2009 Pronghorn Hunting Guide

1. Season Dates, Times, Open Areas

Bow
Opens: September 4 (12 noon Central Daylight Time)
Closes: October 4
Areas: All units
Restrictions: Any pronghorn is legal. License holders may hunt in any open unit. 

Gun: 16 1/2 day season
Opens: October 2 (12 noon Central Daylight Time)
Closes: October 18
Areas: All units except 4-A
Restrictions: License holders are restricted to their assigned unit and the type of pronghorn described on license for entire season.

Gun: Split season early
Opens: October 2 (12 noon Central Daylight Time)
Closes: October 11
Areas: Unit 4-A
Restrictions: License holders are restricted to their assigned unit and the type of pronghorn described on license for entire season.

Gun: Split season late
Opens: October 9 (30 minutes before sunrise)
Closes: October 18
Areas: Unit 4-A
Restrictions: License holders are restricted to their assigned unit and the type of pronghorn described on license for entire season.

3. Eligibility

Who May Apply - Only North Dakota residents are eligible for gun licenses, while both residents and nonresidents may purchase bow licenses. Nonresident full-time students living in North Dakota, who are attending a state or tribal college or a private institution of higher education, may qualify for nonlottery resident licenses. Contact the Department for details.

Hunter Education Requirement - Hunters born after Dec. 31, 1961 must have passed a certified state or provincial hunter education course in order to purchase a North Dakota hunting license. Persons who hunt only on land they own or operate are exempt from this requirement.

Minimum Age - The minimum age to purchase a pronghorn gun license is 14 on opening day of the season. Anyone under age 15 afield with firearms must be under direct supervision of a parent, guardian, or adult authorized by their parent or guardian.

4. Licenses

General - Licenses must be signed in ink and are nontransferable. No person may give away, barter, or sell an issued license.

Gratis - Gratis licenses are available to North Dakota residents who own or lease for agricultural purposes and actively farm or ranch at least 160 acres of land located in an open hunting unit. These licenses are valid only upon land described on the license. The gratis applicant must choose only one season (bow or gun). Gratis licenses are issued only through the Department's Bismarck office. No other licenses are required for gratis. The number of gratis licenses issued in any unit may not exceed the number designated for that unit. For units with 50 licenses or less, all may be issued as gratis licenses. For units with more than 50 licenses, 50 plus one half of the amount exceeding 50 may be issued as gratis. If the number of gratis applications exceeds the number of licenses available, then gratis licenses will be issued through a lottery drawing.

Bow - Bow licenses are available from county auditors, license vendors, the Department, or by calling 1-800-406-6409.

Gun - Gun licenses are issued by a weighted lottery procedure after gratis gun licenses are deducted.

License Fees

Pronghorn Bow:

• Resident 16 years of age and older - $20.00
• Resident under age 16 at time of purchase - $10.00
• Nonresident - $200.00

Pronghorn Gun:

• Resident 16 years of age and older - $20.00
• Resident under age 16 at time of application - $10.00

Other Licenses Required - In addition to the pronghorn license, hunters must also possess a fishing, hunting and furbearer certificate ($1 for residents and $2 for nonresidents) and a general game and habitat license ($13) or combination license ($32). All stamps must be affixed to the back of a licensee's fishing, hunting, and furbearer certificate. Stamps and licenses must be signed in ink.

5. Orange clothing requirements

All pronghorn hunters, including bow hunters, are required to wear orange clothing while the pronghorn gun season is in progress. Legal orange clothing is a head covering and outer garment above the waistline of solid daylight fluorescent orange color totaling at least 400 square inches.

6. Hunting Big Game Over Bait

Hunting big game over bait on Department wildlife management areas is prohibited. Hunting over bait is defined as the placement and/or use of bait(s) for attracting big game and other wildlife to a specific location for the purpose of hunting. Baits include but are not limited to grains, minerals, salts, fruits, vegetables, hay or any other natural or manufactured foods. The designation does not apply to the use of scents and lures, water, food plots, standing crops or livestock feeds being used in standard practices.

Hunting over bait is also not allowed on all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service national wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas; U.S. Forest Service national grasslands; and all North Dakota state school, state park and state forest service lands.

7. Transportation and Storage

License holders must accompany their game animal, or parts thereof, (excluding hide) during transportation, except that a permit for the transportation of game may be issued by the Department upon request. Game may be shipped by common carrier in receipt of proper bill of lading. A pronghorn carcass must be accompanied by the head to the final place of storage. No resident may ship big game or parts thereof (other than hides) out of the state without a permit from the Department. It is illegal to possess or transport another’s game animal or parts thereof (excluding hide) without the license holder accompanying or as otherwise permitted. Processed and packaged meat (cut/ground and wrapped meat) of legally harvested game may be gifted to another. Unprocessed, unpackaged meat of legally harvested game may be gifted as follows: 1) Prior to reaching the licensee’s permanent residence a transportation permit must be obtained and accompany the game meat. 2) After reaching the licensee’s permanent residence if accompanied by the carcass tag of the person who harvested the game. Commercial processors and common carriers (shipping companies, commercial meat processors and taxidermists) may possess any person’s legally taken possession limit of game. The carcass tag from the individual’s license shall accompany the carcass through processing and be returned to the individual to be kept until the meat is consumed or until March 31, 2009.

