Deer unit 4A, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota deer unit 4A covers 830 square miles in NDGF's Badlands region, across McKenzie and Dunn counties. In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 350 licenses available in unit 4A (150 antlered mule deer, 100 antlered whitetail deer, 50 antlerless mule deer and 50 antlerless whitetail deer). 1,543 residents named it as their first choice, and 171 of them drew. 20.7% of the unit is public land, mostly national grassland, and 2,955 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 grasslandBLMCorps of EngineersState trust landNational park (no hunting)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 4ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| NDGF region | Badlands |
|---|---|
| Size | 531,422 acres (830 square miles) |
| Counties | McKenzie, Dunn |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 350: 150 antlered mule deer, 100 antlered whitetail deer, 50 antlerless mule deer and 50 antlerless whitetail deer |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 1,543 |
| Public land | 20.7% (110,112 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 2,955 acres; 9 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 2 (7,460 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 | Watford City, Killdeer and Dunn Center |
How many deer licenses does unit 4A get?
In the 2026 deer gun lottery NDGF made 350 licenses available in unit 4A (150 antlered mule deer, 100 antlered whitetail deer, 50 antlerless mule deer and 50 antlerless whitetail deer). 1,543 residents named it as their first choice, and 171 of them drew. NDGF made 700 licenses available here in 2018 and 350 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 Mule Deer | 150 | 69 | 80 | 1,237 | 80 | 6% |
| 2026 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 100 | 46 | 53 | 248 | 53 | 21% |
| 2026 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 50 | 31 | 19 | 37 | 19 | 51% |
| 2026 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 50 | 31 | 19 | 21 | 19 | 90% |
| 2025 | Antlered Mule Deer | 150 | 54 | 95 | 1,215 | 95 | 8% |
| 2025 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 150 | 54 | 95 | 230 | 95 | 41% |
| 2025 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 50 | 29 | 21 | 52 | 21 | 40% |
| 2025 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 50 | 29 | 21 | 19 | 19 | 100% |
| 2024 | Antlered Mule Deer | 150 | 43 | 105 | 1,212 | 105 | 9% |
| 2024 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 200 | 58 | 139 | 247 | 139 | 56% |
| 2024 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 50 | 11 | 39 | 41 | 39 | 95% |
| 2024 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 200 | 44 | 138 | 20 | 20 | 100% |
| 2023 | Antlered Mule Deer | 150 | 45 | 103 | 1,189 | 102 | 9% |
| 2023 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 200 | 60 | 136 | 252 | 134 | 53% |
| 2023 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 50 | 11 | 38 | 31 | 30 | 97% |
| 2023 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 200 | 45 | 152 | 22 | 22 | 100% |
| 2022 | Antlered Mule Deer | 300 | 65 | 232 | 1,178 | 232 | 20% |
| 2022 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 200 | 43 | 155 | 271 | 155 | 57% |
| 2022 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 250 | 32 | 216 | 33 | 32 | 97% |
| 2022 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 200 | 26 | 163 | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| 2021 | Antlered Mule Deer | 250 | 47 | 202 | 1,063 | 202 | 19% |
| 2021 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 350 | 66 | 284 | 483 | 283 | 59% |
| 2021 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 150 | 18 | 131 | 18 | 18 | 100% |
| 2021 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 350 | 43 | 277 | 30 | 30 | 100% |
| 2020 | Antlered Mule Deer | 250 | 50 | 198 | 1,059 | 198 | 19% |
| 2020 | Antlered Whitetail Deer | 300 | 60 | 237 | 454 | 237 | 52% |
| 2020 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 100 | 15 | 84 | 23 | 21 | 91% |
| 2020 | Antlerless Whitetail Deer | 300 | 45 | 240 | 29 | 29 | 100% |
| 2019 | Antlered Mule Deer | 250 | 51 | 198 | 991 | 199 | 20% |
| 2019 | Antlered White-tailed Deer | 300 | 62 | 237 | 437 | 237 | 54% |
| 2019 | Antlerless Mule Deer | 100 | 15 | 84 | 14 | 14 | 100% |
| 2019 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | 300 | 46 | 253 | 23 | 22 | 96% |
| 2018 | Antlered Mule Deer | 200 | 49 | 149 | 965 | 149 | 15% |
| 2018 | Antlered Whitetail | 250 | 61 | 187 | 454 | 186 | 41% |
| 2018 | Antlerless Whitetail | 250 | 59 | 189 | 27 | 25 | 93% |
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 4A in 2026?
