NORTH DAKOTA OUTDOORS MAGAZINE

PLOTS Acre Goal in Sight

Ron Wilson

As the Private Land Open To Sportsmen program leans closer to its 30-year milestone in 2027, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s longrecognized effort to provide walk-in access to hunters on private land is also nearing its goal of 1 million acres. This fall, hunters will find 925,000 PLOTS acres across North Dakota’s rural landscape, an increase of 45,000 acres from 2026.

“Each year, we set a goal of adding 40,000 acres, including 6,000 acres of new habitat, and for the last three years we’ve been able to hit those marks,” said Kevin Kading, Department private land section leader. “We’re trending in that direction of hitting our 1-millionacre goal by 2028 and hopefully keep going after that.” It’s important to note that private land staff had to enroll 65,000 acres to hit the 45,000-acre mark in 2026 because every year some PLOTS tracts exit the program.

“While there’s a lot of interest in the program and it’s still very well received by landowners, people are always coming in and out because that’s just the way it goes,” Kading said. “So, every year, we’re trying to make up ground as well.”

Some of that ground was made up this year thanks to the Governor’s Legacy Soil Health and Habitat Program, which was created to put more perennial grass on the landscape while improving soil health, water retention and wildlife habitat. While available funding for the voluntary pilot program allowed just 10,000 acres to initially be enrolled, nearly half of those acres were enrolled in the Department’s PLOTS program.

Hunter in a field

“Some other highlights going into the fall for the PLOTS program include some really great partnerships, such as a partnership with Pheasants Forever to add more grass to the landscape on PLOTS,” Kading said. “We’ve also been working with Ducks Unlimited and North Dakota Natural Resource Trust for wetland restorations on PLOTS tracts. These efforts combined have helped add quite a few acres to the program this fall, helping to move the needle on habitat on PLOTS for 2026.”

Also, $550,000 donated by hunters during the licensing period the last two years from unsuccessful lottery refunds and straight up donations, was teamed with a $1 million Outdoor Heritage Fund grant and put directly back into the PLOTS program for habitat and hunter access.

Kading said the Department also secured 20-year PLOTS and protection agreements on private forest areas in the Turtle Mountain region in Rolette and Bottineau counties, which also includes some aspen management.

“We’re working with the North Dakota Forest Service and receiving a lot of local and stakeholder input for the projects in the Turtle Mountains,” he said. “This is just another example of the different partnerships we’re working with this year.”

Kading said the PLOTS tracts scattered across the rural landscape are all different, sort of like the hunters who access these private lands open to hunting. Some might be looking for a spot to hunt deer, chase pheasants or set up waterfowl decoys in a wetland or field.

“There are times when people might pull up to a PLOTS tract they found on a map and find out that it’s a stubble field, but there’s a reason we put that in the program because there are either wetlands out in the middle of it for duck hunting, or it’s a good field hunting opportunity,” he said. “Or it might be a piece out in the western part of the state that’s native prairie, but it’s got some really nice woody draws. Or it might be a place to find some sharp-tailed grouse or mule deer, that type of thing. I’ve always said that not all PLOTS tracts are created equal. They’re all different and everybody has different hunting tastes and is looking for something different. This variety is a nice feature to have.”

No matter the PLOTS tract, they all need to be treated the same … with respect.

“These are private lands and we want people to really understand and respect that. The agreement that we have in place for PLOTS allows for walk-in access only. That’s the only thing that we’re asking that landowner to allow is that walkin access only,” Kading said. “So, anything else besides that would require the hunter to talk to the landowner directly and get written permission. If you wanted to go camping, horseback riding, shoot clay pigeons or shed hunt, which is one that comes up quite a bit, those activities do require landowner permission. The only thing we’re asking that landowner to do is allow walk-in hunting for the active hunting seasons.”

He added: “Every little action really makes a difference out there. Make sure to pick up your own garbage or pick up other people’s garbage. Leave the gates the way you found them. We even recommend picking up all your empty shells. We want to make sure we leave a good image out there for hunters and have that good relationship with those private landowners who enrolled their land in the program.”

Return to North Dakota Outdoors October 2026 Edition