Deer unit 3B3, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota deer unit 3B3 covers 843 square miles in NDGF's Missouri River region, across Oliver, McLean, Burleigh and Mercer counties and others. In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 600 licenses available in unit 3B3 (100 antlered whitetail deer, 300 any antlered deer and 200 any antlerless deer). 1,188 residents named it as their first choice, and 344 of them drew; counting second choices, the resident drawing issued 345. 4.4% of the unit is public land, mostly NDGF wildlife management area, and 2,259 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)Corps of EngineersBureau of ReclamationState trust landState park (rules vary)National park (no hunting)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 3B3Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| NDGF region | Missouri River |
|---|---|
| Size | 539,478 acres (843 square miles) |
| Counties | Oliver, McLean, Burleigh, Mercer, Morton |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 600: 100 antlered whitetail deer, 300 any antlered deer and 200 any antlerless deer |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 1,188 |
| Public land | 4.4% (23,555 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 2,259 acres; 8 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 9 (10,815 acres) |
| CWD (NDGF map) | Detected; first found 2024 |
| Deer gun season, 2026 | November 6 to 22, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Washburn, Riverdale, Underwood, Coleharbor and Wilton |
How many deer licenses does unit 3B3 get?
In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 600 licenses available in unit 3B3 (100 antlered whitetail deer, 300 any antlered deer and 200 any antlerless deer). 1,188 residents named it as their first choice, and 344 of them drew; counting second choices, the resident drawing issued 345. NDGF made 1,900 licenses available here in 2018 and 600 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 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 100 | 41 | 58 | 207 | 58 | 28% |
| 2026 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 120 | 177 | 847 | 177 | 21% |
| 2026 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 86 | 110 | 134 | 109 | 81% |
| 2025 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 100 | 38 | 60 | 203 | 60 | 30% |
| 2025 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 115 | 182 | 773 | 182 | 24% |
| 2025 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 83 | 115 | 168 | 115 | 68% |
| 2024 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 100 | 40 | 59 | 235 | 59 | 25% |
| 2024 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 100 | 29 | 70 | 48 | 47 | 98% |
| 2024 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 119 | 177 | 719 | 177 | 25% |
| 2024 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 57 | 141 | 150 | 141 | 94% |
| 2023 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 100 | 39 | 59 | 258 | 58 | 22% |
| 2023 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 100 | 28 | 71 | 43 | 43 | 100% |
| 2023 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 117 | 180 | 660 | 180 | 27% |
| 2023 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 56 | 142 | 130 | 120 | 92% |
| 2022 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 100 | 41 | 58 | 332 | 57 | 17% |
| 2022 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 100 | 30 | 70 | 56 | 44 | 79% |
| 2022 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 124 | 176 | 601 | 175 | 29% |
| 2022 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 60 | 141 | 148 | 140 | 95% |
| 2021 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 1,000 | 133 | 860 | 817 | 814 | 100% |
| 2021 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 1,000 | 72 | 422 | 145 | 145 | 100% |
| 2021 | Any Antlered Deer | 350 | 47 | 301 | 631 | 300 | 48% |
| 2021 | Any Antlerless Deer | 350 | 25 | 323 | 164 | 163 | 99% |
| 2020 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 1,000 | 145 | 849 | 881 | 849 | 96% |
| 2020 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 1,000 | 78 | 395 | 159 | 157 | 99% |
| 2020 | Any Antlered Deer | 250 | 36 | 213 | 599 | 212 | 35% |
| 2020 | Any Antlerless Deer | 250 | 20 | 229 | 143 | 141 | 99% |
| 2019 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 900 | 139 | 759 | 895 | 759 | 85% |
| 2019 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 800 | 80 | 694 | 163 | 161 | 99% |
| 2019 | Any Antlered Deer | 250 | 39 | 210 | 506 | 209 | 41% |
| 2019 | Any Antlerless Deer | 150 | 15 | 135 | 139 | 135 | 97% |
| 2018 | Antlered Whitetail | 900 | 141 | 750 | 963 | 751 | 78% |
| 2018 | Antlerless Whitetail | 650 | 75 | 569 | 171 | 170 | 99% |
| 2018 | Any Antlered Deer | 200 | 31 | 167 | 466 | 168 | 36% |
| 2018 | Any Antlerless Deer | 150 | 17 | 132 | 139 | 132 | 95% |
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 3B3 in 2026?
