North Dakota Draw Odds

North Dakota's deer gun and muzzleloader licenses are a weighted lottery: your application is entered 2x(bonus points)+1 times with 1-3 points and (points cubed)+1 times at 4 or more, and points build every year you miss your first choice. Nonresidents get just 1% of the deer gun licenses in each unit (landowner licenses come out of that share first, often leaving zero lottery licenses in small units), plus a separate statewide any-deer bow lottery capped at 15% of mule deer gun licenses (240 in 2026); pronghorn, elk, moose and spring turkey lotteries are resident-only, and elk/moose/bighorn are once-in-a-lifetime.

Deer applications close in early June (June 3 in 2026) with results in late June, and payment is only processed if you draw; a nonresident deer gun application costs $380 in fees ($350 license + $5 certificate + $20 habitat + $5 nonrefundable application fee). The only other lottery open to nonresidents is bighorn sheep (apply by late March, $600 up front, drawn September 1, maximum one nonresident license, once in a lifetime).

Sources: North Dakota Game and Fish Department documents, last verified September 1, 2026. · 21 sources

Odds by Species

Deer

113 hunt codes

2 public-access hunts a 0-point nonresident had an even chance at in 2026

NR Tags 2026: 98
Applicants per Tag: 41.8

See every deer hunt →

The Rules, Side by Side

Nonresident and resident rules for every species. Small numbers are sources.

Deer
Rule	Nonres.	Resident
System	Bonus (stepped)⁵	Bonus (stepped)⁵
Choices	4	4
Lower Choice Burns Points	No	No
Point-Only	No	Yes
Points Expire	No	Yes · 2 yr
Party Averages	No	No
NR Share	1% · 15%⁹	—

Elk, Moose
Rule	Resident
System	Random¹⁰
Choices	4
Lower Choice Burns Points	—
Point-Only	—
Points Expire	—
Party Averages	—
NR Share	—

Pronghorn
Rule	Resident
System	Bonus (stepped)⁴
Choices	4
Lower Choice Burns Points	No
Point-Only	Yes
Points Expire	Yes · 2 yr
Party Averages	No
NR Share	—

Bighorn Sheep
Rule	Nonres.	Resident
System	Random¹⁰	Random¹⁰
Choices	1	1
Lower Choice Burns Points	—	—
Point-Only	—	—
Points Expire	—	—
Party Averages	—	—
NR Share	1 tag statewide¹⁰	—

Species	Who	System	Choices	Lower Choice Burns Points	Point-Only	Points Expire	Party Averages	NR Share
Deer	Nonresident	Bonus points (stepped)⁵	4	No	No	No	No	1% · 15%⁹
Deer	Resident	Bonus points (stepped)⁵	4	No	Yes	Yes · 2 yr	No	—
Elk, Moose	Resident	Random draw¹⁰	4	—	—	—	—	—
Pronghorn	Resident	Bonus points (stepped)⁴	4	No	Yes	Yes · 2 yr	No	—
Bighorn Sheep	Nonresident	Random draw¹⁰	1	—	—	—	—	1 tag statewide¹⁰
Bighorn Sheep	Resident	Random draw¹⁰	1	—	—	—	—	—

NR Share

Deer: 1% One percent of each unit's licences, with nonresident landowner licences counted inside it. 15% A separate statewide pool: nonresidents are offered any-deer bow licences worth 15% of the mule deer gun quota, 240 of them in 2026, on top of unlimited whitetail-only bow licences.
Bighorn sheep: 1 tag statewide At most one nonresident licence a year, and none at all if residents draw them all.
Pronghorn: 0% Only North Dakota residents may apply for a pronghorn licence.
Elk and moose: 0% Lottery open to residents only.

Points Expire

Deer and pronghorn: After 2 years without applying or buying one.

How These Draws Work, With an Example

Bonus points (stepped): Every applicant gets 2 × points + 1 (points³ + 1 from four points on) entries in a random draw, so more points mean more chances, but never a guarantee.

Random draw: Every applicant has the same chance: tags divided by applicants. No points count in this draw.

Buying Points

Only a North Dakota resident can buy a Bonus point without applying; a nonresident earns one only by applying. Apply in the first lottery for the licence with the intent to forfeit it, which buys one bonus point for the year at the same fee as the licence.

Drawing your first choice spends the points you built. Points carry over from year to year, and North Dakota voids them after 2 years without applying or buying one.

