North Dakota Hunting Season 2026-2027 – Dates, Tags & Wildlife Management Units
If you’re gearing up for the 2026–2027 game calendar in North Dakota, you’ve landed in the right spot. This guide pulls together the confirmed season dates, tag and permit details, license costs, and the wildlife unit info you’ll actually use when planning your trips. Everything here is grounded in the official North Dakota Game and Fish Department proclamations — no guesswork, no recycled dates from three years ago.
Whether you’re a lifelong resident filling the freezer every November or a visiting sportsman mapping out a prairie bird adventure, do yourself a favor: read through the details before you commit any dates to your calendar. Regulations shift year to year, a few species have lottery deadlines that sneak up fast, and nonresidents face some rules that catch first-timers off guard. Let’s get into it.
📅 Quick Reference Points
Here’s the fast version before we break things down species by species:
| Species / Hunt | Opens | Closes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Bow (statewide) | Sept 4, 2026 (noon CT) | Jan 3, 2027 | Lottery; unit-based |
| Deer Gun (regular) | Nov 6, 2026 | Nov 22, 2026 | Lottery; unit-based |
| Deer Muzzleloader | Nov 27, 2026 | Dec 13, 2026 | White-tailed only |
| Youth Deer Season | Sept 18, 2026 | Sept 27, 2026 | Residents only |
| Spring Turkey | Apr 11, 2026 | May 17, 2026 | Residents only (except Tribal lands) |
| Fall Turkey | Oct 10, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | Up to 5 licenses/person |
| Ducks & Coots | Sept 26, 2026 | Dec 6, 2026 (Low Plains); Jan 3, 2027 (High Plains) | Resident-only opener Sept 26–Oct 4 |
| Pheasant (roosters) | Oct 10, 2026 | Jan 3, 2027 | Youth weekend Oct 3–4 |
| Dove | Sept 1, 2026 | Nov 29, 2026 | Daily limit 15 |
| Sandhill Crane | Sept 19, 2026 | Nov 15, 2026 | Units 1 & 2 |
A couple of housekeeping notes right away. Seasons open at noon Central Time on the opening day for most big game hunts, so don’t show up at dawn expecting to start. And if you’re chasing waterfowl, you’ll need your federal duck stamp plus a HIP certification before you ever pull the trigger — more on that below.
🦌 Big Game Overview
North Dakota runs its deer tags through a unit-based lottery, and 2026 is no exception. Applications for the gun lottery closed June 3, and the elk and moose drawings closed even earlier — March 25 — so mark those deadlines on next year’s calendar if you missed the boat.
| Hunt | Method | Dates (2026–27) | Units / Zones | Permit Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed & Mule Deer | Bow (archery) | Sept 4 – Jan 3 | Statewide | Nonresidents limited to private land (excluding PLOTS) for the first 9½ days |
| Deer – Youth | Firearms | Sept 18 – 27 | Statewide | Residents only; adults must accompany unarmed |
| Deer – Regular | Rifle / modern gun | Nov 6 – 22 | All lottery units | License valid only for assigned unit |
| Deer – Muzzleloader | Black powder | Nov 27 – Dec 13 | Statewide | White-tailed deer only |
| Elk | Bow | Sept 4 – 27 | E1E, E1W, E2, E6, E7 | Resident-only lottery |
| Elk – Regular | Rifle | Sept 4 – Jan 3 (varies by unit) | E1–E7 | Some antlerless segments run Aug 7–30 |
| Moose | Bow | Sept 4 – 27 | M5, M6, M8–M11 | Resident-only lottery |
| Moose – Regular | Rifle | Oct 9 – Nov 1 | M5, M6, M8–M11 | One tag per drawing winner |
Now, some honesty about what this state does not offer: there is no black bear hunting season here, so if you’ve seen national guides lumping bear dates into this region, ignore that. Same story for quail — the habitat just doesn’t support an open season. Bighorn sheep tags exist but are an extremely limited resident lottery; moose and elk work the same way, so treat those drawings as bucket-list applications rather than plans you can buy your way into.
One more change worth knowing for 2026: special refuge permits are no longer required for gun deer hunting at J. Clark Salyer, Upper Souris, and Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuges. That removes a small paperwork headache from previous years.
If you’re mapping out trips to neighboring states as well, our guides to the South Dakota hunting calendar and the Montana season breakdown pair nicely with a prairie-region road trip.
🦃 Turkey Dates
Wild turkeys get both a spring and a fall window, and the structure is refreshingly simple: one bird per license, unit-specific tags.
| Hunt | Dates | Bag Limit | Method | Areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring (2026) | Apr 11 – May 17 | 1 bearded/male bird per license | Shotgun, bow (35 lb min. draw) | All open units; residents only |
| Fall (2026–27) | Oct 10, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | 1 bird any sex/age per license, up to 5 licenses | Shotgun, bow, muzzleloader | 21 open units statewide |
| Youth Spring | Runs with spring season | 1 bird | Same as above | Ages 15 and under, first-time recipients get any open unit |
A few unit quirks matter here. Fall units are county-based — for example, Unit 02 covers Barnes, Cass, Griggs, Steele, and Traill counties in the Red River Valley, while Unit 53 covers Williams and Divide up by the Montana line. Crossbows are not legal for turkeys unless you’ve got a Director’s permit, and arrows must carry a broadhead with at least a ¾-inch cutting diameter. Mechanical broadheads are fine; barbed arrows are not.