Antlered Whitetail Deer: 58 of 207 resident first-choice applicants drew; 6 of the 81 with no bonus points did. Any Antlered Deer: 177 of 847 resident first-choice applicants drew; 20 of the 293 with no bonus points did; everyone with 5 points or more drew. Any Antlerless Deer: 109 of 134 resident first-choice applicants drew; 71 of the 93 with no bonus points did; everyone with 2 points or more drew.
| Bonus points | Antlered Whitetail Deer: drew / applied | Any Antlered Deer: drew / applied | Any Antlerless Deer: drew / applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 6 / 81 | 20 / 293 | 71 / 93 |
| 1 | 16 / 58 | 47 / 271 | 29 / 32 |
| 2 | 14 / 37 | 33 / 142 | 8 / 8 |
| 3 | 8 / 16 | 33 / 92 | 1 / 1 |
| 4 | 14 / 15 | 41 / 46 | none applied |
| 5 | none applied | 2 / 2 | none applied |
| 6 | none applied | 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 3B3?
4.4% of unit 3B3 is public land: 23,555 of its 539,478 acres. The largest share is NDGF wildlife management area, 10,815 acres. PLOTS adds 2,259 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 8 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 3B3 |
|---|---|---|
| NDGF wildlife management area | 10,815 | 2% |
| Corps of Engineers | 6,252 | 1.2% |
| State trust land | 5,981 | 1.1% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 2,259 | 0.4% |
| National park (no hunting) | 1,345 | 0.2% |
| State park (rules vary) | 571 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 182 | under 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 165 | under 0.1% |
| Waterfowl production area | 160 | under 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 3B3: Wolf Creek WMA (4,931 acres here), Riverdale WMA (3,077 acres here), Painted Woods WMA (1,214 acres here), Missouri Breaks WMA (477 acres here), Arroda Lake WMA (410 acres here), Norman and Lucille Schaefer WMA (313 acres here), Smith Grove WMA (233 acres here), Lewis and Clark (Oliver) WMA (122 acres here) and Square Butte WMA (38 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 3B3 cover?
Unit 3B3 takes in parts of 5 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 3B3 | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Oliver County | 185,351 | 34.4% |
| McLean County | 172,394 | 32% |
| Burleigh County | 84,640 | 15.7% |
| Mercer County | 67,895 | 12.6% |
| Morton County | 29,198 | 5.4% |
Has chronic wasting disease been found in unit 3B3?
Yes. NDGF's CWD prevalence map lists unit 3B3: whitetail deer: first detected 2024, 1 positive of 41 sampled in the last four years (2.4%).
Source: NDGF CWD prevalence by deer unit.
When is deer season in unit 3B3 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 3B3?
Highways through the unit: ND 1804 (about 36 miles inside it), ND 200 (about 23 miles inside it), US 83 (about 14 miles inside it), ND 25 (about 14 miles inside it) and ND 1806 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: Washburn, Riverdale, Underwood, Center, Stanton, Pick City and 1 more. Just outside: Coleharbor (on the line), Wilton (on the line), Mandan (on the line) and Bismarck (on the line).
Which units border deer unit 3B3?
Unit 3B3 touches 6 other deer units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2J1 | 900 | 1,372 | 6.1% | 70,016 |
| Unit 2K1 | 1,500 | 1,969 | 7.2% | 50,431 |
| Unit 3B2 | 750 | 789 | 25.5% | 2,032 |
| Unit 3C | 800 | 1,431 | 8.5% | 17,444 |
| Unit 3D2 | 1,500 | 1,297 | 2.3% | 9,486 |
| Unit 3E2 | 1,650 | 1,653 | 2.5% | 14,010 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw deer unit 3B3?
177 of 847 resident first-choice applicants drew; 20 of the 293 with no bonus points did; everyone with 5 points or more drew. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any antlered deer licenses in unit 3B3; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in deer unit 3B3?
4.4% of unit 3B3, 23,555 of its 539,478 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is NDGF wildlife management area at 10,815 acres. Another 2,259 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in deer unit 3B3?
Washburn, Riverdale, Underwood, Center and Stanton are inside the unit, with 2 smaller places.
When is deer season in unit 3B3 in 2026?
The deer gun season runs November 6 to 22, 2026 in unit 3B3, 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 2J1 Unit 2K1 Unit 3B2 Unit 3C Unit 3D2 Unit 3E2 Oliver County McLean County Burleigh County