By Doug Leier
Before you apply for your 2025 North Dakota deer license, with an application deadline of June 4, we should review the 2024 numbers.
First let me remind you these are numbers, statistics. What you can’t read in deer “success” are hunters who chose not to squeeze the trigger waiting for a bigger buck or doe. Or archery hunters who on the last day decided to pass on a doe in hopes it may help replenish the herd. They may philosophically think the season satisfactory, but in an abstract world they did not fill their tag. There are many scenarios to explain a simple filled or unfilled tag that doesn’t tell the whole story.
A look back at 2024 deer licenses and season success
42,416 North Dakota deer hunters took approximately 23,300 deer during the 2024 deer gun hunting season. Game and Fish made available 50,100 deer gun licenses last year. Overall hunter success was 55%, with each hunter spending an average of 4.7 days in the field.
Hunter success for antlered white-tailed deer was 49% and 44% for antlerless whitetails.
Mule deer buck success was 80% and 78% for antlerless mule deer.
Hunters with any antlered or any antlerless licenses generally harvest white-tailed deer, as these licenses are predominantly in units with mostly whitetails. Buck hunters had a success rate of 61%, while doe hunters had a success rate of 56%.
Game and Fish issued 11,920 gratis licenses in 2024, and 9,484 hunters harvested 4,199 deer for a success rate of 44%.
A total of 956 muzzleloader licenses were issued, and 790 hunters harvested 232 white-tailed deer (116 antlered, 116 antlerless). Hunter success was 29%.
A total of 27,102 archery licenses (23,993 resident, 3,109 nonresident) were issued in 2024. In total, 22,449 bowhunters harvested 5,794 deer (4,884 whitetails, 910 mule deer) for a success rate of 26%.
The 2025 deer season
For the 2025 North Dakota deer season, 42,300 licenses are available to hunters, down 7,800 from last year.
In addition, muzzleloader licenses were reduced by 150 and restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses remained the same.
Casey Anderson, North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief, said data indicated the state’s deer population is stable to decreasing throughout the state.
“The state’s deer population continues to recover from the 2021 EHD outbreak and the severe winter of 2022-23, which limited population growth despite reduced gun licenses during 2023 and 2024 hunting seasons,” Anderson said. “Modest license allocations are intended to maintain hunting opportunities while encouraging population growth in the state.”
High-quality deer habitat is not abundant, which has limited the potential for population recovery. If CRP contracts continue to expire, Anderson said 85% of the once 3.4 million acres present in 2007 will be lost by 2026.
The spring mule deer survey showed western North Dakota’s population is 14% lower than last year despite a reduced harvest and consecutive mild winters.
Those who didn’t apply last year will lose accrued points by not applying or purchasing a point this year.
State law allows residents age 11, 12 and 13 to obtain any antlerless licenses, except in units 3B1, 3B2 and 4A through 4F where mule deer doe licenses are restricted.
Total deer licenses are determined by harvest rates, aerial surveys, depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings, and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff.
North Dakota’s 2025 deer gun season opens Nov. 7 at noon and continues through Nov. 23.
Applicants for regular deer gun, gratis, youth and muzzleloader can apply online through the Game and Fish Department’s website at gf.nd.gov. Again, the deadline for applying is midnight June 4.
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