8. Tagging Requirements

IMMEDIATELY after an animal has been killed, the hunter must indicate the date of kill by cutting out the appropriate month and day from the tag provided with the license, and attach it to the base of the horn on male pronghorn or in a slit in the ear on female pronghorn as illustrated on the tag backing, to prevent its removal. The tag, placed immediately upon the horn or slit in ear, shall remain with the horns or head until March 31, 2010. After the horns or head have been removed from the carcass, the carcass tag shall remain with the carcass or processed meat until consumed or until March 31, 2010. No person may reuse or attempt to reuse any tag issued. When any part of an animal is mounted, if the tag is removed from the horns or ear, the tag must be securely fastened to the back or bottom of the mount and remain there. Tags are not transferable.

9. Bag Limits

Bow Season. Each license holder may take and possess one pronghorn of any age or sex.

Gun Season. Gun license holders in may take and possess one pronghorn of the type specified on their license.  Party hunting is not allowed.

Definition of License Types:

• Doe or fawn only - a pronghorn without a black "cheek patch" or with horns shorter than its ears.  (See pronghorn doe illustration).
• Any pronghorn - a pronghorn of any age or sex.

Pronghorn Doe Illustration

10. Firearms and Archery Equipment

Bow Season - A bow must be pulled, held and released by hand. Any release aid may be used providing it is hand operated, the shooter supports the draw weight of the bow, and the release is not attached to any part of the bow other than at the bowstring. A compound bow used for hunting pronghorn must have at least 35 pounds of draw at 28 inches or less draw length. Recurve and long bows used for hunting pronghorn must have at least 35 pounds of draw at 28 inches. Arrows must be at least 24 inches long, tipped with a metal broadhead, with at least two sharp cutting edges, and have a cutting diameter of at least 3/4 inch (i.e., not able to pass through a 3/4 inch ring). It is illegal to hunt big game with barbed arrows. Broadheads with mechanical or retractable blades not manufactured to stay open are legal. Telescopic sights, range finding devices, battery-powered or electronically lighted sights or other electronic devices attached to the bow, or the arrow, are not permitted. Handheld range finding devices are legal. Arrows capable of causing damage or injury in excess of that inflicted by the cutting edges of the broadhead, are prohibited (e.g., explosive arrow points, arrows tipped with drugs or chemicals, and pneumatic or hydraulic shafts are illegal). No firearms, except handguns, shall be in the hunter’s possession while hunting with a pronghorn bow license. However, handguns may not be used in any manner to assist in the harvest of a pronghorn with an archery license.

Gun Season - Centerfire rifles of .22 to .49 caliber and muzzleloading rifles of .45 caliber or larger are legal for pronghorn. Centerfire rifles of .50 caliber or larger using smokeless powder are prohibited. Rifles must have a minimum barrel length of 16 inches. Rifled slugs, or parched round balls, of 20 gauge or larger are legal for shotguns and muzzleloading shotguns. Minimum barrel length of shotguns is 18 inches. Handguns must have a minimum barrel length of 4 inches and be .35 caliber or larger. Muzzleloading handguns must be .50 caliber or larger. In addition, any centerfire handgun designed to fire a legal rifle cartridge is also legal. All legal bow equipment as listed above is legal during the pronghorn gun season. Fully automatic firearms, full metal jacketed bullets which are nonexpanding, and altered projectiles are prohibited.

Other weapons restrictions:

• Crossbows are not legal, except with a permit from the Game and Fish director. Contact the Department for additional information on crossbow regulations.
• It is illegal to go afield with a firearm or bow and arrow while intoxicated.
• Firearms must be unloaded and encased while within the boundaries of any national park.

