Pronghorn unit 04C, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota pronghorn unit 04C covers 478 square miles, across Bowman and Adams counties. In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 50 licenses available in unit 04C (50 any pronghorn). 322 residents named it as their first choice, and 33 of them drew. 5.8% of the unit is public land, mostly state trust land, and 13,806 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 areaCorps of EngineersState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 04CNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 305,782 acres (478 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Bowman, Adams |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 50: 50 any pronghorn |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 322 |
| Public land | 5.8% (17,757 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 13,806 acres; 45 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 2 (1,044 acres) |
| Pronghorn gun season, 2026 | October 2 to 18, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Gascoyne, Reeder, Bucyrus, Hettinger and Scranton |
How many pronghorn licenses does unit 04C get?
In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 50 licenses available in unit 04C (50 any pronghorn). 322 residents named it as their first choice, and 33 of them drew. NDGF made 50 licenses available here in 2018 and 50 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 | 50 | 17 | not printed | 322 | 33 | 10% |
| 2025 | Any Pronghorn | 40 | 20 | not printed | 328 | 20 | 6% |
| 2024 | Any Pronghorn | 55 | 18 | not printed | 348 | 37 | 11% |
| 2023 | Any Pronghorn | 50 | 24 | not printed | 434 | 26 | 6% |
| 2022 | A - Any Pronghorn | 50 | 17 | not printed | 362 | 34 | 9% |
| 2022 | D - Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 30 | 6 | not printed | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| 2021 | Any Pronghorn | 50 | 16 | not printed | 353 | 34 | 10% |
| 2020 | Any Pronghorn | 50 | 21 | not printed | 333 | 29 | 9% |
| 2019 | Any Pronghorn | 50 | 17 | 33 | 320 | 33 | 10% |
| 2018 | Any Pronghorn | 50 | 20 | not printed | 349 | 30 | 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 04C in 2026?
Any Pronghorn: 33 of 322 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 62 with no bonus points did; everyone with 13 points or more drew.
| Bonus points | Any Pronghorn: drew / applied |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 62 |
| 1 | 1 / 54 |
| 2 | 0 / 42 |
| 3 | 0 / 32 |
| 4 | 3 / 40 |
| 5 | 5 / 28 |
| 6 | 5 / 23 |
| 7 | 6 / 15 |
| 8 | 11 / 19 |
| 9 | 1 / 3 |
| 10 | 0 / 2 |
| 12 | 0 / 1 |
| 13 | 1 / 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 04C?
5.8% of unit 04C is public land: 17,757 of its 305,782 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 11,035 acres. PLOTS adds 13,806 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 45 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 04C |
|---|---|---|
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 13,806 | 4.5% |
| State trust land | 11,035 | 3.6% |
| Corps of Engineers | 5,678 | 1.9% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 1,044 | 0.3% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 04C: Alkali Creek WMA (595 acres here) and Spring Creek WMA (449 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 04C cover?
Unit 04C takes in parts of 2 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 04C | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Bowman County | 184,554 | 60.4% |
| Adams County | 121,096 | 39.6% |
When is pronghorn season in unit 04C 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 04C?
Highways through the unit: US 12 (about 43 miles inside it), ND 22 (about 16 miles inside it), ND 8 (about 12 miles inside it) and US 85 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Gascoyne, Reeder, Bucyrus and Haynes. Just outside: Hettinger (on the line), Scranton (on the line), Bowman (on the line) and Rhame (12 miles).
Which units border pronghorn unit 04C?
Unit 04C touches 4 other pronghorn units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 03B | 80 | 1,069 | 25.8% | 24,650 |
| Unit 04A | 110 | 1,652 | 13.1% | 15,881 |
| Unit 05A | 100 | 607 | 2.1% | 17,220 |
| Unit 06A | 160 | 1,017 | 5% | 59,130 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw pronghorn unit 04C?
33 of 322 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 62 with no bonus points did; everyone with 13 points or more drew. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any pronghorn licenses in unit 04C; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in pronghorn unit 04C?
5.8% of unit 04C, 17,757 of its 305,782 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is state trust land at 11,035 acres. Another 13,806 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in pronghorn unit 04C?
Gascoyne, Reeder, Bucyrus and Haynes are inside the unit.
When is pronghorn season in unit 04C in 2026?
Bow only from September 4 to 27, 2026, then gun or bow from October 2 to 18, 2026, in unit 04C 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 03B Unit 04A Unit 05A Unit 06A Bowman County Adams County