Pronghorn unit 03A, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota pronghorn unit 03A covers 204 square miles, across Slope and Golden Valley counties. In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 20 licenses available in unit 03A (20 any pronghorn). 286 residents named it as their first choice, and 12 of them drew. 38% of the unit is public land, mostly national grassland, and 25,002 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.
National grasslandState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 03ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 130,773 acres (204 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Slope, Golden Valley |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 20: 20 any pronghorn |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 286 |
| Public land | 38% (49,756 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 25,002 acres; 8 tracts centered in the unit |
| Pronghorn gun season, 2026 | October 2 to 18, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Marmarth, Golva and Rhame |
How many pronghorn licenses does unit 03A get?
In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 20 licenses available in unit 03A (20 any pronghorn). 286 residents named it as their first choice, and 12 of them drew. NDGF made 30 licenses available here in 2018 and 20 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 Pronghorn | 20 | 8 | not printed | 286 | 12 | 4% |
| 2025 | Any Pronghorn | 20 | 6 | not printed | 308 | 14 | 5% |
| 2024 | Any Pronghorn | 25 | 4 | not printed | 302 | 21 | 7% |
| 2023 | Any Pronghorn | 15 | 0 | not printed | 522 | 15 | 3% |
| 2022 | A - Any Pronghorn | 20 | 3 | not printed | 215 | 17 | 8% |
| 2021 | Any Pronghorn | 20 | 3 | not printed | 261 | 17 | 7% |
| 2020 | Any Pronghorn | 25 | 2 | not printed | 223 | 23 | 10% |
| 2019 | Any Pronghorn | 20 | 3 | 17 | 176 | 17 | 10% |
| 2018 | Any Pronghorn | 30 | 5 | not printed | 220 | 25 | 11% |
Source: NDGF pronghorn lottery statistics and NDGF pronghorn 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 03A in 2026?
Any Pronghorn: 12 of 286 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 39 with no bonus points did; the first draws came at 5 points.
| Bonus points | Any Pronghorn: drew / applied |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 39 |
| 1 | 0 / 29 |
| 2 | 0 / 32 |
| 3 | 0 / 29 |
| 4 | 0 / 27 |
| 5 | 1 / 29 |
| 6 | 0 / 25 |
| 7 | 4 / 31 |
| 8 | 3 / 16 |
| 9 | 1 / 11 |
| 10 | 2 / 7 |
| 11 | 1 / 10 |
| 12 | 0 / 1 |
Source: NDGF pronghorn 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 03A?
38% of unit 03A is public land: 49,756 of its 130,773 acres. The largest share is national grassland, 46,279 acres. PLOTS adds 25,002 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 8 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 03A |
|---|---|---|
| National grassland | 46,279 | 35.4% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 25,002 | 19.1% |
| State trust land | 3,477 | 2.7% |
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 03A cover?
Unit 03A takes in parts of 2 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 03A | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Slope County | 85,229 | 65.2% |
| Golden Valley County | 45,530 | 34.8% |
When is pronghorn season in unit 03A in 2026?
Every pronghorn license is good with a bow from the first date below, then with a gun or bow in the later season, in the unit printed on it.
| Season | Where | Opens | Closes | Apply by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronghorn: Bow | Units 1A, 1D, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4C, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 9C, 10A, 11A, 13A, 17A | September 4, 2026 | September 27, 2026 | no lottery |
| Pronghorn: Gun or Bow | Units 1A, 1D, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 4A, 4C, 5A, 6A, 7A, 8A, 9A, 9C, 10A, 11A, 13A, 17A | October 2, 2026 | October 18, 2026 | August 5, 2026 |
Source: NDGF 2026-27 season dates.
How do you get to unit 03A?
No numbered highway crosses the unit. Towns inside: Marmarth. Just outside: Golva (7 miles), Rhame (13 miles), Beach (20 miles) and Sentinel Butte (20 miles).
Which units border pronghorn unit 03A?
Unit 03A touches 3 other pronghorn units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 02A | 70 | 675 | 25.4% | 8,021 |
| Unit 03B | 80 | 1,069 | 25.8% | 24,650 |
| Unit 04A | 110 | 1,652 | 13.1% | 15,881 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw pronghorn unit 03A?
12 of 286 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 39 with no bonus points did; the first draws came at 5 points. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any pronghorn licenses in unit 03A; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in pronghorn unit 03A?
38% of unit 03A, 49,756 of its 130,773 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is national grassland at 46,279 acres. Another 25,002 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in pronghorn unit 03A?
Marmarth is inside the unit.
When is pronghorn season in unit 03A in 2026?
Bow only from September 4 to 27, 2026, then gun or bow from October 2 to 18, 2026, in unit 03A only. Dates are from NDGF's 2026-27 season table; the lottery deadline was August 5, 2026.
Get a North Dakota hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for North Dakota are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, North Dakota included.
Where these numbers come from
- Licenses, applicants and bonus points: NDGF pronghorn lottery statistics; NDGF pronghorn 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 02A Unit 03B Unit 04A Slope County Golden Valley County