Pronghorn unit 04A, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota pronghorn unit 04A covers 638 square miles, across Bowman and Slope counties. In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 110 licenses available in unit 04A (110 any pronghorn). 1,652 residents named it as their first choice, and 64 of them drew. 13.1% of the unit is public land, mostly BLM, and 15,881 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 grasslandBLMState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 04ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 408,078 acres (638 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Bowman, Slope |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 110: 110 any pronghorn |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 1,652 |
| Public land | 13.1% (53,369 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 15,881 acres; 36 tracts centered in the unit |
| Pronghorn gun season, 2026 | October 2 to 18, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Rhame and Marmarth |
How many pronghorn licenses does unit 04A get?
In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 110 licenses available in unit 04A (110 any pronghorn). 1,652 residents named it as their first choice, and 64 of them drew. NDGF made 325 licenses available here in 2018 and 110 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 | 110 | 46 | not printed | 1,652 | 64 | 4% |
| 2025 | Any Pronghorn | 110 | 45 | not printed | 1,554 | 65 | 4% |
| 2024 | Any Pronghorn | 75 | 53 | not printed | 1,626 | 22 | 1% |
| 2023 | Any Pronghorn | 75 | 51 | not printed | 2,211 | 24 | 1% |
| 2022 | A - Any Pronghorn | 100 | 39 | not printed | 1,846 | 60 | 3% |
| 2022 | D - Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 30 | 14 | not printed | 72 | 17 | 24% |
| 2021 | Any Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 100 | 12 | not printed | 85 | 84 | 99% |
| 2021 | Any Pronghorn | 225 | 34 | not printed | 2,404 | 191 | 8% |
| 2020 | Any Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 100 | 13 | not printed | 80 | 78 | 98% |
| 2020 | Any Pronghorn | 325 | 38 | not printed | 2,817 | 287 | 10% |
| 2019 | Any Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 100 | 0 | 86 | 36 | 34 | 94% |
| 2019 | Any Pronghorn | 325 | 56 | 283 | 2,728 | 282 | 10% |
| 2018 | Any Pronghorn | 325 | 47 | not printed | 3,084 | 278 | 9% |
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 04A in 2026?
Any Pronghorn: 64 of 1,652 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 236 with no bonus points did; the first draws came at 4 points.
| Bonus points | Any Pronghorn: drew / applied |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 236 |
| 1 | 0 / 154 |
| 2 | 0 / 122 |
| 3 | 0 / 172 |
| 4 | 3 / 195 |
| 5 | 4 / 198 |
| 6 | 3 / 173 |
| 7 | 10 / 152 |
| 8 | 15 / 98 |
| 9 | 13 / 74 |
| 10 | 7 / 44 |
| 11 | 3 / 17 |
| 12 | 3 / 11 |
| 13 | 2 / 3 |
| 14 | 1 / 2 |
| 15 | 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 04A?
13.1% of unit 04A is public land: 53,369 of its 408,078 acres. The largest share is BLM, 33,096 acres. PLOTS adds 15,881 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 36 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 04A |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 33,096 | 8.1% |
| State trust land | 20,185 | 4.9% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 15,881 | 3.9% |
| National grassland | 88 | under 0.1% |
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 04A cover?
Unit 04A takes in parts of 2 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 04A | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Bowman County | 401,659 | 98.4% |
| Slope County | 6,266 | 1.5% |
When is pronghorn season in unit 04A 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 04A?
Highways through the unit: US 12 (about 23 miles inside it) and US 85 (about 9 miles inside it). Just outside: Rhame (on the line), Marmarth (on the line), Bowman (on the line) and Scranton (13 miles).
Which units border pronghorn unit 04A?
Unit 04A touches 3 other pronghorn units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 03A | 20 | 286 | 38% | 25,002 |
| Unit 03B | 80 | 1,069 | 25.8% | 24,650 |
| Unit 04C | 50 | 322 | 5.8% | 13,806 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw pronghorn unit 04A?
64 of 1,652 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 236 with no bonus points did; the first draws came at 4 points. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any pronghorn licenses in unit 04A; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in pronghorn unit 04A?
13.1% of unit 04A, 53,369 of its 408,078 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is BLM at 33,096 acres. Another 15,881 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in pronghorn unit 04A?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Rhame (on the line), Marmarth (on the line) and Bowman (on the line).
When is pronghorn season in unit 04A in 2026?
Bow only from September 4 to 27, 2026, then gun or bow from October 2 to 18, 2026, in unit 04A only. Dates are from NDGF's 2026-27 season table; the lottery deadline was August 5, 2026.
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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 03A Unit 03B Unit 04C Bowman County Slope County