Benson County, North Dakota: PLOTS, WMAs and public hunting land
Benson County has 13,083 acres of PLOTS, private land open to walk-in hunting, inside its line (69 tracts centered in the county), 4 wildlife management areas with 1,360 acres, and 23,055 acres of other public land, by the 2026 maps NDGF publishes. Together that is 4.1% of the county's 921,225 acres.
Data updated October 2026. PLOTS, WMAs, trust land and federal land: NDGF map layers, 2026. Lottery: NDGF 2026.
NDGF wildlife management areaWaterfowl production areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)Bureau of ReclamationState trust landState park (rules vary)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Benson CountyNeighboring countiesLake or riverHighway
| Size | 921,225 acres (1,439 square miles) |
|---|---|
| PLOTS land inside the county line | 13,083 acres |
| PLOTS tracts centered in the county | 69 |
| Wildlife management areas | 4, 1,360 acres |
| Other public land | 23,055 acres |
| State trust land open to walk-in hunting | 12,413 acres (Trust Lands) |
| Deer units | Deer unit 2K2, Deer unit 2L, Deer unit 2E |
| Towns | Maddock, Warwick, Leeds, Minnewaukan and Knox |
How much PLOTS walk-in land is in Benson County?
13,083 acres inside the county line, 1.4% of the county; 69 PLOTS tracts are centered in the county. PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) is private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting through NDGF. The NDGF PLOTS Guide map (2026) shows each tract.
Which wildlife management areas are in Benson County?
4 WMAs, 1,360 acres in all, largest first:
- Knox Slough WMA: 819 acres
- Lake Legreid WMA: 202 acres
- Nesvig WMA: 180 acres
- Minnewaukan WMA: 159 acres
How much public land is in Benson County?
2.7% of the county is public land: 24,415 acres, counting the WMAs. The largest share is state trust land, 12,107 acres.
| Manager | Acres | Share of the county |
|---|---|---|
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 13,083 | 1.4% |
| State trust land | 12,107 | 1.3% |
| Waterfowl production area | 9,311 | 1% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 1,614 | 0.2% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 1,360 | 0.1% |
| State park (rules vary) | 332 | under 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 23 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by the access status the Department of Trust Lands gives each tract (the department's own acres): 12,413 acres open.
Measured by FilledTag inside the Census county line from NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); overlapping maps are counted once.
Which hunting units are in Benson County?
Each unit's 2026 lottery, for the whole unit:
| Unit | Acres in the county | Share of the county | Licenses, 2026 | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 2K2 | 576,542 | 62.6% | 1,400 | 2,793 |
| Deer unit 2L | 261,364 | 28.4% | 50 | 351 |
| Deer unit 2E | 83,319 | 9% | 500 | 1,417 |
Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics; NDGF pronghorn lottery statistics; NDGF elk lottery statistics.
How do you get around Benson County?
Highways: US 2 (about 63 miles in the county), US 281 (about 45 miles in the county), ND 19 (about 40 miles in the county), ND 30 (about 33 miles in the county), ND 20 (about 19 miles in the county) and ND 57 (about 12 miles in the county). Towns: Maddock, Warwick, Leeds, Minnewaukan, Knox, Esmond, Oberon, Brinsmade and 2 more.
How do the counties around Benson compare?
| County | PLOTS acres | PLOTS tracts | WMA acres | Other public acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eddy | 15,187 | 76 | 1,483 | 15,552 |
| Nelson | 29,416 | 158 | 2,181 | 6,264 |
| Pierce | 30,886 | 144 | 1,584 | 26,779 |
| Ramsey | 27,780 | 141 | 2,841 | 19,415 |
| Towner | 10,665 | 48 | 345 | 16,511 |
| Wells | 23,307 | 88 | 11,854 | 17,525 |
Questions hunters ask
How much PLOTS land is in Benson County?
NDGF's 2026 PLOTS map shows 69 tracts centered in Benson County, covering 13,083 acres inside the county line. PLOTS is private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting; NDGF's PLOTS Guide shows each tract and its rules.
Are there wildlife management areas in Benson County?
Yes, 4: Knox Slough (819 acres), Lake Legreid (202 acres), Nesvig (180 acres) and Minnewaukan (159 acres).
Which deer units are in Benson County?
Unit 2K2 (62.6% of the county), unit 2L (28.4% of the county) and unit 2E (9% of the county), by NDGF's unit map.
Can you hunt state trust land in Benson County?
Yes, where it is open. The Department of Trust Lands lists 12,413 acres as open in Benson County, and none closed. Its map shows each tract's status.
Get a North Dakota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for North Dakota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, North Dakota included.
Where these numbers come from
- PLOTS, WMAs, trust land and federal land: NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); NDGF PLOTS Guide map (2026).
- Units and lottery: NDGF hunting unit maps; NDGF deer lottery statistics.
- County line, highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 boundaries, TIGER/Line and Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. PLOTS tracts change each year; check NDGF's current PLOTS Guide before you go.
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