Between Unit 3E2’s coulees and sandstone buttes in the northwest corner, Big Muddy Creek carves out a wide, lush valley known as Curlew Valley before it merges with Heart River near the center of the unit. For whitetail deer in North Dakota, this is about as good as it gets. It’s a true haven for deer of both species.

Great deer populations and hunting conditions are found here along with excellent habitat.

Some sandstone buttes and large ridges break up the rolling hills and agricultural property. Unit 3E2 features two lush river valleys that are exceptional hunting property – the Heart River and Big Muddy Creek. Big Muddy Creek creates Curlew Valley, known for its exceptional hay grounds. The two waterways merge at the center of the unit, before flowing into the Missouri River. The semiarid soil covering most of the unit is good for native grasses and crops. The unit’s rolling hills and prairies are used for livestock grazing and farming. 3E2 is in North Dakota’s Slope Region that features a lot of creeks and small rivers, mixed-grass prairies and few trees outside of the creek bottoms. There are some small ponds and lakes, and a few coulees, but wetlands are rare in this unit. Off of Big Muddy Creek are a variety of creeks and drainages with the same characteristics. As you move south in the western portion you’ll find Rocky Ridge and the Red Hills. Once on top of the ridge, the landscape flattens into cropland and livestock pastures until you reach the Heart River valley. This river’s valley is similar, but not as deep as the Big Muddy Creek valley, and features cottonwood and buckbrush covered draws until it flows into the Missouri River near Bismarck. Anywhere along Big Muddy Creek and Heart River and their associated creeks and draws has the potential for a great hunt. South of Heart River transitions back into agricultural property. This is the theme across the entire unit – hilly river valleys and ridges that transition into semi-flat farmland and grazing pastures. Unit 3E2 features some variety in terrain and a lot of different sources of food to sustain large herds of both species.

Wheatgrass fields used for livestock grazing and hay ground, as well as native short-grass prairies used for grazing cover much of Unit 3E1’s landscape. The semiarid soil supports some corn, alfalfa, wheat and barley production. Creek bottoms throughout this unit are forested with cottonwood, some aspen, oak, ash, elm, and birch. You’ll also find some buckbrush thickets in some of the draws. You’ll see some isolated badlands, impressive ridges and sandstone buttes amongst the rolling hills used for farming and livestock grazing. The semiarid soil produces a variety of crops including corn, wheat, barley and alfalfa. These crop fields provide bucks with the essential nutrients for big deer.

I-94 and Highway 21 from the unit’s northern and southern borders. From these you can take a variety of Highways and county roads to reach virtually any area of this unit. There are a lot of rivers and creeks in this unit, and some major ridges that you may have to find a way to maneuver around. Access throughout the unit isn’t great, but it’s not awful, either. There are plenty of areas that will require a hike to access. But there are also plenty of areas that won’t require much of a hike. It all depends on where you want to hunt and how much hiking you’re willing to do. State Trust Lands and PLOTS properties are scattered throughout the unit. There aren’t any large WMAs or grasslands, so you’ll be hunting smaller pieces of land if you’re only hunting public access properties. However, although they’re smaller, there are plenty of public spots for rifle hunters.

Motels, campgrounds and RV parks are located in many of the towns along the interstate and highways that form the unit’s border. There are some bed and breakfast locations somewhat centrally located in this unit as well. Since there aren’t any state parks or WMAs in this unit, opportunities to camp away from towns are limited. Mandan and Bismark just northeast of this unit provides any supplies, sporting goods and lodging needs you may have. You can really take your pick and stay wherever is closest to property you plan to hunt. If you’d like a change of pace, take a break from hunting at the Prairie Knights Casino and Resort along highway 24 near Lake Oahe.