Jay V. Wessels Wildlife Management Area: hunting, units and nearby land
Jay V. Wessels Wildlife Management Area is 3,661 acres of land managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in 6 pieces, in Pembina County. It lies in deer unit 2D and elk unit E1E. Within 5 miles of its boundary are 1,264 acres of PLOTS walk-in land and 574 acres of other public land.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary and acres: NDGF map layers, 2026. Lottery: NDGF 2026.
NDGF wildlife management areaBureau of ReclamationState forestState park (rules vary)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Jay V. Wessels WMACounty lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 3,661 acres (NDGF), 6 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Pembina |
| Deer units | Deer unit 2D |
| Elk units | Elk unit E1E |
| Deer licenses in unit 2D, 2026 | 700 (1,270 first-choice applicants) |
| PLOTS within 5 miles | 1,264 acres |
| Nearest towns | Mountain (4 mi), Walhalla (5 mi) and Cavalier (9 mi) |
Which hunting units is Jay V. Wessels WMA in?
Jay V. Wessels WMA lies in deer unit 2D and elk unit E1E. Each unit's 2026 lottery, for the whole unit, not the WMA alone:
| Unit | WMA acres in it | Licenses, 2026 | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 2D | 3,661 | 700 | 1,270 |
| Elk unit E1E | 3,661 | 116 | 4,365 |
Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics; NDGF elk lottery statistics. WMA acres in each unit measured by FilledTag from NDGF's boundaries.
What other hunting land is near Jay V. Wessels WMA?
Within 5 miles of the WMA's boundary, the maps NDGF publishes show 1,264 acres of PLOTS (13 tracts centered in that ring) and 574 acres of other public land. Other wildlife management areas close by: Cavalier County WMA (1,116 acres in the ring), Eldon S. Hillman WMA (166 acres in the ring), Peter and Prescott Holman WMA (159 acres in the ring), Fitzsimond Slough WMA (155 acres in the ring), Charles V. Pulver WMA (130 acres in the ring) and LaCoste WMA (109 acres in the ring).
| Within 5 miles | Acres |
|---|---|
| NDGF wildlife management area | 1,925 |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 1,264 |
| State park (rules vary) | 931 |
| State forest | 559 |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 15 |
Measured by FilledTag from NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land); acres outside North Dakota are not counted.
How do you get to Jay V. Wessels WMA?
Jay V. Wessels WMA is about 4 miles north of Mountain, and 5 miles south of Walhalla. Highways within 8 miles: ND 32 (24 miles of it), ND 5 (18 miles of it) and ND 66 (1 mile of it). NDGF's PLOTS Guide shows the WMA's parking areas and roads.
Questions hunters ask
How big is Jay V. Wessels WMA?
NDGF lists Jay V. Wessels WMA at 3,661 acres, in 6 separate pieces. FilledTag measured 3,661 acres from NDGF's boundary.
What county is Jay V. Wessels WMA in?
All of it is in Pembina County.
Which hunting units is Jay V. Wessels WMA in?
Deer unit 2D; elk unit E1E, by NDGF's unit maps. A license is good only in the unit printed on it.
What is the closest town to Jay V. Wessels WMA?
Mountain (4 miles), Walhalla (5 miles) and Cavalier (9 miles).
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Where these facts come from
- Boundary and acres: NDGF wildlife management areas. Land around it: NDGF PLOTS Guide map layers (WMAs, PLOTS, trust land, federal land).
- Units: NDGF hunting unit maps. Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics.
FilledTag is not part of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Posted rules at the area and NDGF's regulations are the final word.