Hunting FAQs

When and where will the deer applications be available? Find out how to apply for deer on our licensing page.

I am disabled. How do I obtain a permit to shoot from a vehicle?

• Obtain a mobility-impaired permit from the North Dakota Department of Transportation;
• Obtain from the Game and Fish Department the following form: "Request for Permission to Shoot from a Stationary Motor Vehicle" (form number SFN 6096);
• Complete the shoot-from-a-vehicle form and send it to the Department for approval or disapproval by the director.

How do I obtain a disability permit to take any deer while gun hunting? You must meet the following requirements:

• You must have a physician or chiropractor certify that you are unable to step from a vehicle without aid of a wheelchair, crutch, brace, or other mechanical support or prosthetic device, or unable to walk any distance because of a permanent lung, heart, or other internal disease that requires you to use supplemental oxygen to assist breathing (North Dakota Century Code Section 20.1-03-11, subsection 6);
• Contact the Department for a copy of the form "Disability Permit to Take any Type of Deer While Gun Hunting" (form number SFN 6538).
• Have your doctor or chiropractor fill out the form. Return the form to the Game and Fish Department for approval or disapproval by the director.

What deer licensing provisions have been made for members of the North Dakota National Guard who have been serving on active duty? A number of North Dakota residents are on active duty in the National Guard or Reserve. If this call to active duty caused them to miss the 2007 deer hunting season or will interfere with their 2008 applications or hunting season, the Department has set the following rules:

• A. No activated ND Guard or Reserve personnel will lose bonus points because they missed the 2007 or 2008 deer lotteries. When they return, they can apply for the regular lottery licenses in May or June of 2008 or 2009. They should include a note stating that they were activated and out of state and could not participate in the 2007 or 2008 lottery and that they want to have their bonus points restored.   A copy of orders supporting this situation is also helpful. Bonus points will not be restored if the service member chooses to take option B listed below.
• B. For 2008 we are allowing ND Guard and Reserve personnel who were activated in 2007 and missed that season or who miss the 2008 lottery to purchase deer licenses without going through the lottery. They can purchase whitetail or any-deer licenses for any unit in the state. They can do this by completing a lottery application and submitting it along with the required fee and a copy of their military orders. This option does not apply to mule deer licenses. If this option is taken, bonus points will not be restored.

Lotteries

What limits does state law impose on nonresident deer licenses? The law restricts nonresidents to one percent of the licenses in a unit through the second drawing. After the second drawing, nonresidents are eligible to apply for remaining licenses.

How do bonus points accrue in the weighted lottery? An applicant unsuccessful in drawing his first choice permit in the first lottery this year receives a bonus point for next year's lottery. See the following table:   (Note that in years 2, 3, and 4, the points are doubled; and, for years 5 and beyond, they are cubed to increase the applicant's chances of drawing a permit.)

In the previous example, isn't the applicant guaranteed a permit in year four or five? No. There is no guarantee. The lottery is a random drawing. In most cases,a person who reaches this point is likely to draw a permit. However, for some tags, particularly antlered mule deer, where demand for tags vastly exceeds supply, many applicants have the same number of bonus points and it simply takes longer to draw a permit.

Can I miss a year in the weighted lottery and keep my bonus points?  Previously, an applicant had to apply every year to maintain bonus points.  Beginning in 2005 a one-year grace period was instituted that allows an applicant to miss a year without losing points; however, an applicant loses bonus points by failing to apply for two consecutive years. 

If I receive a permit for my second deer choice do I lose my bonus points? No, bonus points apply only to first deer choice in the first lottery.

If I have bonus points and apply with a party, how does this affect me? On party applications the person with fewest points sets the level for the entire application. Applicants with more bonus points than others in the party have a better chance applying separately.

Youth (Resident) Deer Licenses

What types of resident youth deer gun permits are available? There are two types.  The youth antlered mule deer permit, which allows taking any deer, in one of these designated units: 4A-4F, 3B1, or 3B2. The number of these licenses is limited, thus a drawing is held to allocate them. The other type is the regular youth deer permit, valid statewide except for antlered mule deer in units 4A-4F, 3B1, or 3B2.

If I apply unsuccessfully for a restricted antlered youth mule deer license, what happens? You automatically receive a regular youth license.

Resident Gratis & Nonresident Landowner Licenses

Gratis permits are available to resident landowners who farm or ranch a minimum of 160 acres. When applying, the landowner must list the land descriptions on the application. Nonresident Landowner Deer Licenses are available to nonresidents owning at least 160 acres. The license, which costs $220, allows the nonresident landowner to hunt the lands listed on the license.  Cost of the license includes a Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate, $2; General Game and Habitat License, $13; and a non-refundable $5 application fee.

If I transfer my gratis eligibility to a family member am I eligible to get another gratis permit on some other land? No. You may either receive a gratis permit or transfer it to an immediate family member. You may not do both.

Who is eligible for a gratis permit on rented land, the renter or landowner? The landowner has first claim. In no case is more than one gratis permit issued for the same land. This detail should be worked out between the landowner and lessee.

May I get a gratis permit and later buy a second, third, or fourth deer permit, if they are available? Yes. However, if it is a second, third, or fourth season license, you may take an antlerless deer only.

How many gratis permits may I receive for the year? State law limits a landowner to one gratis permit a year. You may use that license in any open season, providing you use the appropriate weapon and stay on your land within the unit listed on your tag.  If you use the license during the muzzle-loader season, you are restricted to white-tailed deer only.

May a husband and wife jointly owning two quarters (320 acres) of land each receive a gratis permit? Each is eligible, if they are both listed as record title owners of the land. The husband may receive a permit for one half of the land and the wife for the other half. If the quarters are in the same unit they may hunt each other's quarter. The key is that both applicants must be record title owners of the land.

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