11. Aircraft, Motor-driven Vehicles, and Lights

• It is illegal to use aircraft for spotting game 72 hours prior to and during the hunting season. A licensee cannot hunt the same day they are airborne over their hunting unit with the exception of their scheduled passenger airline flight. It is illegal to drive, concentrate, rally, raise, stir up, spot or disturb game with aircraft.
• Motor-driven vehicles may not be used to pursue game.
• It is illegal to shoot with bow and arrow or firearm while in or on a motor-driven vehicle.
• It is illegal to carry a firearm in or on a motor-driven vehicle with a cartridge in the chamber. The entire cylinder of a revolver is considered the chamber, requiring the revolver to be completely unloaded. It is illegal to carry any muzzleloader in or on a motor-driven vehicle with a percussion cap or primer on the nipple or powder in the flash pan.
• Motor-driven vehicles may be used only on established roads or trails. Exception: After a pronghorn has been killed and properly tagged, a motor-driven vehicle may be used to make the retrieve by leaving the established road or trail and proceeding to the carcass by the shortest accessible route, and returning to the road or trail immediately by the same route. Motor-driven vehicles may not be used off established roads and trails for retrieval on state wildlife management areas, U.S. Forest Service national grasslands, Bureau of Land Management lands, federal waterfowl production areas, federal refuges, state school lands, and any areas where motor-driven vehicles are restricted. Except for persons having a special disability permit, no person may use a motor-driven vehicle while in the process of hunting pronghorn, or aid another in the process of hunting pronghorn, including travel to and from the hunting location, unless the motor-driven vehicle is on an established road or trail.
• Established roads or trails do not include temporary trails made for agricultural purposes.
• No person may use motor-driven vehicles on North Dakota Game and Fish Department Conservation PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) property without permission from the landowner, or if the land is posted with signs granting vehicle access. These areas are available for walking public access through written agreements with private landowners. The boundaries of these properties are identified by large yellow triangular signs.
• It is illegal to engage in shining for big game with any artificial light for the purpose of locating or observing big game between sunset of one day and sunrise of the next. State law prohibits any harassment of big game animals that is not provided for in the law.
• The use of night vision equipment or electronically enhanced light gathering optics for locating or hunting game is illegal.

13. Posting and Trespass

• Only the owner or tenant, or an individual authorized by the owner, may post land by placing signs giving notice that no hunting is permitted on the land. The name of the person posting the land must appear on each sign in legible characters. The signs must be readable from the outside of the land and must be placed conspicuously not more than 880 yards apart. As to land entirely enclosed by a fence or other enclosure, posting of signs at or on all gates through the fence or enclosure constitutes a posting of all the enclosed land.
• Hunting on posted land without permission from the owner or tenant is illegal and punishable by suspension of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for a period of at least one year.
• Any person may enter upon legally posted land (without a firearm or bow) to recover game shot or killed on land where he/she had a lawful right to hunt.
• It is illegal to hunt in unharvested cereal and oilseed crops, including sprouted winter wheat, alfalfa, clover and other grasses grown for seed, without the owner’s consent.
• It is illegal to deface, take down or destroy posting signs.
• Failure to close gates upon exit or entry is a criminal violation, punishable by forfeiture of hunting licenses.
• It is illegal to hunt upon the premises of another within 440 yards of any occupied building without the consent of the person occupying the building. This does not prohibit hunting on land owned by neighbors (private or public) even if the land is less than 440 yards from the occupied building.

15. Wanton Waste

No person shall kill, cripple, waste, destroy, spoil, or abandon the edible flesh of any big game animal without making a reasonable effort to retrieve and retain the big game animal in his/her actual custody, at the place where taken and between that place and either (a) his/her permanent residence (b) a taxidermist (c) a common carrier or (d) a commercial processor.

"Edible Flesh" (big game animals) shall be both front quarters, both hind quarters, and back straps but does not include meat ruined by bullet or natural causes.

16. Use of Animals

It is illegal to use any animal except horses or mules as an aid in the hunting or taking of big game.

17. Fire Danger Index

Fire danger indexes provide an indication of wildland fire potential.

Fire danger indexes are calculated considering temperature, humidity, wind speed, cloud cover and vegetative condition, and are classified as Low, Medium, High, Very High or Extreme.

Fires are more likely to occur on higher index days. Certain outdoor activities may be prohibited when a fire danger index is considered Very High or Extreme.

Hunters are asked to be aware of current fire danger indexes. Updated information is available through NOAA Weather Radio, the National Weather Service at www.crh.noaa.gov/bis/, or from a county sheriff's office.

23. Licenses Available by Units

Bow Hunting Open Units. (Unlimited Licenses) All pronghorn units are open for the bow season and license holders may hunt in any unit.

Gun Hunting Open Units. No more than 2,631 licenses will be issued.

One additional pronghorn license is authorized to be raffled by the North Dakota Hunter Educators Association. This license is valid for residents only and for any pronghorn in any open unit.

Unit 1-A, 1-D, 2-A, 2-B, 3-B, 5-A, 6-A, 7-A, 8-A, 9-A, 9-C, 10-A, or 11-A. Restricted to the type of pronghorn described on license. License holders are restricted to unit described on their license for entire season.
Unit 3-A, 4-A, or 4-C. Any pronghorn is legal. License holders are restricted to unit described on their license for entire season.