North Dakota
Unknown
Est. Whitetail Population
82,000
No. Licenses Sold Annually
$57
$35 deer permit, $20 hunting permit, and $2 hunting certificate.
Resident hunting license and deer permit
$375 (archery) and $380 (gun)
$350 archery deer permit or $355 gun deer permit, $20 hunting permit and $5 hunting certificate.
Non-resident hunting license and deer permit
195 2/8"
Taken by Kevin Bruner in Pierce County in 1994, it currently ranks No. 64 of all time.
Record B&C Typical Stat
92
Total B&C Typical Entries
254 6/8"
Taken by Rodger Ritchie in Mountrail County in 1968, it currently ranks No. 89.
Record B&C Non-Typical Stat
58
Record B&C Non-Typical Entries
Check out the latest deer-hunting info for North Dakota. Image by Tom Reichner
Season Dates (2025):
Archery season is Aug. 29 through Jan. 4. Gun season is Nov. 7-23, and muzzleloader season is Nov. 28 through Dec. 14. Youth season is Sept. 18-28. Check the North Dakota Game and Fish WEBSITE to confirm.
The Grade: C
The secret is out about NoDak among DIY deer hunters. It has an early archery season, low hunter densities compared to Minnesota and Wisconsin, plenty of public hunting opportunities, OTC licenses, and good success rates on mature bucks. Unfortunately, the deer herd has taken it on the chin the past few years due to extreme winter weather, with biologists noting population declines of more than 50% in some areas of the state following the winter of 2022/2023. Before that, substantial EHD wiped out lots of deer across many units. The grade will remain at C until we see how the 2025 season shakes out.
Habitat loss due to the expiration of conservation reserve contracts is stinging the whitetails. If they keep expiring, Ron Wilson wrote in an article on the Game and Fish’s website that 85% of the once 3.4 million acres of conservation reserve will be lost, which would put a wallop on deer numbers, especially when harsh winters come to call in the future.
Firearm deer tags are issued in a lottery system. Bowhunters still enjoy OTC whitetail tags, though an either-species bow tag is issued by draw only. Rifle tags are extremely difficult to draw, even for residents. Muzzleloader tags are moderately difficult to obtain. Your license purchase includes an onX Hunt redemption code, which is a cool value add-on.
The early bow opener offers archery hunters excellent opportunities to bag a heavy velvet-antlered buck. Fortunately for North Dakota hunters, it's legal to enter posted land (without a firearm or bow) to recover game shot on land where the hunter had a lawful right to hunt.
Antler Nation Knowledge:
The west-central portion of North Dakota cranks out the most record-book bucks. Burleigh, McHenry, McKenzie, McLean, Mountrail, Ward, and Williams counties are some of the best. Public-land hunters should take advantage of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s PLOTS PROGRAM. This is private land open to sportsmen. There are other types of public, too, totaling about 2 million acres. In the eastern region of the state, it’s hard to beat the Sheyenne National Grassland.
With the herd numbers down, Ben Matykiewicz, the Game and Fish’s big game management biologist, suggests focusing on areas with prairie and brushland habitats to find the best deer densities. He also mentioned that river bottoms flown during a moose survey yielded lots of deer sightings.
