Pronghorn unit 08A, North Dakota: licenses, lottery and hunting land
North Dakota pronghorn unit 08A covers 1,316 square miles, across Dunn, Stark, Billings and McKenzie counties. In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 40 licenses available in unit 08A (40 any pronghorn). 369 residents named it as their first choice, and 20 of them drew. 2.3% of the unit is public land, mostly state trust land, and 8,228 acres are PLOTS walk-in land on private ground (NDGF map layers, 2026).
Data updated October 2026. Lottery: NDGF, 2020 to 2026. Land: NDGF map layers, 2026. Seasons: NDGF 2026-27 table.
National wildlife refuge (rules vary)National grasslandState trust landPLOTS (private land open to hunting)Unit 08ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Size | 842,310 acres (1,316 square miles) |
|---|---|
| Counties | Dunn, Stark, Billings, McKenzie |
| Licenses, 2026 lottery | 40: 40 any pronghorn |
| First-choice resident applicants, 2026 | 369 |
| Public land | 2.3% (19,089 acres) |
| PLOTS walk-in land | 8,228 acres; 26 tracts centered in the unit |
| Pronghorn gun season, 2026 | October 2 to 18, 2026 |
| Towns in and near it | Richardton, Taylor, Manning, Dunn Center and Dickinson |
How many pronghorn licenses does unit 08A get?
In the 2026 pronghorn lottery NDGF made 40 licenses available in unit 08A (40 any pronghorn). 369 residents named it as their first choice, and 20 of them drew. NDGF made 55 licenses available here in 2020 and 40 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 | 40 | 20 | not printed | 369 | 20 | 5% |
| 2025 | Any Pronghorn | 50 | 25 | not printed | 288 | 25 | 9% |
| 2024 | Any Pronghorn | 55 | 52 | not printed | 259 | 3 | 1% |
| 2022 | A - Any Pronghorn | 75 | 34 | not printed | 329 | 41 | 12% |
| 2022 | D - Doe/Fawn Pronghorn | 25 | 12 | not printed | 5 | 4 | 80% |
| 2021 | Any Pronghorn | 55 | 41 | not printed | 394 | 14 | 4% |
| 2020 | Any Pronghorn | 55 | 52 | not printed | 392 | 3 | 1% |
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 08A in 2026?
Any Pronghorn: 20 of 369 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 84 with no bonus points did; everyone with 11 points or more drew.
| Bonus points | Any Pronghorn: drew / applied |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 / 84 |
| 1 | 0 / 69 |
| 2 | 0 / 36 |
| 3 | 0 / 49 |
| 4 | 0 / 32 |
| 5 | 3 / 34 |
| 6 | 2 / 28 |
| 7 | 5 / 17 |
| 8 | 2 / 7 |
| 9 | 2 / 4 |
| 10 | 4 / 7 |
| 11 | 1 / 1 |
| 12 | 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 08A?
2.3% of unit 08A is public land: 19,089 of its 842,310 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 13,083 acres. PLOTS adds 8,228 acres of private land open to walk-in hunting; 26 PLOTS tracts are centered inside the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of unit 08A |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 13,083 | 1.6% |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 8,228 | 1% |
| National wildlife refuge (rules vary) | 3,732 | 0.4% |
| National grassland | 2,274 | 0.3% |
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 08A cover?
Unit 08A takes in parts of 4 counties. Each county's page lists its PLOTS land and WMAs.
| County | Acres in unit 08A | Share of the unit |
|---|---|---|
| Dunn County | 529,111 | 62.8% |
| Stark County | 183,488 | 21.8% |
| Billings County | 126,973 | 15.1% |
| McKenzie County | 2,738 | 0.3% |
When is pronghorn season in unit 08A 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 08A?
Highways through the unit: ND 200 (about 37 miles inside it), ND 22 (about 32 miles inside it), US 85 (about 17 miles inside it) and ND 8 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Richardton, Taylor and Manning. Just outside: Dunn Center (on the line), Dickinson (on the line), Halliday (on the line) and Belfield (on the line).
Which units border pronghorn unit 08A?
Unit 08A touches 5 other pronghorn units. Their 2026 licenses and land, for comparison:
| Unit | Licenses, 2026 | First-choice applicants | Public land | PLOTS acres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 01A | 130 | 3,044 | 35.2% | 38,739 |
| Unit 01D | 100 | 2,363 | 46.6% | 1,784 |
| Unit 07A | 100 | 706 | 2.4% | 26,031 |
| Unit 09A | 40 | 282 | 17.2% | 2,955 |
| Unit 09C | 40 | 628 | 5% | 11,834 |
Questions hunters ask
How many bonus points does it take to draw pronghorn unit 08A?
20 of 369 resident first-choice applicants drew; 0 of the 84 with no bonus points did; everyone with 11 points or more drew. Those are NDGF's 2026 figures for any pronghorn licenses in unit 08A; the full table by point level is above. A coming year can differ.
How much public land is in pronghorn unit 08A?
2.3% of unit 08A, 19,089 of its 842,310 acres, is public land by the state and federal maps NDGF publishes; the largest share is state trust land at 13,083 acres. Another 8,228 acres are PLOTS, private land the owner has opened to walk-in hunting.
What towns are in pronghorn unit 08A?
Richardton, Taylor and Manning are inside the unit.
When is pronghorn season in unit 08A in 2026?
Bow only from September 4 to 27, 2026, then gun or bow from October 2 to 18, 2026, in unit 08A 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 01A Unit 01D Unit 07A Unit 09A Unit 09C Dunn County Stark County Billings County