Deer unit 3F1, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota deer unit 3F1 covers 1,584 square miles in NDGF's Slope region, across Adams, Bowman, Slope and Hettinger counties. In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 1,300 licenses available in unit 3F1 (300 antlered whitetail deer, 200 antlerless whitetail deer, 400 any antlered deer and 400 any antlerless deer). 897 residents named it as their first choice, and 552 of them drew; counting second choices, the resident drawing issued 926. 3.2% of the unit is public land, mostly state trust land, and 31,026 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 areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)Corps of EngineersState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 3F1Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| NDGF region | Slope |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,013,614 acres (1,584 square miles) |
| Counties | Adams, Bowman, Slope, Hettinger |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 1,300: 300 antlered whitetail deer, 200 antlerless whitetail deer, 400 any antlered deer and 400 any antlerless deer |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 897 |
| Public land | 3.2% (32,420 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 31,026 acres; 126 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 4 (3,019 acres) |
| CWD (NDGF map) | Detected; first found 2022 |
| Deer gun season, 2026 | November 6 to 22, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Gascoyne, Hettinger, Reeder, Bowman and Regent |
How many deer licenses does unit 3F1 get?
In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 1,300 licenses available in unit 3F1 (300 antlered whitetail deer, 200 antlerless whitetail deer, 400 any antlered deer and 400 any antlerless deer). 897 residents named it as their first choice, and 552 of them drew; counting second choices, the resident drawing issued 926. NDGF made 1,900 licenses available here in 2018 and 1,300 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 | 300 | 27 | 269 | 120 | 119 | 99% |
| 2026 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 200 | 12 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| 2026 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 36 | 359 | 700 | 358 | 51% |
| 2026 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 22 | 272 | 76 | 74 | 97% |
| 2025 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 400 | 34 | 359 | 124 | 124 | 100% |
| 2025 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 400 | 18 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| 2025 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 34 | 359 | 738 | 359 | 49% |
| 2025 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 18 | 273 | 75 | 75 | 100% |
| 2024 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 400 | 33 | 362 | 121 | 121 | 100% |
| 2024 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 400 | 18 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| 2024 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 33 | 362 | 739 | 362 | 49% |
| 2024 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 18 | 271 | 81 | 81 | 100% |
| 2023 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 400 | 40 | 354 | 122 | 121 | 99% |
| 2023 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 400 | 21 | 58 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| 2023 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 40 | 355 | 709 | 354 | 50% |
| 2023 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 21 | 375 | 79 | 79 | 100% |
| 2022 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 400 | 41 | 356 | 129 | 129 | 100% |
| 2022 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 400 | 22 | 51 | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 2022 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 41 | 357 | 702 | 356 | 51% |
| 2022 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 22 | 271 | 71 | 69 | 97% |
| 2021 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 600 | 55 | 543 | 159 | 159 | 100% |
| 2021 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 450 | 26 | 25 | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 2021 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 36 | 362 | 687 | 361 | 53% |
| 2021 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 23 | 237 | 75 | 73 | 97% |
| 2020 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 600 | 50 | 546 | 175 | 175 | 100% |
| 2020 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 500 | 25 | 25 | 10 | 10 | 100% |
| 2020 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 33 | 364 | 721 | 363 | 50% |
| 2020 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 20 | 205 | 88 | 85 | 97% |
| 2019 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 600 | 51 | 545 | 197 | 197 | 100% |
| 2019 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 500 | 25 | 23 | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| 2019 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 34 | 363 | 700 | 363 | 52% |
| 2019 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 20 | 269 | 80 | 79 | 99% |
| 2018 | Antlered Whitetail | 600 | 45 | 549 | 215 | 214 | 100% |
| 2018 | Antlerless Whitetail | 500 | 22 | 473 | 13 | 13 | 100% |
| 2018 | Any Antlered Deer | 400 | 30 | 366 | 749 | 367 | 49% |
| 2018 | Any Antlerless Deer | 400 | 18 | 378 | 73 | 73 | 100% |
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 3F1 in 2026?
