Deer unit 3C, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota deer unit 3C covers 1,523 square miles in NDGF's Missouri River region, across Emmons, Morton, Burleigh and Sioux counties. In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 800 licenses available in unit 3C (500 any antlered deer and 300 any antlerless deer). 1,431 residents named it as their first choice, and 513 of them drew; counting second choices, the resident drawing issued 514. 8.5% of the unit is public land, mostly Corps of Engineers, and 17,444 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 EngineersState trust landState park (rules vary)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 3CNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| NDGF region | Missouri River |
|---|---|
| Size | 974,673 acres (1,523 square miles) |
| Counties | Emmons, Morton, Burleigh, Sioux |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 800: 500 any antlered deer and 300 any antlerless deer |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 1,431 |
| Public land | 8.5% (83,315 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 17,444 acres; 51 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 11 (19,514 acres) |
| CWD (NDGF map) | Detected; first found 2021 |
| Deer gun season, 2026 | November 6 to 22, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Bismarck, Lincoln, Solen, Mandan and Linton |
How many deer licenses does unit 3C get?
In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 800 licenses available in unit 3C (500 any antlered deer and 300 any antlerless deer). 1,431 residents named it as their first choice, and 513 of them drew; counting second choices, the resident drawing issued 514. NDGF made 2,100 licenses available here in 2018 and 800 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 | 500 | 177 | 314 | 1,224 | 313 | 26% |
| 2026 | Any Antlerless Deer | 300 | 96 | 200 | 207 | 200 | 97% |
| 2025 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 184 | 207 | 1,183 | 207 | 17% |
| 2025 | Any Antlerless Deer | 300 | 99 | 198 | 216 | 197 | 91% |
| 2024 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 188 | 107 | 1,098 | 107 | 10% |
| 2024 | Any Antlerless Deer | 300 | 101 | 197 | 201 | 191 | 95% |
| 2023 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 183 | 108 | 1,066 | 106 | 10% |
| 2023 | Any Antlerless Deer | 300 | 98 | 201 | 216 | 200 | 93% |
| 2022 | Any Antlered Deer | 300 | 203 | 97 | 1,000 | 96 | 10% |
| 2022 | Any Antlerless Deer | 300 | 109 | 194 | 190 | 169 | 89% |
| 2021 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 1,150 | 170 | 987 | 1,076 | 985 | 92% |
| 2021 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 1,050 | 89 | 512 | 150 | 150 | 100% |
| 2021 | Any Antlered Deer | 450 | 66 | 386 | 911 | 385 | 42% |
| 2021 | Any Antlerless Deer | 450 | 38 | 414 | 180 | 179 | 99% |
| 2020 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 1,100 | 176 | 932 | 1,176 | 931 | 79% |
| 2020 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 1,000 | 92 | 520 | 161 | 161 | 100% |
| 2020 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 64 | 339 | 789 | 339 | 43% |
| 2020 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 37 | 366 | 179 | 174 | 97% |
| 2019 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 1,100 | 189 | 916 | 1,181 | 916 | 78% |
| 2019 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 1,000 | 100 | 787 | 174 | 170 | 98% |
| 2019 | Any Antlered Deer | 200 | 34 | 167 | 642 | 167 | 26% |
| 2019 | Any Antlerless Deer | 200 | 20 | 181 | 159 | 150 | 94% |
| 2018 | Antlered Whitetail | 1,000 | 210 | 780 | 1,272 | 793 | 62% |
| 2018 | Antlerless Whitetail | 800 | 110 | 682 | 193 | 187 | 97% |
| 2018 | Any Antlered Deer | 150 | 32 | 117 | 715 | 119 | 17% |
| 2018 | Any Antlerless Deer | 150 | 21 | 128 | 169 | 130 | 77% |
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 3C in 2026?
