Deer unit 2F2, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota deer unit 2F2 covers 1,990 square miles in NDGF's Sheyenne-James region, across Barnes, Stutsman, Griggs and Foster counties and others. In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 400 licenses available in unit 2F2 (300 any antlered deer and 100 any antlerless deer). 1,648 residents named it as their first choice, and 33 of them drew. 2.9% of the unit is public land, mostly national wildlife refuge, and 18,951 acres are PLOTS walk-in land on private ground (NDGF map layers, 2026).
Data updated October 2026. Lottery: NDGF, 2018 to 2026. Land: NDGF map layers, 2026. Seasons: NDGF 2026-27 table.
NDGF wildlife management areaWaterfowl production areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)BLMCorps of EngineersBureau of ReclamationState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 2F2Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| NDGF region | Sheyenne-James |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,273,355 acres (1,990 square miles) |
| Counties | Barnes, Stutsman, Griggs, Foster, Steele |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 400: 300 any antlered deer and 100 any antlerless deer |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 1,648 |
| Public land | 2.9% (37,482 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 18,951 acres; 98 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 2 (1,002 acres) |
| CWD (NDGF map) | Unit not on NDGF's CWD prevalence map |
| Deer gun season, 2026 | November 6 to 22, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Jamestown, Valley City, Spiritwood Lake, Buchanan and Pingree |
How many deer licenses does unit 2F2 get?
In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 400 licenses available in unit 2F2 (300 any antlered deer and 100 any antlerless deer). 1,648 residents named it as their first choice, and 33 of them drew. NDGF made 1,400 licenses available here in 2018 and 400 in 2026.
| Year | License | Licenses available | Set aside for landowners (gratis) | Issued in the resident drawing (all choices) | First-choice resident applicants | First-choice applicants who drew | Share who drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 261 | 33 | 1,373 | 33 | 2% |
| 2026 | Any Antlerless Deer | 100 | 99 | 0 | 275 | 0 | 0% |
| 2025 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 241 | 53 | 1,431 | 53 | 4% |
| 2025 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 129 | 70 | 366 | 70 | 19% |
| 2024 | Any Antlered Deer | 600 | 235 | 357 | 1,608 | 357 | 22% |
| 2024 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 126 | 271 | 388 | 271 | 70% |
| 2023 | Any Antlered Deer | 800 | 222 | 564 | 1,741 | 563 | 32% |
| 2023 | Any Antlerless Deer | 600 | 120 | 477 | 424 | 400 | 94% |
| 2022 | Any Antlered Deer | 900 | 256 | 655 | 1,836 | 652 | 36% |
| 2022 | Any Antlerless Deer | 700 | 138 | 575 | 493 | 472 | 96% |
| 2021 | Any Antlered Deer | 900 | 257 | 654 | 1,834 | 653 | 36% |
| 2021 | Any Antlerless Deer | 700 | 138 | 573 | 480 | 450 | 94% |
| 2020 | Any Antlered Deer | 900 | 252 | 658 | 1,989 | 657 | 33% |
| 2020 | Any Antlerless Deer | 700 | 136 | 573 | 505 | 480 | 95% |
| 2019 | Any Antlered Deer | 900 | 257 | 656 | 1,955 | 655 | 34% |
| 2019 | Any Antlerless Deer | 700 | 139 | 574 | 456 | 436 | 96% |
| 2018 | Any Antlered Deer | 800 | 265 | 527 | 2,120 | 540 | 25% |
| 2018 | Any Antlerless Deer | 600 | 143 | 451 | 445 | 417 | 94% |
Source: NDGF deer lottery statistics and NDGF deer lottery archive; NDGF notes small differences from voided, revoked or refunded licenses. "First-choice applicants who drew" adds up NDGF's successful applicants at every bonus point level; "share who drew" divides it by first-choice resident applicants, for that year only. It is not a forecast.
How many bonus points did it take to draw unit 2F2 in 2026?
Any Antlered Deer: 33 of 1,373 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 209 with no bonus points did; everyone with 7 points or more drew. Any Antlerless Deer: 0 of 275 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 90 with no bonus points did.
| Bonus points | Any Antlered Deer: drew / applied | Any Antlerless Deer: drew / applied |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 209 | 0 / 90 |
| 1 | 5 / 411 | 0 / 126 |
| 2 | 6 / 372 | 0 / 49 |
| 3 | 4 / 234 | 0 / 7 |
| 4 | 11 / 123 | 0 / 2 |
| 5 | 5 / 21 | 0 / 1 |
| 6 | 0 / 1 | none applied |
| 7 | 1 / 1 | none applied |
| 8 | 1 / 1 | none applied |
Source: NDGF deer lottery statistics, "Bonus Points (Successful Applicants/Total Applicants)". The top column is NDGF's own top bucket. An applicant who does not draw a first choice earns a bonus point for the next lottery.