Antlered Whitetail Deer: 119 of 120 resident first-choice applicants drew; all 108 with no bonus points did. Antlerless Whitetail Deer: All 1 resident first-choice applicants drew, at every point level. Any Antlered Deer: 358 of 700 resident first-choice applicants drew; 125 of the 364 with no bonus points did; everyone with 5 points or more drew. Any Antlerless Deer: 74 of 76 resident first-choice applicants drew; 61 of the 63 with no bonus points did; everyone with 1 point or more drew.
| Bonus points | Antlered Whitetail Deer: drew / applied | Antlerless Whitetail Deer: drew / applied | Any Antlered Deer: drew / applied | Any Antlerless Deer: drew / applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 108 / 108 | 1 / 1 | 125 / 364 | 61 / 63 |
| 1 | 10 / 10 | none applied | 149 / 235 | 9 / 9 |
| 2 | none applied | none applied | 63 / 78 | 3 / 3 |
| 3 | 1 / 1 | none applied | 8 / 9 | none applied |
| 4 | none applied | none applied | 9 / 10 | 1 / 1 |
| 5 | 0 / 1 | none applied | 2 / 2 | none applied |
| 7 | none applied | none applied | 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 3F1?
3.2% of unit 3F1 is public land: 32,420 of its 1,013,614 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 22,679 acres. PLOTS adds 31,026 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 126 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 3F1 |
|---|---|---|
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 31,026 | 3.1% |
| State trust land | 22,679 | 2.2% |
| Corps of Engineers | 5,678 | 0.6% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 3,019 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 1,044 | 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 3F1: Indian Creek WMA (1,170 acres here), Cedar Lake WMA (805 acres here), Alkali Creek WMA (595 acres here) and Spring Creek WMA (449 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 3F1 cover?
Unit 3F1 takes in parts of 4 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 3F1 | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 373,580 | 36.9% |
| Bowman County | 286,793 | 28.3% |
| Slope County | 212,188 | 20.9% |
| Hettinger County | 140,921 | 13.9% |
Has chronic wasting disease been found in unit 3F1?
Yes. NDGF's CWD prevalence map lists unit 3F1: mule deer: first detected 2022, 2 positive of 80 sampled in the last four years (2.5%).
Source: NDGF CWD prevalence by deer unit.
When is deer season in unit 3F1 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 3F1?
Highways through the unit: US 12 (about 53 miles inside it), ND 21 (about 39 miles inside it), US 85 (about 36 miles inside it), ND 22 (about 29 miles inside it) and ND 67 (about 27 miles inside it). Towns inside: Gascoyne, Hettinger, Reeder, Scranton, Amidon, Bucyrus and 1 more. Just outside: Bowman (on the line), Regent (on the line), New England (on the line) and Mott (7 miles).
Which units border deer unit 3F1?
Unit 3F1 touches 4 other deer units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 3E1 | 1,450 | 1,704 | 2.7% | 44,150 |
| Unit 3F2 | 2,800 | 1,641 | 4.9% | 59,129 |
| Unit 4E | 400 | 1,180 | 25.5% | 24,655 |
| Unit 4F | 450 | 493 | 13.1% | 15,881 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw deer unit 3F1?
358 of 700 resident first-choice applicants drew; 125 of the 364 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 3F1; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in deer unit 3F1?
3.2% of unit 3F1, 32,420 of its 1,013,614 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is state trust land at 22,679 acres. Another 31,026 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in deer unit 3F1?
Gascoyne, Hettinger, Reeder, Scranton and Amidon are inside the unit, with 2 smaller places.
When is deer season in unit 3F1 in 2026?
The deer gun season runs November 6 to 22, 2026 in unit 3F1, 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 3E1 Unit 3F2 Unit 4E Unit 4F Adams County Bowman County Slope County