Species	Resident	Nonresident	How	Points Lapse
Deer Only North Dakota residents may buy a bonus point; the point-only statute covers residents alone. · never lapses	$35¹	No	Only North Dakota residents may buy a bonus point; the...	Never
Pronghorn With A License Application · lapses after 2 idle years	—	—	With A License Application	After 2 idle years

1.The same fee as the licence - $35 for a resident deer gun or muzzleloader licence in 2026, $10 under 16; the $2 certificate and $20 general game and habitat licence are needed to hunt, and NDGF does not say whether they are needed for a point-only application

Source: Bonus point — gf.nd.gov

Fees

Show fees for

2026 Fee	Nonres.	Resident	When
Every Applicant
Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate^6,8 To apply	$5	$2	To apply
General Game and Habitat License^6,8 To apply Refunded if your deer license is not drawn.	$20	$20	To apply
Deer
Deer gun application fee (nonrefundable)⁶ To apply	$5	—	To apply
Any-deer bow license (statewide lottery)⁶ If drawn	$350	—	If drawn
Deer gun/muzzleloader license^6,8 If drawn Charged only if you draw: $355 with the $5 application fee.	$350	$35	If drawn
Elk
Elk application fee (nonrefundable)⁸ To apply	—	$5	To apply
Elk license (16+)⁸ If drawn	—	$35	If drawn
Moose
Moose application fee (nonrefundable)⁸ To apply	—	$5	To apply
Moose license (16+)⁸ If drawn	—	$35	If drawn
Pronghorn
Pronghorn license (16+)⁸ If drawn	—	$35	If drawn
Bighorn
Bighorn sheep application fee (nonrefundable)^6,8 To apply	$100	$5	To apply
Bighorn sheep license^6,8 If drawn $600 is paid with the application; winners pay the other $500.	$1,000	$35	If drawn
Cash to Apply, One Species	$30–$125	$27	Kept if you miss

Cash to apply adds up every fee due with an application; each extra species adds its own application fee.

Next Application Deadlines

Tag fees are charged only if you draw.

Elk · residents only²

(Last cycle closed Mar 25, 2026.) Moose, elk and bighorn sheep share one window, and you may apply for only one of the three each year.

Mar 31, 2027 165 days expected
Moose · residents only²

(Last cycle closed Mar 25, 2026.)

Mar 31, 2027 165 days expected
Bighorn sheep²

results about Sep 1

(Last cycle closed Mar 25, 2026.) Applications are due with elk and moose, but the lottery is not held until September 1, after summer surveys set the number of licenses.

Mar 31, 2027 165 days expected
Deer · nonresidents only — Archery³

(Last cycle ran Apr 15 – May 15, 2026.) The nonresident any-deer bow lottery. Applications are taken April 15 – May 15 each year.

Apr 15 – May 15, 2027 210 days expected
Deer³

results about Jun 23

(Last cycle closed Jun 3, 2026.) Gun-season applications usually open in early May.

Jun 2, 2027 228 days expected
Deer · nonresidents only³

results about Jun 23

(Last cycle closed Jun 3, 2026.) The nonresident gun and muzzleloader deer lottery.

Jun 2, 2027 228 days expected
Pronghorn · residents only⁷

(Last cycle closed Aug 5, 2026.) Residents only. Applications open in mid-July; results come in mid-August.

Aug 4, 2027 291 days expected

Dates marked expected are last cycle's schedule rolled forward by North Dakota Game and Fish Department's own rule; confirm them once the new dates are published.

Legal cartridges in North Dakota by species and weapon

Sources (21)

Draw Rules, Fees and Deadlines

1. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · 2026 North Dakota Pronghorn Hunting Guide
2. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Bighorn Sheep Hunting page (2026)
3. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Deer Hunting - season dates, lottery info (2026)
4. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Hunting Lotteries overview · 2026
5. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Lottery FAQ (bonus points) · 2026
6. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Nonresident licensing and fees · 2026
7. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Pronghorn Hunting page (2026)
8. North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Resident licensing and fees · 2026
9. North Dakota Legislative Branch · N.D.C.C. Chapter 20.1-03 (Licenses) · 2026
10. North Dakota Legislative Branch · N.D.C.C. Chapter 20.1-08 (Proclamations) · 2026

Draw Results, Hunt Lists and Harvest Reports, 2025–2026

2026 · 5 documents

North Dakota Game and Fish Department · 2026 Deer Lottery Stats (resident first lottery, by unit/license type/bonus points)
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · 2026 Elk Lottery Stats (resident)
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · 2026 Moose Lottery Stats (resident)
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · 2026 Nonresident Deer Lottery Stats
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · 2026 Pronghorn Lottery Stats (resident)

2025 · 6 documents

North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Bighorn Sheep Lottery Stats 2017-2025
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Deer Lottery Stats - Archive 2017-2025 (resident)
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Elk Lottery Stats - Archive 2017-2025
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Moose Lottery Stats - Archive 2017-2025
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Nonresident Deer Lottery Stats - Archive 2019-2025
North Dakota Game and Fish Department · Pronghorn Lottery Stats - Archive 2017-2025 (resident)

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About These Numbers

Rules, fees and deadlines are copied from North Dakota Game and Fish Department documents and change by commission action; a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. The odds on each species page are last draw's results. Check the agency's site and apply there; we don't take applications. How we compute these.