation, so build the reporting step into your post-harvest routine before you leave the field or start processing the animal.
Game tags must be validated immediately upon harvest. This means filling out and attaching your tag at the kill site — not later at camp or at home.
If you need to transport someone else’s deer, you will need a transportation permit from a game warden. The license holder, the person transporting the animal, and the carcass must all be presented to the game warden before the permit is issued.
When splitting the head and meat for separate destinations, the tag should remain with the head, and the carcass tag should remain with the meat. Keep documentation with each portion of the animal at all times during transport.
CWD Zones and Carcass Transport Rules in North Dakota
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease of deer, moose, and elk that can cause long-term population declines if left unchecked. There is no treatment or cure, and once established in an area, it remains indefinitely — making CWD a major threat to North Dakota’s deer, elk, and moose populations and the future of hunting these animals.
CWD transport restrictions are among the most important regulations to understand before your hunt. Hunters are prohibited from transporting into or within North Dakota the whole carcass of deer, elk, moose, or other members of the cervid family harvested outside of North Dakota.
For hunters harvesting deer within specific high-risk units inside the state, additional restrictions apply. Hunters harvesting a white-tailed deer or mule deer from deer hunting units 3A1, 3A2, 3B1, 3C, 3D1, 3E2, 3F2, 4B, and 4C cannot transport the whole carcass outside the unit — though hunters can transport the whole carcass between adjoining CWD carcass-restricted units.
The following carcass parts are considered lower-risk and may be transported out of restricted units or into the state from out-of-state harvests:
- Meat that has been boned out
- Quarters or other portions of meat with no part of the spinal column or head attached
- Meat cut and wrapped either commercially or privately
- Hides with no heads attached
- Skull plates with antlers attached and no hide or brain tissue present
- Intact skulls with the hide, eyes, lower jaw, and associated soft tissue removed, and no visible brain or spinal cord tissue present
When it comes to the head and carcass documentation requirement, a deer carcass or boned-out meat must be accompanied by the head to the final place of storage, with an exception: you may tag the deer as required, then take two photos using a cellphone with location and date/time stamp turned on — one photo of the entire animal at the kill site with tag attached, and a second close-up photo of the tag showing the tag information clearly.
If you leave the deer head in the field at the kill site after taking photos, the ear or antler with the tag attached must be cut off and accompany the meat or carcass during transport. The photographs of the tagged deer must be shown to any game warden or other law enforcement officer upon request.
Baiting restrictions also apply in CWD zones. It is unlawful to hunt big game over bait, or place bait to attract big game for the purpose of hunting, in deer units 3A1, 3A2, 3A3, 3A4, 3B1, 3C west of the Missouri River, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4A, 4B, and 4C. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department strongly discourages recreational feeding of wildlife within these units, as the restriction is in place to help slow the spread of CWD.
Most CWD-positive deer found in North Dakota appeared healthy when they were harvested. The only way to determine if your animal is infected is by getting it tested. Sampling kits are available for those who wish to have their animal tested but are unable to drop the head off at a collection site, and the kits allow you to remove the lymph nodes yourself and ship them to the Department’s Wildlife Health Lab for testing.
Important Note: Hunters planning to take a deer from a CWD-restricted unit should plan ahead. Be prepared to quarter the carcass, cape out the animal, or clean the skull in the field, or locate a taxidermist or meat locker within the unit before your hunt.
Youth and Special Season Rules in North Dakota
North Dakota offers dedicated youth opportunities designed to bring new hunters into the field. Additional licenses may be issued for youth applicants, and these licenses will be granted even after all regular season licenses have been issued — meaning a youth hunter’s application is not competing against the same pool as adult hunters.
Youth hunters ages 11, 12, and 13 have a specific license available. The “O Tag” for ages 11, 12, and 13 is not limited in quantity and is valid statewide for any antlerless deer, except in units 3B1, 3B2, 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, and 4F where these licenses are not valid for antlerless mule deer.
Regular season regulations also apply to the youth season, so youth hunters must follow the same unit boundaries, tagging requirements, and harvest reporting rules as adult hunters. The blaze orange requirement also applies during the youth season.
Regarding minimum age and supervision requirements, there is no minimum age for hunting small game, waterfowl, or furbearers, but anyone under age 15 afield with firearms must be licensed and under direct supervision — meaning unaided verbal contact — of a parent, guardian, or adult authorized by their parent or guardian.
Persons who have not reached the age of 14 by the end of the calendar year are also eligible for a concurrent season license, but these licenses will be issued as archery only. This gives younger hunters the chance to participate even when they do not yet qualify for a firearm license.
For apprentice hunters who have not yet completed their hunter education course, individuals who are 12 years of age and older who have not taken the hunter education course may receive an apprentice hunter validation that enables them to hunt small game and certain other species under supervision. Check NDGF for the full scope of what an apprentice license covers for big game.
If you’re planning a broader hunting trip to the region, you may also want to review turkey hunting season in North Dakota or compare rules in neighboring states like deer hunting season in Minnesota and deer hunting season in Michigan. Hunters traveling south may also find value in reviewing deer hunting season in Mississippi or deer hunting season in Maryland for comparison.
Pro Tip: Youth licenses are issued even after the regular quota is filled, so don’t assume a sold-out season means your young hunter is locked out. Apply specifically for a youth license through the NDGF portal.
North Dakota’s deer seasons reward hunters who do their homework. From securing your lottery tag months in advance to understanding which units carry CWD carcass transport restrictions, the details matter. Review the official 2025–26 North Dakota Deer Proclamation before every season, confirm your unit boundaries, and report your harvest on time. A well-prepared hunter is a legal hunter — and that keeps North Dakota’s deer seasons strong for years to come.