Deer Unit Numbering System??

Sluggo

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
May 14, 2015
Posts
2,574
Likes
415
Points
333
Location
Bismarck
Enquiring minds want to know how the deer units got their number in ND. There doesn't seem to be any pattern as you have 1, 2 and 3 digit numbers. Anyone know?
 


Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,476
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
I think they started as deer management areas, not necessarily hunting units per se. So you really only had areas 1, 2, 3, 4, etc.

Then they started breaking them up into smaller units for hunting. 4A, 4B, etc. And at some point they came across the idea that a few of the units like 3E were getting too pressured in one area of the unit, so it got further broken up into 3E1, 3E2, etc.

At least that's my general take on what happened.
 

NDSportsman

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
Posts
3,250
Likes
387
Points
313
Location
East Central ND
Allen is correct. Those also happened to be the areas they did there winter aerial surveys originally.
 

Sluggo

Founding Member
Founding Member
Thread starter
Joined
May 14, 2015
Posts
2,574
Likes
415
Points
333
Location
Bismarck
Thanks. I guess that makes sense. So the Bottineau area (unit 1) was and still is a small unit of its own and unit 2 was the eastern half of the state. Crazy.
 

NDSportsman

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2015
Posts
3,250
Likes
387
Points
313
Location
East Central ND
Thanks. I guess that makes sense. So the Bottineau area (unit 1) was and still is a small unit of its own and unit 2 was the eastern half of the state. Crazy.
Well when you consider the most trees in the state 80 years ago was in the Turtle Mountains and probably where most of the deer herd was at the time too it makes sense. Not many deer out on the prairie originally.
 


Allen

Founding Member
Founding Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Posts
10,476
Likes
1,485
Points
553
Location
Lincoln, kinda...
Thanks. I guess that makes sense. So the Bottineau area (unit 1) was and still is a small unit of its own and unit 2 was the eastern half of the state. Crazy.


Yep, I think it was originally based upon habitat type. As such, 1 is for the trees up there, 2 the Red River Valley and out into the Prairie Pothole region, 3 being the Missouri River breaks and associated rolling hills country, and 4 being the Badlands.
 

Recent Posts

Friends of NDA

Top Posters of the Month

  • This month: 167
  • This month: 137
  • This month: 121
  • This month: 110
  • This month: 105
  • This month: 88
  • This month: 84
  • This month: 79
  • This month: 76
  • This month: 76
Top Bottom