NDGF Mule Deer
By Doug Leier
The 2026 archery deer season opened Sept. 4, and regular deer gun season opens at noon Friday, Nov. 6.
Before hunters head afield this year, North Dakota Game and Fish Department officials are reminding sportsmen and women that protecting the state’s deer herd remains a shared responsibility.
The department’s chronic wasting disease proclamation outlines regulations designed to slow the spread of the fatal disease among deer, elk and moose. While many hunters are already familiar with the rules, all hunters are encouraged to review them before opening day.
One of the most important regulations continues to prohibit hunting big game over bait on Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas. Bait includes grain, salt, minerals, fruit, vegetables, hay and naturally derived scents or lures, including deer urine products. Agricultural practices, standing crops, gardens and established wildlife food plots are not considered bait under the proclamation.
Wildlife managers say the restriction helps reduce situations where deer gather unnaturally in one location. Limiting those concentrations is one of the most effective ways to reduce the potential for CWD to spread from animal to animal.
Hunters traveling outside North Dakota also should pay close attention to transportation rules when bringing harvested animals home. Whole carcasses of deer, elk, moose and other members of the deer family harvested outside the state cannot be imported into North Dakota. Hunters may bring back boned-out meat, quarters without the spinal column attached, cleaned skull plates with antlers, finished taxidermy mounts and hides with the head removed. Those restrictions are intended to prevent infectious material from entering the state.
Proper carcass disposal also remains an important part of the state’s disease management strategy. Hunters transporting harvested animals outside the gun unit where they harvested the animal must dispose of unused carcass remains through an approved landfill or waste management provider. Heads submitted for CWD testing and carcasses delivered to licensed meat processors or taxidermists are among the exceptions outlined in the proclamation.
Chronic wasting disease is a fatal neurological disease that affects members of the deer family. There is no cure, and the infectious prions that cause the disease can remain in the environment for years. Because of that, wildlife officials continue to emphasize prevention as the best available management tool.
The regulations are designed to protect North Dakota’s hunting heritage while helping conserve healthy wildlife populations for future generations. Officials say most hunters already follow the rules, making them valuable partners in disease management efforts across the state.
Hunters who would like to have their deer tested for CWD can request a sampling kit from the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. The kit includes instructions, and hunters are encouraged to request one early to allow enough time for delivery before the season.
Reviewing the proclamation before opening day can help hunters avoid violations while contributing to the long-term health of North Dakota’s deer, elk and moose populations for years to come statewide. As always check out the Game and Fish Dept website for more in-depth information.
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