Elk unit E6, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota elk unit E6 covers 911 square miles, across Sioux County. In the 2026 elk lottery NDGF offered 12 licenses for unit E6 (10 antlerless elk and 2 any elk), and 428 applications named it. In 2025, 13 elk hunters in unit E6 took 2 bulls and 1 cow or calf, a 23.08% success rate by NDGF's count. 7.4% of the unit is public land, mostly Corps of Engineers, and 16,759 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 grasslandCorps of EngineersState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit E6Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 582,943 acres (911 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Sioux |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 12: 10 antlerless elk and 2 any elk |
| Applications, 2026 | 428 |
| Elk harvest, 2025 | 3 by 13 hunters (23.08% success) |
| Public land | 7.4% (43,402 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 16,759 acres; 20 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 1 (297 acres) |
| Elk gun season, 2026 | October 2 to November 5, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Solen, Selfridge, Fort Yates, Flasher and Hazelton |
How many elk licenses does unit E6 get?
In the 2026 elk lottery NDGF offered 12 licenses for unit E6 (10 antlerless elk and 2 any elk), and 428 applications named it. NDGF made 6 licenses available here in 2017 and 12 in 2026.
| Year | License | Licenses available | Applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 14 |
| 2026 | Any Elk | 2 | 414 |
| 2025 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 11 |
| 2025 | Any Elk | 2 | 429 |
| 2024 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 16 |
| 2024 | Any Elk | 2 | 416 |
| 2023 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 26 |
| 2023 | Any Elk | 2 | 432 |
| 2022 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 17 |
| 2022 | Any Elk | 4 | 446 |
| 2021 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 18 |
| 2021 | Any Elk | 4 | 400 |
| 2020 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 15 |
| 2020 | Any Elk | 4 | 395 |
| 2019 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 15 |
| 2019 | Any Elk | 4 | 333 |
| 2018 | Antlerless Elk | 10 | 18 |
| 2018 | Any Elk | 2 | 296 |
| 2017 | Any Elk | 1 | 161 |
| 2017 | Cow Elk | 5 | 5 |
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 E6 in 2025?
NDGF reports 13 hunters in unit E6 in 2025 took 2 bulls and 1 cow or calf, a 23.08% 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 E6?
7.4% of unit E6 is public land: 43,402 of its 582,943 acres. The largest share is Corps of Engineers, 26,091 acres. PLOTS adds 16,759 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 20 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit E6 |
|---|---|---|
| Corps of Engineers | 26,091 | 4.5% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 16,759 | 2.9% |
| State trust land | 16,539 | 2.8% |
| National grassland | 475 | 0.1% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 297 | 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit E6: Froelich Dam WMA (297 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 E6 cover?
Unit E6 lies in Sioux County. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit E6 | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux County | 582,373 | 99.9% |
When is elk season in unit E6 in 2026?
Unit E6 has 5 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 | E6 | October 2, 2026 | November 5, 2026 | March 25, 2026 |
| Elk: Regular | E6 | November 23, 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 E6?
Highways through the unit: ND 24 (about 48 miles inside it), ND 6 (about 35 miles inside it), ND 1806 (about 34 miles inside it), ND 31 (about 10 miles inside it) and ND 63 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns inside: Solen, Selfridge, Fort Yates, Cannon Ball and Porcupine. Just outside: Flasher (14 miles), Hazelton (15 miles) and Linton (16 miles).
Which units border elk unit E6?
Unit E6 touches 1 other elk unit. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | Applications | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit E5 | no lottery | 4.5% | 712,141 |
Questions hunters ask
How many people apply for an any-elk license in unit E6?
NDGF counted 414 applications for unit E6's 2 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 E6?
7.4% of unit E6, 43,402 of its 582,943 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is Corps of Engineers at 26,091 acres. Another 16,759 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in elk unit E6?
Solen, Selfridge, Fort Yates, Cannon Ball and Porcupine are inside the unit.
When is elk season in unit E6 in 2026?
Antlerless August 7 to September 27, 2026, bow September 4 to 27, 2026, regular October 2 to November 5, 2026, regular November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027 and antlerless January 9 to 17, 2027 for unit E6. 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.