The 2019 North Dakota
deer season is set. Before we get into the details let’s take a look back at
2018
2018 North Dakota deer season
●55,150 deer gun
licenses were available last year. Overall hunter success was 64 percent, with
each hunter spending an average of 4.4 days in the field.
●Hunter success
for both antlered and antlerless white-tailed deer was 64 percent.
●Mule deer buck hunter
success was 81 percent, and antlerless mule deer was 83 percent.
●A record
28,824 archery licenses (26,318 resident, 2,506 nonresident) were issued in
2018. In total, 22,666 bow hunters harvested 8,914 deer (7,927 whitetails, 987
mule deer), for a success rate of 39 percent.
North
Dakota’s 2019 deer season
●65,500 licenses available to hunters this fall, 10,350 more than
last year.
●Antlered mule deer licenses increased by 450 from last year.
● Antlerless mule deer
by 700.
●Antlered whitetail by 700.
● Antlerless whitetail
by 1,250.
● “Any
antlered” by 3,150.
● “Any
antlerless” by 4,100.
●Muzzleloader licenses increased by 184
●Restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses increased by 45.
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.
State Game and Fish Department wildlife division chief
Jeb Williams noted on a recent Outdoors Online webcast that the number of
regular gun season licenses for this fall is the most since 2011. “That is
definitely some positive news … we have been slowly increasing (licenses) the
last several years,” Williams said, adding that the department has been pretty
conservative with licenses in an attempt to build deer numbers back up in areas
where they have been below management goals.
Prospective hunters can apply for regular deer gun,
youth and muzzleloader licenses online through the Game and Fish Department’s
website at gf.nd.gov, or call 800-406-6409. A service fee is charged for
applications made through the 800 number.
Landowners must apply for gratis licenses online – the
toll-free licensing telephone number is not set up to receive gratis
applications. Gratis applications received on or before the regular deer gun
lottery application deadline will qualify for an any-legal-deer license. As per
state law, gratis applications received after the deadline will be processed
based on licenses remaining after the lottery – generally only antlerless
licenses remain.
Applicants should note that those who miss two
consecutive years of applying in the lottery will lose accumulated bonus
points.
Applicants who do not have access to a computer or
smartphone can submit the application at a public service location such as a
public library, stop at a Game and Fish office, or request help from a friend,
relative or neighbor.
North Dakota’s 2019 deer gun season opens Nov. 8 at
noon and continues through Nov. 24. The deadline for applying is June 5.
The muzzleloader season is Nov. 29 – Dec. 15, and youth
season is Sept. 13-22. Archery season is Aug. 30 – Jan. 5.