Antlered Mule Deer: 80 of 1,237 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 201 with no bonus points did; everyone with 8 points or more drew. Antlered Whitetail Deer: 53 of 248 resident first-choice applicants drew; 10 of the 117 with no bonus points did. Antlerless Mule Deer: 19 of 37 resident first-choice applicants drew; 6 of the 19 with no bonus points did; everyone with 5 points or more drew. Antlerless Whitetail Deer: 19 of 21 resident first-choice applicants drew; 13 of the 15 with no bonus points did; everyone with 1 point or more drew.
| Bonus points | Antlered Mule Deer: drew / applied | Antlered Whitetail Deer: drew / applied | Antlerless Mule Deer: drew / applied | Antlerless Whitetail Deer: drew / applied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 201 | 10 / 117 | 6 / 19 | 13 / 15 |
| 1 | 1 / 221 | 21 / 84 | 10 / 13 | 3 / 3 |
| 2 | 0 / 198 | 14 / 34 | 0 / 1 | 2 / 2 |
| 3 | 3 / 220 | 6 / 9 | 2 / 3 | none applied |
| 4 | 20 / 214 | 2 / 4 | none applied | none applied |
| 5 | 27 / 114 | none applied | 1 / 1 | none applied |
| 6 | 16 / 49 | none applied | none applied | 1 / 1 |
| 7 | 10 / 17 | none applied | none applied | none applied |
| 8 | 3 / 3 | none applied | none applied | 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 4A?
20.7% of unit 4A is public land: 110,112 of its 531,422 acres. The largest share is national grassland, 69,863 acres. PLOTS adds 2,955 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 9 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 4A |
|---|---|---|
| National grassland | 69,863 | 13.1% |
| State trust land | 16,966 | 3.2% |
| BLM | 14,689 | 2.8% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 7,460 | 1.4% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 2,955 | 0.6% |
| Corps of Engineers | 1,134 | 0.2% |
| National park (no hunting) | 481 | 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 4A: Killdeer Mountains WMA (6,995 acres here) and Lost Bridge WMA (465 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.
Which counties does unit 4A cover?
Unit 4A takes in parts of 2 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 4A | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| McKenzie County | 328,218 | 61.8% |
| Dunn County | 203,204 | 38.2% |
Has chronic wasting disease been found in unit 4A?
NDGF's CWD prevalence map does not list unit 4A. Carcass transport rules still apply statewide.
Source: NDGF CWD prevalence by deer unit.
When is deer season in unit 4A 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 4A?
Highways through the unit: ND 23 (about 28 miles inside it), ND 200 (about 18 miles inside it), US 85 (about 16 miles inside it), ND 73 (about 11 miles inside it) and ND 22 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Watford City. Just outside: Killdeer (on the line), Dunn Center (6 miles), Arnegard (7 miles) and New Town (11 miles).
Which units border deer unit 4A?
Unit 4A touches 5 other deer units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 3B1 | 850 | 2,203 | 16% | 13,500 |
| Unit 3B2 | 750 | 789 | 25.5% | 2,032 |
| Unit 3D1 | 900 | 921 | 2.3% | 8,228 |
| Unit 4B | 550 | 3,588 | 39.4% | 32,662 |
| Unit 4C | 400 | 3,004 | 53% | 7,861 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw deer unit 4A?
80 of 1,237 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 201 with no bonus points did; everyone with 8 points or more drew. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for antlered mule deer licenses in unit 4A; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in deer unit 4A?
20.7% of unit 4A, 110,112 of its 531,422 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is national grassland at 69,863 acres. Another 2,955 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in deer unit 4A?
Watford City is inside the unit.
When is deer season in unit 4A in 2026?
The deer gun season runs November 6 to 22, 2026 in unit 4A, 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 3B1 Unit 3B2 Unit 3D1 Unit 4B Unit 4C McKenzie County Dunn County