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North Dakota Whitetail Deer Breakdown

North Dakota Mule Deer Breakdown

North Dakota’s 2024 Deer Gun Application Overview

North Dakota, known as the Peace Garden State, hosts a diverse array of wildlife with whitetail deer and mule deer being the primary targets for big game hunters. Whitetail deer are abundant across the state while mule deer are typically found in scattered populations across the western half. As the archery draw has concluded, attention now turns to the deer gun draw for both residents and nonresidents. Despite having a lower percentage of public land compared to many western states, North Dakota still offers opportunities for hunting quality bucks — though it may not be as widely recognized. The deer gun lottery encompasses both muzzleloader and rifle hunts and there are specific regulations and guidelines for each. Below, we'll dive into these opportunities in more detail. The deadline to apply is June 5, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. CT.

State Information

To view important information and an overview of North Dakota’s rules/regulations, the draw system, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map, check out our State Profile.

Important Dates and Information

Hunter Education

Proof of hunter education certification must be presented when buying or applying for a hunting license. Official courses offered by other states and Canadian provinces meet these requirements. See the North Dakota state website for exemptions and classes available.

Drought Conditions in North Dakota

2024 has seen some improvements for moisture across the state, compared to 2023. The western side and the northeast corner of the state has seen the biggest change, going from a severe drought to abnormally dry. This definitely helps the public land units that make up a lot of the west side. Overall, this year should see better feed followed by better antler growth among both deer species.

2024

2023

2022

North Dakota’s Deer Gun Lottery

North Dakota’s deer gun lottery has two license types to apply for: muzzleloader and rifle. Since they both have their own point categories, you are allowed to submit one application for each.

Muzzleloader

Muzzleloader licenses are available for both antlered or antlerless whitetail deer. There are no muzzleloader seasons for mule deer. Those holding a muzzleloader license are permitted to hunt in any open unit throughout the state. These tags must be drawn through the state draw system and are open to both residents and nonresidents alike.

Rifle

All rifle licenses for deer are issued through the state draw that is available to both residents and nonresidents. Rifle licenses are unit specific so hunters will not have the ability to hunt adjacent units like the muzzleloader tags. As with many other states, the rifle hunts carry the worst odds of all available licenses for deer. Available species types for rifle are below:

The Points System

North Dakota uses a cubed bonus point system for the deer draw where tags are never guaranteed, but your odds of drawing increase exponentially year after year. Under the deer draw, an applicant can miss applying for a year without losing points; however, the applicant loses bonus points by failing to apply for two consecutive years. Bonus points are only used for first choice licenses while second choice options will not affect your point count.

Any applicant unsuccessful in drawing his or her first choice permit in the drawing receives a bonus point for next year's lottery. In years two, three and four, the points are doubled and, for years five and beyond, they are cubed to increase the applicant's chances of drawing a permit.

License and Tag Fees

All applicants are required to purchase a general game and habitat license ($20) in order to apply. If unsuccessful in the draw, then you are refunded the total, minus the application fee.

Party Applications

Party applications are accepted for deer licenses and the maximum party size is five. Group points default to the lowest point value present in the party. For example, if three members have four points each, but one member has one point, then the party will apply with one point. All party members must list the same unit on their application.

Undoubtedly, North Dakota's primary deer export is impressive whitetail bucks. Given the abundance of private lands and agricultural growth in the state, whitetail deer have optimal conditions to thrive, which is proven by the record books each year. While public lands offer some rewarding hunting experiences, the ultimate and consistently successful hunts are typically found on private lands.

The remaining whitetail deer units in the state all have less than 25% public land available to hunt. Utilizing GOHUNT Maps to find access, walk-in areas or property information is going to be key in a state like this. Finding a place to hunt before you apply is something to consider.

RESIDENT EXPECTATIONS

Residents of North Dakota pretty much have the pick of the litter and not much has changed from last year. For the antlered deer gun lottery, there are a total of 46 hunts to choose from for antlered whitetail deer and one of those is the statewide muzzleloader license. Luckily, you have a really great chance of drawing most units with only one to three points and there were five units that were drawn with zero points. The muzzleloader license is a little more difficult to draw, but your odds start to look a little better once you reach the five-point level.  

