Hunting Season is always a special time of the year. Whether you are planning on waiting patiently in a deer stand to bag that trophy buck or sitting knee deep in the marsh hoping to bag a band. Being able to take advantage of all the hunting seasons is why The Waterfowl Hunter has put together the hunting dates for North Dakota.
These dates serve as a general guide for more specific hunting visit North Dakota Game & Fish Department.
Badger
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Firearms, traps, archery equipment, pursue with dogs | Open Year-round | |
| Regular/Cable Devices | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
Beaver
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Firearms, traps, archery equipment, underwater cable devices | Open Year-round | |
| Regular/Cable Devices on land | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
| Regular/Cable Devices on land within 50 ft. of water | Mar. 16, 2017 | May 10, 2017 |
Bighorn Sheep
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | B1, B3, B4 | Oct. 27, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Bow Only | B1, B3, B4 | Oct. 20, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Bobcat
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular – Firearms, Traps, Archery Equipment | South and West of the Missouri River only | Nov. 5, 2016 | May 15, 2017 |
| Regular/Cable Devices, Pursue with Dogs | South and West of the Missouri River only | Nov. 21, 2016 | May 15, 2017 |
Canada Geese
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Season | Statewide | Aug. 14, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Early Season | Missouri River Zone | Aug. 14, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Resident Only | Statewide | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Resident Only | Missouri River Zone | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Statewide | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Missouri River Zone | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Coot
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular – Resident Only | High Plains Unit | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | High Plains Unit | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Low Plains Unit | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | High Plains Unit | Dec. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Resident Only | Low Plains Unit | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Coyote
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Firearms, traps, archery equipment, pursue with dogs | Open Year-round | |
| Regular/Cable devices | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
| Hunting at any Hour/Firearms | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
Crow
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring – Regular | Mar. 11, 2017 | Apr. 23, 2017 |
| Fall – Regular | Aug. 19, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Doves
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Ducks
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular – Resident Only | Low Plains Unit | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Resident Only | High Plains Unit | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Low Plains Unit | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | High Plains Unit | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | High Plains Unit | Dec. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Youth Waterfowl Season | Statewide | Sep. 16, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Elk
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Only | E1, E2 | Sep. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | E1, E2 | Oct. 6, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | E3, E4 | Sep. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | E5 | Sep. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Fisher
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Open areas only | Nov. 21, 2016 | Nov. 27, 2016 |
Fox (Red and Gray)
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Cable devices | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
| Hunting at Any Hour/Firearms | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
| Regular/Firearms, traps, archery equipment, pursue with dogs | Open Year-round |
Greater Prairie Chicken
| Notice |
|---|
| There will be no pinnated grouse (greater prairie chicken) season this year due to low populations. |
Ground Squirrel
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Open Year-round |
Hungarian Partidge
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Light Geese
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Conservation | Feb. 18, 2017 | May 4, 2017 |
| Regular – Resident Only | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Mergansers
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular – Resident Only | Low Plains Unit | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Resident Only | High Plains Unit | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Low Plains Unit | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | High Plains Unit | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | High Plains Unit | Dec. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Mink
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Traps | Oct. 22, 2016 | May 10, 2017 |
| Regular/Cable devices, firearms, archery equipment | Nov. 21, 2016 | May 10, 2017 |
Moose
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | M8, M9, M10 | Oct. 6, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | M5, M6 | Nov. 17, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Bow Only | M5, M6, M8, M9, M10 | Sep. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Mountain Lion
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Season/Firearms, archery equipment | Zone 1 | Sep. 2, 2016 | Nov. 20, 2016 |
| Late Season/Firearms, archery equipment, and pursuing with dogs | Zone 1 | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 31, 2017 |
| Conditional Season/Firearms and archery equipment | Zone 1 | Mar. 31, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular/Firearms and archery equipment. Beginning November 21, mountain lions may also be harvested by pursuing with dogs | Zone 2 | Sep. 2, 2016 | Mar. 31, 2017 |
Mule and White-tailed Deer
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow | Statewide | Sep. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Gun | All Units | Nov. 10, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Muzzleloader | Statewide | Dec. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Youth Season | Statewide | Sep. 15, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Muskrat
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Traps | Oct. 22, 2016 | May 10, 2017 |
| Regular/Cable Devices, firearms, archery equipment | Nov. 21, 2016 | May 10, 2017 |
Pronghorn
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bow Only | 1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 4C | Sep. 1, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | 1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, 4A, 4C | Oct. 6, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Rabbit
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Open Year-round |
Raccoon
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Firearms, traps, archery equipment, underwater cable devices, pursue with dogs (raccoon only) | Open Year-round | |
| Regular/Cable devices on land | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
| Regular/Cable devices on land within 50 ft. of water | Mar. 16, 2017 | May 10, 2017 |
Ring-necked Pheasants
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Oct. 14, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Youth Season | Oct. 07, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Ruffed Grouse
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Bottineau, Rolette, Cavalier, Pembina and Walsh counties. Also that portion of the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge in McHenry County lying South of the Upham-Willow City Road is open to ruffed grouse hunting. | Sep. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Sage Grouse
| Notice |
|---|
| There will be no sage grouse season this year due to low populations. |
Sandhill Crane
| Hunt Type | Units | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | Unit 1 | Sep. 16, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular | Unit 2 | Sep. 16, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Sharp-tailed Grouse
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Tree Squirrel
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 9, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Tundra Swan
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Turkey
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Regular | Apr. 8, 2017 | May 14, 2017 |
| Fall – Regular | Oct. 14, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Youth Spring Season | Apr. 8, 2017 | May 14, 2014 |
Weasel
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular/Traps | Oct. 22, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
| Regular/Firearms, cable devices, archery equipment | Nov. 21, 2016 | Mar. 15, 2017 |
White-fronted Geese
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular – Resident only | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
| Regular – Nonresident | Sep. 30, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Wilson’s Snipe
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 16, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Woodcock
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Sep. 23, 2017 | Tentative – Not Published |
Prairie Dog
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Open Year-round |
Skunk
| Hunt Type | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Regular | Open Year-round |