Elk unit E2, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota elk unit E2 covers 4,942 square miles, across McKenzie and Dunn counties. In the 2026 elk lottery NDGF offered 190 licenses for unit E2 (148 antlerless elk and 42 any elk), and 6,893 applications named it. In 2025, 199 elk hunters in unit E2 took 59 bulls and 75 cows and calves, a 67.34% success rate by NDGF's count. 23.5% of the unit is public land, mostly national grassland, and 16,276 acres are PLOTS walk-in land on private ground (NDGF map layers, 2026).
Data updated October 2026. Lottery: NDGF, 2017 to 2026. Harvest: NDGF, 2025. Land: NDGF map layers, 2026. Seasons: NDGF 2026-27 table.
NDGF wildlife management areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)National grasslandBLMCorps of EngineersBureau of ReclamationState trust landState park (rules vary)National park (no hunting)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit E2Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 3,162,846 acres (4,942 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | McKenzie, Dunn |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 190: 148 antlerless elk and 42 any elk |
| Applications, 2026 | 6,893 |
| Elk harvest, 2025 | 134 by 199 hunters (67.34% success) |
| Public land | 23.5% (742,890 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 16,276 acres; 43 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 12 (25,556 acres) |
| Elk gun season, 2026 | October 2, 2026 to January 3, 2027 |
| Towns in and near it | Watford City, Killdeer, Alexander, New Town and Golden Valley |
How many elk licenses does unit E2 get?
In the 2026 elk lottery NDGF offered 190 licenses for unit E2 (148 antlerless elk and 42 any elk), and 6,893 applications named it. NDGF made 118 licenses available here in 2017 and 190 in 2026.
| Year | License | Licenses available | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Antlerless Elk | 148 | 148 |
| 2026 | Any Elk | 42 | 6,745 |
| 2025 | Antlerless Elk | 120 | 172 |
| 2025 | Any Elk | 42 | 6,346 |
| 2024 | Antlerless Elk | 90 | 181 |
| 2024 | Any Elk | 29 | 6,065 |
| 2023 | Antlerless Elk | 91 | 180 |
| 2023 | Any Elk | 29 | 6,602 |
| 2022 | Antlerless Elk | 90 | 146 |
| 2022 | Any Elk | 50 | 6,455 |
| 2021 | Antlerless Elk | 90 | 157 |
| 2021 | Any Elk | 50 | 6,616 |
| 2020 | Antlerless Elk | 90 | 176 |
| 2020 | Any Elk | 50 | 6,077 |
| 2019 | Antlerless Elk | 90 | 190 |
| 2019 | Any Elk | 50 | 5,779 |
| 2018 | Antlerless Elk | 90 | 180 |
| 2018 | Any Elk | 29 | 5,481 |
| 2017 | Any Elk | 29 | 5,065 |
| 2017 | Cow Elk | 89 | 186 |
Source: NDGF elk lottery statistics and NDGF elk lottery archive; NDGF notes small differences from voided, revoked or refunded licenses. NDGF prints licenses available and total applications for elk; it does not print bonus points by level for elk.
How many elk were taken in unit E2 in 2025?
NDGF reports 199 hunters in unit E2 in 2025 took 59 bulls and 75 cows and calves, a 67.34% success rate. Statewide, 929 elk hunters took 576 elk.
Source: NDGF, 2025 Big 3 Harvest Statistics.
How much public land and PLOTS is in unit E2?
23.5% of unit E2 is public land: 742,890 of its 3,162,846 acres. The largest share is national grassland, 500,854 acres. PLOTS adds 16,276 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 43 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit E2 |
|---|---|---|
| National grassland | 500,854 | 15.8% |
| Corps of Engineers | 106,620 | 3.4% |
| State trust land | 90,242 | 2.9% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 25,556 | 0.8% |
| National park (no hunting) | 24,054 | 0.8% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 16,276 | 0.5% |
| BLM | 15,720 | 0.5% |
| State park (rules vary) | 5,357 | 0.2% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 3,896 | 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 2 | under 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit E2: Lewis and Clark WMA (12,137 acres here), Killdeer Mountains WMA (6,995 acres here), Trenton WMA (1,742 acres here), Big Oxbow WMA (972 acres here), Och's Point WMA (971 acres here), Antelope Creek WMA (890 acres here), Neu's Point WMA (510 acres here), Lost Bridge WMA (465 acres here), Tobacco Garden WMA (341 acres here), Sullivan WMA (265 acres here), Tweden WMA (239 acres here) and Overlook WMA (29 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 E2 cover?
Unit E2 takes in parts of 2 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit E2 | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| McKenzie County | 1,829,983 | 57.9% |
| Dunn County | 1,332,259 | 42.1% |
When is elk season in unit E2 in 2026?
Unit E2 has 4 elk season rows in NDGF's 2026-27 table. NDGF's note for the antlerless season of August 7 to September 27, 2026: This season is restricted to private land only within the boundaries of the hunter’s assigned unit. Hunting on private land enrolled in the Private Land Open To Sportsman program is prohibited, except by the enrolled landowner.
| Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Apply by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk: Antlerless | E1E, E1W, E2, E6, E7 | August 7, 2026 | September 27, 2026 | March 25, 2026 |
| Elk: Bow | E1E, E1W, E2, E6, E7 | September 4, 2026 | September 27, 2026 | March 25, 2026 |
| Elk: Regular | E1E, E2, E1W | October 2, 2026 | January 3, 2027 | March 25, 2026 |
| Elk: Antlerless | E1E, E1W, E2, E3, E4, E6, E7 | January 9, 2027 | January 17, 2027 | March 25, 2026 |
Source: NDGF 2026-27 season dates.
How do you get to unit E2?
Highways through the unit: ND 200 (about 126 miles inside it), ND 22 (about 77 miles inside it), US 85 (about 77 miles inside it), ND 23 (about 48 miles inside it) and ND 8 (about 40 miles inside it). Towns inside: Watford City, Killdeer, Alexander, Dodge, Halliday, Dunn Center and 5 more. Just outside: New Town (3 miles), Golden Valley (4 miles), Williston (4 miles) and Dickinson (6 miles).
Which units border elk unit E2?
Unit E2 touches 2 other elk units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | Applications | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit E3 | 319 | 9,532 | 27.2% | 108,709 |
| Unit E5 | no lottery | 4.5% | 712,141 |
Questions hunters ask
How many people apply for an any-elk license in unit E2?
NDGF counted 6,745 applications for unit E2's 42 any-elk licenses in 2026. North Dakota elk licenses are for residents only and are drawn by lottery.
How much public land is in elk unit E2?
23.5% of unit E2, 742,890 of its 3,162,846 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is national grassland at 500,854 acres. Another 16,276 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in elk unit E2?
Watford City, Killdeer, Alexander, Dodge and Halliday are inside the unit, with 6 smaller places.
When is elk season in unit E2 in 2026?
Antlerless August 7 to September 27, 2026, bow September 4 to 27, 2026, regular October 2, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and antlerless January 9 to 17, 2027 for unit E2. Dates are from NDGF's 2026-27 season table; the lottery deadline was March 25, 2026.
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Where these numbers come from
- Licenses, applicants and bonus points: NDGF elk lottery statistics; NDGF elk lottery archive.
- Elk harvest: NDGF, 2025 Big 3 Harvest Statistics.
- 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.