For antlerless whitetail deer, out of the 43 hunts, 35 of those had 100% odds at the zero point level. So there is plenty of opportunity for a meat tag. The antlerless muzzleloader license also has much better odds. From zero to two points, you have a 36% to 89% chance of drawing the muzzleloader license. 

NONRESIDENT EXPECTATIONS

Since the outfitter draw leaves very little licenses available for the nonresidents, it’s important that you dive into our Draw Odds page to ensure that you’re applying for units with enough licenses. Out of the 44 available hunts, less than half of them were drawn around the four- to five-point levels. The rest of the units either didn’t have any licenses left after the outfitter draw or it took well over five points to have a reasonable chance at drawing. For the muzzleloader license, you should start to see decent odds once you reach the eight or nine point level. Remember that with the North Dakota draw system, you always have a chance.  

For antlerless whitetail deer, you have a total of seven units that were drawn with zero points. Surprisingly enough, a lot of units really get hit hard by the outfitter draw; however, the odds of drawing the remaining ones are in your favor. 

Nonresident hunters face the most limited options when considering mule deer hunts. All licenses available to nonresidents for mule deer must be drawn, but these tags are attainable. While the overall trophy potential may be moderate, it still offers an excellent opportunity for enjoyable hunting experiences with the possibility of bagging a mature deer. Particularly in the habitat-rich units along the western border of the state where public land is more abundant, DIY hunters will find several options available.  The overall mule deer populations have remained steady over the last several years and they don’t seem to fluctuate nearly as much as surrounding states. If drawn, it would be wise to look at any available private ground as it can reduce pressure and produce some better quality animals.

The remaining mule deer units in the state all have less than 25% public land available to hunt. Utilizing GOHUNT Maps to find access, walk-in areas or property information is going to be key in a state like this. Finding a place to hunt before you apply is something to consider.

RESIDENT EXPECTATIONS

Just like the antlered whitetail deer licenses, residents have the same advantage when it comes to the mule deer licenses. Out of the 26 hunts available, all but four units have decent odds at the zero point level. Most of these licenses can be drawn with one to three points.  

For antlerless mule deer, pretty much every unit is up for grabs. 20 out of the 26 hunts available had 100% odds at zero points.  

NONRESIDENT EXPECTATIONS

For the nonresident, your odds of drawing an antlered mule deer tag are not the greatest and it might take some years and dedication. Out of the 26 hunts available, there are only about 11 of those that give you reasonable odds between the three- and five-point levels. Regardless, there is always a chance, so while you are building points, you might as well apply for the units you really desire. 

For antlerless mule deer, your odds of drawing are greatly improved.  There are a total of five units that had 100% odds with zero points last year. If you are looking for a meat license and, especially if you have a place to hunt, these licenses might be worth looking at.  

2024 Tag Quotas per License Type

Tag Allocation

Certainly, residents hold a significant advantage in their allocation of the tag quota. Conversely, nonresidents only vie for approximately 1% of the available deer licenses per unit — a notably smaller proportion compared to other states. Nonetheless, this guaranteed quota is assuredly allocated for the nonresident pool, post outfitter draw.

The Downside to North Dakota’s Draw System

North Dakota offers licenses to various outfitters throughout the state that are available through the draw. These licenses are taken from the nonresident pool of allocated licenses and the outfitter draw occurs prior to the general public draw. Occasionally, outfitters may secure all available nonresident licenses for a specific hunt or unit, leaving none for nonresident applicants. This situation tends to have the most significant impact during the rifle seasons.

2024 Tag Quotas per License Type

In the table below, you’ll find the 2024 available licenses for each license type going into the deer gun lottery.  This is a reflection of the licenses leftover after the outfitter draw.

Licenses Available per Unit

Now that the outfitter draw has been conducted and they’ve taken their chunk of the nonresident quota, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department now has a list of all available licenses leftover for each unit. We highly recommend that you take a look at those lists to verify that the unit you plan to apply for has enough tags available. Head over to https://gf.nd.gov/licensing/availability/deer and have a look where they have the available licenses broken down by license type and unit.