Spring licenses are capped (the 2026 proclamation authorizes 8,497 bearded birds), so don’t dawdle on applications when they open.
For a prairie-pothole experience, applying for the spring turkey lottery in North Dakota is a must, with mid-April hunts offering a unique cross of Merriam’s and Eastern hybrids.
🦝 Furbearer Opportunities
This is where the state gets generous. Several furbearers can be pursued year-round with the right license, which makes coyote calling a legitimate January-to-December pastime here.
| Species | Season | Method / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coyote | Year-round (closes Mar 31, reopens Apr 1) | Hunting and trapping statewide |
| Red & Gray Fox | Year-round (same cycle) | Hunting and trapping |
| Badger | Year-round | Hunting and trapping |
| Raccoon | Year-round | Hunting and trapping |
| Beaver | Year-round | Trapping and underwater snaring |
| Bobcat – Zone 1 | Nov 7, 2026 – Mar 15, 2027 | Residents only after Nov 29; zone-dependent |
| Bobcat – Zone 2 | Nov 23, 2026 – Mar 15, 2027 | Same resident restriction |
| River Otter | Limited, zone-managed | Check current proclamation closely |
You’ll need the resident furbearer certification added to your license setup for trapping. Bobcat harvest is zoned — Zone 1 and Zone 2 have different openers and tag rules — and beginning November 29, 2026, bobcat harvest is restricted to residents only. If you’re chasing pelts, the fur harvest registration requirements apply, so keep your tags and reporting obligations straight before you head out.
🐦 Small Game Section
The upland and small game lineup is the backbone of autumn here, and the dates line up neatly for multi-species days.
| Species | Season Dates | Daily Bag | Possession |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dove | Sept 1 – Nov 29, 2026 | 15 | 45 |
| Sharp-tailed Grouse | Sept 12, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | 3 | 12 |
| Hungarian (Gray) Partridge | Sept 12, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | 3 | 12 |
| Ruffed Grouse | Sept 12, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | 3 | 12 |
| Tree Squirrel | Sept 12, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027 | 4 | 12 |
| Woodcock | Sept 19 – Nov 2, 2026 | 3 | 9 |
| Snipe | Sept 12 – Nov 29, 2026 | 8 | 24 |
| Pheasant (roosters only) | Oct 10, 2026 – Jan 3, 2027 | 3 | 12 |
| Youth Pheasant | Oct 3 – 4, 2026 | — | Residents 15 and under |
Notice the pheasant youth weekend lands a full week before the general opener — a smart way to get kids into birds before the crowds show up. Rabbits (cottontail and snowshoe hare) also run under the small game umbrella through late winter; the standard resident small game license covers everything in this table.
🦆 Complete Waterfowl Seasons
Duck country. The Prairie Pothole Region here draws waterfowlers from every corner of the country, and the 2026–27 framework splits the state into Low Plains and High Plains zones — the latter getting a late-season extension in December.
| Hunt | Dates | Bag Limits / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early Canada Goose | Opens Aug 15, 2026 | August management take; zone-specific |
| Youth Waterfowl | Sept 19, 2026 (tentative per Game and Fish announcements) | Residents 15 and under |
| Early Resident Waterfowl | Sept 26 – Oct 4, 2026 | Residents only |
| Ducks & Coots – Low Plains | Sept 26 – Dec 6, 2026 | 6 ducks daily; max 5 mallards (2 hens), 1 scaup, 3 pintail, 2 redhead, 2 canvasback, 3 wood duck; 15 coots |
| Ducks & Coots – High Plains | Sept 26 – Dec 6, plus Dec 12 – Jan 3, 2027 | Same limits; extra 2 blue-winged teal daily Sept 26 – Oct 4 |
| Tundra Swan | Application required; 2026 deadlines were in August | Lottery permit |
| Sandhill Crane | Sept 19 – Nov 15, 2026 | Units 1 and 2; know your crane ID — whoopers are protected |
| Light Geese (regular) | Expected late Sept – mid-January | Pending final proclamation |
| Spring Light Goose Conservation Order | Feb 21 – May 10, 2026 (completed cycle) | Electronic calls and unplugged guns legal |
Federal and state requirements stack here: anyone 16 or older needs a federal migratory bird stamp, all migratory hunters need an annual HIP certification, and the state’s waterfowl restoration stamp applies too. Possession limits run three times the daily bag for ducks and coots.
Nonresidents, listen up: you’re limited to two 7-day waterfowl periods per year, and you must pick from six geographic zones — and you can’t pick the same zone twice. That’s the single most common planning mistake visiting duck hunters make.
For the federal framework behind those bag limits, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service migratory bird regulations spell out how states build their seasons each year.