Any Antlered Deer: 313 of 1,224 resident first-choice applicants drew; 15 of the 343 with no bonus points did; everyone with 5 points or more drew. Any Antlerless Deer: 200 of 207 resident first-choice applicants drew; 164 of the 170 with no bonus points did; everyone with 2 points or more drew.
| Bonus points | Any Antlered Deer: drew / applied | Any Antlerless Deer: drew / applied |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 15 / 343 | 164 / 170 |
| 1 | 25 / 274 | 19 / 20 |
| 2 | 31 / 213 | 9 / 9 |
| 3 | 45 / 180 | 5 / 5 |
| 4 | 181 / 198 | 3 / 3 |
| 5 | 14 / 14 | none applied |
| 6 | 2 / 2 | 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 3C?
8.5% of unit 3C is public land: 83,315 of its 974,673 acres. The largest share is Corps of Engineers, 40,969 acres. PLOTS adds 17,444 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 51 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 3C |
|---|---|---|
| Corps of Engineers | 40,969 | 4.2% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 19,514 | 2% |
| State trust land | 17,706 | 1.8% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 17,444 | 1.8% |
| Waterfowl production area | 4,798 | 0.5% |
| State park (rules vary) | 837 | 0.1% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 328 | under 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 3C: MacLean Bottoms WMA (6,955 acres here), Graner Bottoms WMA (3,645 acres here), Kimball Bottoms WMA (2,877 acres here), Schmidt Bottoms WMA (1,318 acres here), Apple Creek Bottoms WMA (1,081 acres here), McKenzie Slough WMA (796 acres here), Beaver Creek WMA (Emmons County) (749 acres here), Little Heart Bottoms WMA (666 acres here), Morton County WMA (638 acres here), Robert W. Henderson WMA (575 acres here) and Badger Bay WMA (214 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 3C cover?
Unit 3C takes in parts of 4 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 3C | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Emmons County | 535,699 | 55% |
| Morton County | 210,271 | 21.6% |
| Burleigh County | 207,139 | 21.3% |
| Sioux County | 21,448 | 2.2% |
Has chronic wasting disease been found in unit 3C?
Yes. NDGF's CWD prevalence map lists unit 3C: mule deer: first detected 2021, 0 positive of 36 sampled in the last four years (0%).
Source: NDGF CWD prevalence by deer unit.
When is deer season in unit 3C 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 3C?
Highways through the unit: ND 1804 (about 82 miles inside it), I-94 (about 50 miles inside it), US 83 (about 44 miles inside it), ND 1806 (about 39 miles inside it) and ND 6 (about 31 miles inside it). Towns inside: Bismarck, Lincoln, Solen, Menoken and Apple Valley. Just outside: Mandan (on the line), Linton (on the line), Hazelton (on the line) and Strasburg (on the line).
Which units border deer unit 3C?
Unit 3C touches 6 other deer units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2H | 1,100 | 1,474 | 3.5% | 18,685 |
| Unit 2I | 1,200 | 2,200 | 3.6% | 32,510 |
| Unit 2J1 | 900 | 1,372 | 6.1% | 70,016 |
| Unit 3B3 | 600 | 1,188 | 4.4% | 2,259 |
| Unit 3E2 | 1,650 | 1,653 | 2.5% | 14,010 |
| Unit 3F2 | 2,800 | 1,641 | 4.9% | 59,129 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw deer unit 3C?
313 of 1,224 resident first-choice applicants drew; 15 of the 343 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 3C; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in deer unit 3C?
8.5% of unit 3C, 83,315 of its 974,673 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is Corps of Engineers at 40,969 acres. Another 17,444 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in deer unit 3C?
Bismarck, Lincoln, Solen, Menoken and Apple Valley are inside the unit.
When is deer season in unit 3C in 2026?
The deer gun season runs November 6 to 22, 2026 in unit 3C, 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 2H Unit 2I Unit 2J1 Unit 3B3 Unit 3E2 Unit 3F2 Emmons County Morton County Burleigh County