How much public land and PLOTS is in unit 2F2?
2.9% of unit 2F2 is public land: 37,482 of its 1,273,355 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 16,306 acres. PLOTS adds 18,951 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 98 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 2F2 |
|---|---|---|
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 18,951 | 1.5% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 16,306 | 1.3% |
| Corps of Engineers | 8,157 | 0.6% |
| Waterfowl production area | 6,787 | 0.5% |
| State trust land | 2,732 | 0.2% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 2,463 | 0.2% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 1,032 | 0.1% |
| BLM | 5 | under 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 2F2: Valley City WMA (798 acres here) and Ray Holland Marsh WMA (204 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside NDGF's unit boundary from NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land). Where two maps overlap, the acres are counted once. State trust land is open to walk-in hunting unless the Department of Trust Lands lists the tract as closed; some tracts ask that the lessee be told first. National wildlife refuges are open to hunting only where each refuge's rules allow.
Which counties does unit 2F2 cover?
Unit 2F2 takes in parts of 5 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 2F2 | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Barnes County | 464,698 | 36.5% |
| Stutsman County | 365,690 | 28.7% |
| Griggs County | 213,520 | 16.8% |
| Foster County | 157,209 | 12.3% |
| Steele County | 72,239 | 5.7% |
Has chronic wasting disease been found in unit 2F2?
NDGF's CWD prevalence map does not list unit 2F2. Carcass transport rules still apply statewide.
Source: NDGF CWD prevalence by deer unit.
When is deer season in unit 2F2 in 2026?
The deer gun season runs November 6 to 22, 2026 in every unit. Bow, youth and muzzleloader seasons are statewide. NDGF's note for the bow (nonresident) season of September 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027: Nonresidents may hunt only on private land, excluding Private Land Open To Sportsman, during the first 9 1/2 days of the Deer Bow season. Exemption: PLOTS landowners may hunt on their enrolled property.
| Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Apply by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer: Bow (Resident) | Statewide | September 4, 2026 | January 3, 2027 | no lottery |
| Deer: Bow (Nonresident) | Statewide | September 4, 2026 | January 3, 2027 | no lottery |
| Deer: Bow (Resident Youth) | Statewide | September 4, 2026 | January 3, 2027 | no lottery |
| Deer: Regular | All Units | November 6, 2026 | November 22, 2026 | June 3, 2026 |
| Deer: Youth Season | Statewide | September 18, 2026 | September 27, 2026 | June 3, 2026 |
| White-tailed deer: Muzzleloader | Statewide | November 27, 2026 | December 13, 2026 | June 3, 2026 |
Source: NDGF 2026-27 season dates.
How do you get to unit 2F2?
Highways through the unit: ND 200 (about 55 miles inside it), ND 9 (about 54 miles inside it), US 52 (about 45 miles inside it), ND 20 (about 45 miles inside it) and ND 1 (about 43 miles inside it). Towns inside: Jamestown, Valley City, Spiritwood Lake, Rogers, Wimbledon, Kensal and 12 more. Just outside: Buchanan (on the line), Pingree (on the line), Cooperstown (on the line) and Carrington (on the line).
Which units border deer unit 2F2?
Unit 2F2 touches 5 other deer units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2B | 900 | 3,269 | 0.5% | 42,812 |
| Unit 2F1 | 900 | 1,630 | 2.8% | 21,379 |
| Unit 2G | 200 | 623 | 1.4% | 4,662 |
| Unit 2I | 1,200 | 2,200 | 3.6% | 32,510 |
| Unit 2J2 | 1,100 | 1,799 | 6.2% | 26,685 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw deer unit 2F2?
33 of 1,373 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 209 with no bonus points did; everyone with 7 points or more drew. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any antlered deer licenses in unit 2F2; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in deer unit 2F2?
2.9% of unit 2F2, 37,482 of its 1,273,355 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is national wildlife refuge at 16,306 acres. Another 18,951 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in deer unit 2F2?
Jamestown, Valley City, Spiritwood Lake, Rogers and Wimbledon are inside the unit, with 13 smaller places.
When is deer season in unit 2F2 in 2026?
The deer gun season runs November 6 to 22, 2026 in unit 2F2, as in every unit. Bow season runs September 4, 2026 to January 3, 2027, the youth season September 18 to 27, 2026 and the white-tailed muzzleloader season November 27 to December 13, 2026. Dates are from NDGF's 2026-27 season table; the lottery deadline was June 3, 2026.
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Where these numbers come from
- Licenses, applicants and bonus points: NDGF deer lottery statistics; NDGF deer lottery archive.
- Seasons: NDGF 2026-27 season dates.
- Unit boundary: NDGF hunting unit maps. Land: NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land). Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 and 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from NDGF or measured from the maps it publishes; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.
North Dakota hunting Unit 2B Unit 2F1 Unit 2G Unit 2I Unit 2J2 Barnes County Stutsman County Griggs County