🐗 Other Available Game
A few oddball opportunities round out the calendar:
| Species | Season | Rules Worth Knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Sandhill Crane | Sept 19 – Nov 15, 2026 | Unit 1 and Unit 2; requires crane permit portion on license |
| Frog (bullfrog) | Expected mid-summer window | Small harvest; check the combination proclamation |
| Crow | Expected fall + spring windows | Federal framework sets the outside dates |
| Common Snipe & Woodcock | See small game table | Migratory; HIP required |
The crane identification point deserves repeating. Sandhills are legal in season; whooping cranes are endangered and fully protected, and the two species do overlap in migration. If you can’t tell the difference at a distance, don’t shoot. That’s not a legal footnote — it’s a resource-protection reality.
🗺️ Hunting Zones & Where to Go
Unit maps matter more here than in many states, because your deer tag is locked to a specific unit, elk and moose tags are unit-exclusive, and nonresident waterfowlers must declare zones.
Here’s the line that saves you hours of searching: the official interactive unit maps live on the Game and Fish hunting pages, and the statewide season dates listing links each species to its own ArcGIS-based map. Bookmark it.
On public ground: the PLOTS program (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) opens thousands of acres of enrolled private property, but nonresidents are barred from PLOTS and state wildlife management areas during the first week of pheasant season — one of those rules that burns out-of-staters every October. And always, always confirm access boundaries. Shooting across a section line onto private land without permission is a trespass violation, full stop.
🎟️ Permits, Tags & Licenses Details
Everything runs through the Game and Fish online licensing system in North Dakota. Here’s the 2026–27 fee picture:
Resident licenses:
- Combination License (16+, includes fishing, general game & habitat, small game, furbearer): $62
- Small Game License (16+): $20
- General Game & Habitat license (required add-on for most hunts): $20
- Deer Gun (first lottery): $35
- Deer Bow (16+): $35
- Youth big game tags (15 and younger — deer gun, deer bow, elk, moose, sheep): $10
- Veteran Combined Hunting (50%+ service-connected disability): $10
- Waterfowl Restoration Stamp (when hunting ducks/geese): $5
- Federal Duck Stamp (16+): $25 plus handling
Nonresident licenses:
- Deer Gun (first lottery): $355 — drops to $55 after the second drawing if licenses remain
- White-tailed Deer Bow: $350
- Small Game: $150 (choose a 14-day window or two 7-day periods)
- Waterfowl (zone-restricted): $153
- PLOTS and WMA access during pheasant week one: prohibited for nonresidents
Handy extras worth knowing:
- The $2 application/certificate fee attaches to most transactions
- Active-duty military residents on leave can hunt small game and fish without a license (leave papers required)
- Military members stationed elsewhere may qualify for deer gun licenses outside the lottery
- Archery hunters pursuing turkeys need the 35-pound minimum draw weight gear noted earlier
❓ North Dakota Hunting Quick FAQ
Can nonresidents hunt deer here?
Yes — through the lottery, or for archery. Bow tags run $350, gun tags are $355 in the first drawing. The catch: nonresident bow hunters are restricted to private land (excluding PLOTS) for the first 9½ days of the archery season, opening to public land on September 14.
Do I need a special stamp for ducks and geese?
Three things stack up: the state general game and habitat license, the state waterfowl restoration stamp ($5), and the federal duck stamp ($25) if you’re 16 or older. Add HIP certification on top — it’s free but mandatory, every year.
Is there a bear or quail season?
No. Neither species supports an open season in this state. Anyone telling you otherwise is mixing it up with Minnesota or Missouri Breaks country to the south and west.
When do deer gun lottery results come out?
Applications for the 2026 drawing closed June 3. Results and leftover licenses surface over the summer, and the season itself runs November 6–22.
What’s the deal with the early resident waterfowl week?
September 26 through October 4 is resident-only for duck and goose hunting. Nonresidents join in after October 4, within their 7-day period rules. It’s the state’s way of giving locals first crack at the early flights.
Are crossbows legal?
For deer archery, generally no without a permit (exceptions exist for qualifying hunters — verify current rules). For turkeys, crossbows are illegal entirely except with a Director’s permit. Compound, recurve, and longbows carry the 35-pound minimum for turkey hunts.
How early should I apply for moose and elk?
Way earlier than you think. Both lotteries closed March 25, 2026, and they’re resident-only. Set a February reminder if you want a realistic shot at a tag.
The Bottom Line
Here’s the gist: deer bow opens September 4, gun season runs November 6–22, muzzleloader wraps up December 13. Upland birds kick off September 12 (grouse/partridge) with pheasants following October 10. Ducks open September 26 for residents. Turkeys give you a spring and a long fall window. Furbearers run basically year-round. Elk and moose are resident lottery dreams that close in March.
Grab your permits early — lottery deadlines especially wait for no one — double-check every date against the official proclamation before your trip, and plan access thoughtfully. Ground both public and private access rules before you unload the truck.
Bookmark this page, too. Season frameworks get tweaked every year, and we’ll refresh these tables as each new proclamation drops. Good luck out there this fall — the potholes are calling.