Pronghorn unit 05A, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota pronghorn unit 05A covers 1,106 square miles, across Adams, Slope, Hettinger and Bowman counties. In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 100 licenses available in unit 05A (100 any pronghorn). 607 residents named it as their first choice, and 54 of them drew. 2.1% of the unit is public land, mostly state trust land, and 17,220 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 areaNational wildlife refuge (rules vary)State trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 05ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 707,831 acres (1,106 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Adams, Slope, Hettinger, Bowman |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 100: 100 any pronghorn |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 607 |
| Public land | 2.1% (14,663 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 17,220 acres; 81 tracts centered in the unit |
| Wildlife management areas | 2 (1,975 acres) |
| Pronghorn gun season, 2026 | October 2 to 18, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Hettinger, Scranton, Amidon, Gascoyne and Bucyrus |
How many pronghorn licenses does unit 05A get?
In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 100 licenses available in unit 05A (100 any pronghorn). 607 residents named it as their first choice, and 54 of them drew. NDGF made 75 licenses available here in 2018 and 100 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 | 100 | 46 | not printed | 607 | 54 | 9% |
| 2025 | Any Pronghorn | 100 | 50 | not printed | 569 | 50 | 9% |
| 2024 | Any Pronghorn | 60 | 48 | not printed | 483 | 12 | 2% |
| 2023 | Any Pronghorn | 60 | 43 | not printed | 649 | 17 | 3% |
| 2022 | A - Any Pronghorn | 90 | 34 | not printed | 477 | 56 | 12% |
| 2022 | D - Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 50 | 12 | not printed | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| 2021 | Any Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 25 | 13 | not printed | 19 | 12 | 63% |
| 2021 | Any Pronghorn | 70 | 37 | not printed | 465 | 33 | 7% |
| 2020 | Any Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 25 | 13 | not printed | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| 2020 | Any Pronghorn | 90 | 38 | not printed | 503 | 52 | 10% |
| 2019 | Any Pronghorn | 70 | 41 | 29 | 468 | 29 | 6% |
| 2018 | Any Pronghorn | 75 | 38 | not printed | 429 | 36 | 8% |
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 05A in 2026?
Any Pronghorn: 54 of 607 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 103 with no bonus points did; everyone with 11 points or more drew.
| Bonus points | Any Pronghorn: drew / applied |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 103 |
| 1 | 0 / 74 |
| 2 | 0 / 77 |
| 3 | 2 / 94 |
| 4 | 1 / 62 |
| 5 | 11 / 75 |
| 6 | 7 / 39 |
| 7 | 9 / 35 |
| 8 | 12 / 26 |
| 9 | 9 / 15 |
| 10 | 2 / 6 |
| 11 | 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 05A?
2.1% of unit 05A is public land: 14,663 of its 707,831 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 11,644 acres. PLOTS adds 17,220 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 81 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 05A |
|---|---|---|
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 17,220 | 2.4% |
| State trust land | 11,644 | 1.6% |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 1,975 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 1,044 | 0.1% |
Wildlife management areas in unit 05A: Indian Creek WMA (1,170 acres here) and Cedar Lake WMA (805 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 05A cover?
Unit 05A takes in parts of 4 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 05A | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adams County | 252,485 | 35.7% |
| Slope County | 212,188 | 30% |
| Hettinger County | 140,921 | 19.9% |
| Bowman County | 102,238 | 14.4% |
When is pronghorn season in unit 05A 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 05A?
Highways through the unit: ND 21 (about 39 miles inside it), US 85 (about 28 miles inside it), ND 67 (about 27 miles inside it), ND 22 (about 13 miles inside it) and US 12 (about 10 miles inside it). Towns inside: Hettinger, Scranton and Amidon. Just outside: Gascoyne (on the line), Bucyrus (on the line), Reeder (on the line) and Bowman (on the line).
Which units border pronghorn unit 05A?
Unit 05A 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 04C | 50 | 322 | 5.8% | 13,806 |
| Unit 06A | 160 | 1,017 | 5% | 59,130 |
| Unit 07A | 100 | 706 | 2.4% | 26,031 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw pronghorn unit 05A?
54 of 607 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 103 with no bonus points did; everyone with 11 points or more drew. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any pronghorn licenses in unit 05A; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in pronghorn unit 05A?
2.1% of unit 05A, 14,663 of its 707,831 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is state trust land at 11,644 acres. Another 17,220 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in pronghorn unit 05A?
Hettinger, Scranton and Amidon are inside the unit.
When is pronghorn season in unit 05A in 2026?
Bow only from September 4 to 27, 2026, then gun or bow from October 2 to 18, 2026, in unit 05A 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 04C Unit 06A Unit 07A Adams County Slope County Hettinger County