Quick Tips
- Hunting private property is your best chance during rifle season = there just aren't enough public hunting access areas that are large enough to support high volumes of rifle hunters
- The Spirit Lake Nation Reservation has arguably the best property for a trophy whitetail in this unit, and licenses are available for residents and non-residents
- Bowhunting State Trust Lands and PLOTS areas may be your best option for a public land hunt
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Whitetail Deer | 110"-140" | 150"+ |
On The Ground
Unit 2L is located in the central portion of the state and houses the mast Devils Lake system. A wide array of habitat and terrain types exist within the unit and provide great conditions for deer herds. {ockets of public land can be found throughout the unit but most of the uhnting will take place on private lands.
Unless you hunt private land or get a tribal license to hunt the Spirit Lake Nation Reservation, there isn’t much opportunity for a rifle hunt here.
Terrain
Devil’s Lake takes up a large portion of Unit 2L. It contains prime waterfowl production areas with the lake and surrounding pothole ponds and wetlands. This unit is very flat overall with some ridges on the Spirit Lake Nation Reservation. South of the reservation is the Sheyenne River valley.
Roughly 778 square miles
19.7% public land
Elevations range from 1,400 – 1,600 ft
Vegetation
The river bottoms and ridges in Unit 2L are covered in thick forests of cottonwood, aspen, and birch trees. You’ll also find dense patches of willows scattered throughout the unit.
Access
Access throughout the unit is good overall. Devil's Lake is the unit's primary obstacle, but there are places to cross it or go around it. Highway 20 and 29th St. NE/County Highway 1 makes up the southern border of Unit 2L and will get you to the southern PLOTS areas and the Sheyenne River Valley. A handful of WMAs, PLOTS areas, and State Trust Lands provide opportunities for a public access whitetail hunt. There aren’t many public access areas within the unit. At nearly 200,000 acres, the Spirit Lake Nation Reservation takes up the majority of property in Unit 2L. Archery and rifle deer hunting on the reservation is allowed by North Dakota residents and non-residents. Since hunting on this reservation is managed by the Tribal Wildlife Department rather than North Dakota’s Game and Fish agency, a tribal license is required and some regulations may vary. You can find additional information online or by contacting the Spirit Lake Nation Fish and Wildlife Division. South of the reservation, the Sheyenne River valley has some excellent hunting areas with dense cottonwood forests and drainages and coulees that hold deer.
Camping and Lodging
Many towns around the edges of this unit have hotel accommodations. There’s also an RV park if you’re camping out of your trailer. There are a number of other RV parks and campgrounds around Devil’s Lake and many of the towns in this unit have campgrounds.
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