Painted Woods Wildlife Management Area: hunting, units and nearby land
Painted Woods Wildlife Management Area is 1,214 acres of land managed by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in McLean County. It lies in deer unit 3B3. Within 5 miles of its boundary are 1,009 acres of PLOTS walk-in land and 2,207 acres of other public land.
Data updated October 2026. Boundary and acres: NDGF map layers, 2026. Lottery: NDGF 2026.
NDGF wildlife management areaWaterfowl production areaState trust landState park (rules vary)PLOTS (private land open to hunting)Painted Woods WMACounty lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,214 acres (NDGF) |
|---|---|
| County | McLean |
| Deer units | Deer unit 3B3 |
| Deer licenses in unit 3B3, 2026 | 600 (1,188 first-choice applicants) |
| PLOTS within 5 miles | 1,009 acres |
| Nearest towns | Washburn (5 mi), Wilton (8 mi) and Center (17 mi) |
Which hunting units is Painted Woods WMA in?
Painted Woods WMA lies in deer unit 3B3. Each unit's 2026 lottery, for the whole unit, not the WMA alone:
| Unit | WMA acres in it | Licenses, 2026 | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer unit 3B3 | 1,214 | 600 | 1,188 |
Lottery: NDGF deer lottery statistics. WMA acres in each unit measured by FilledTag from NDGF's boundaries.
What other hunting land is near Painted Woods WMA?
Within 5 miles of the WMA's boundary, the maps NDGF publishes show 1,009 acres of PLOTS (3 tracts centered in that ring) and 2,207 acres of other public land. Other wildlife management areas close by: Smith Grove WMA (233 acres in the ring).
| Within 5 miles | Acres |
|---|---|
| State trust land | 2,127 |
| PLOTS (private land open to hunting) | 1,009 |
| State park (rules vary) | 569 |
| NDGF wildlife management area | 233 |
| Waterfowl production area | 80 |
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 Painted Woods WMA?
Painted Woods WMA is about 5 miles southeast of Washburn, and 8 miles northwest of Wilton. Highways within 8 miles: US 83 (37 miles of it) and ND 1804 (29 miles of it). NDGF's PLOTS Guide shows the WMA's parking areas and roads.
Questions hunters ask
How big is Painted Woods WMA?
NDGF lists Painted Woods WMA at 1,214 acres. FilledTag measured 1,214 acres from NDGF's boundary.
What county is Painted Woods WMA in?
All of it is in McLean County.
Which hunting units is Painted Woods WMA in?
Deer unit 3B3, by NDGF's unit maps. A license is good only in the unit printed on it.
What is the closest town to Painted Woods WMA?
Washburn (5 miles), Wilton (8 miles) and Center (17 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.