OFFICIAL 2026 Deer Gun Lottery

[LBrandt]

25 dead yotes gets you a tag. See how that plays out. LB

 

[SDMF]

Lets say that end of this year going into next year there is magically 10,000 acres of fine prime ready for animals to move in tomorrow habitat. How long will it take to put 1 deer per 20 acres on those 10,000 acres so 500 deer? The if you build it they will come doesn't always work the way we think it should.
If the deer numbers are already low and the habitat is not strained the animals have no reason to move if their home is at a sustainable carrying capacity. If the animal numbers are higher you will see a movement, not overnight, but it will be a little faster. So while I agree that habit is important there needs to be other X Factors looked at and these factors differ from area to area in the state.

Depends on if you haze them into the Utopia with a helicopter or not.

 

[shorthairsrus]

My truck felt an ear the other day ago luckily it wasnt the dear and only its ear. Lots of new borns this year imo. Never cease to see road kill. El nino were not going to see decent ice this year this should help the animals. CRP remains steady in ND not in every state though its on the grow - i think your going to see a rise in nodak too.. Plus the states prgms is on the rise.


Kreil killed em all off

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Depends on if you haze them into the Utopia with a helicopter or not.

Can someone say net guns and trailers?

 

[KDM]

This weekend I'm planting 50 juniper trees to help with winter habitat and thermal cover. Won't do me much good as it will take a decade or two until they are big enough to hold deer, but like they say, you don't plant a tree for yourself, you plant it for your children and grandchildren.

 

[Iwhackwheat]

Update. After scouring their site I did send a message. Youth can still apply. I did make the message for the 11-13 doe only tags.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

This weekend I'm planting 50 juniper trees to help with winter habitat and thermal cover. Won't do me much good as it will take a decade or two until they are big enough to hold deer, but like they say, you don't plant a tree for yourself, you plant it for your children and grandchildren.

I got at least 1 pasture that I want to get big and little bluestem re-established again or at least boost it. Hasn't been grazed for a few years and probably won't for another year or 2 because of the beating the fences have taken from the ice and wind storms the last 2yrs. Man grass seed is not cheap.
Started a plan this spring to start getting wood duck nesting boxes made and set out on steel poles to help hopefully boost the numbers from the few we already get. That will probably be a winter build project for me and the girls.

 

[Petras]

A few family members missed the deadline. I guess there’s been some rule changes in the last few years. The youth tag deadline used to go into the fall. can’t remember for sure but it might have been right up until the youth season. Also in the past, you could get a doe only gratis tag after the deadline. That is no longer the case.

No excuses missing the deadline but I was hoping those old rules still applied.

I feel like the youth tags are still in the fall, as long as they aren't trying to get a muley tag for for their any deer tag in any of the soutwest units... those do go through the normal lottery, but if they just want a standard any deer tag, those should become available closer to the season if I remember correctly... at least thats how it was 2 years ago for my son.

 

[Tymurrey]

I got at least 1 pasture that I want to get big and little bluestem re-established again or at least boost it. Hasn't been grazed for a few years and probably won't for another year or 2 because of the beating the fences have taken from the ice and wind storms the last 2yrs. Man grass seed is not cheap.
Started a plan this spring to start getting wood duck nesting boxes made and set out on steel poles to help hopefully boost the numbers from the few we already get. That will probably be a winter build project for me and the girls.

NWSG is expensive and tough to get established without the brome over taking it. I tried to get switchgrass one year without the best prep work and it didn't take at all. I tried frost seeding then spraying the cool season grasses early with glyphosate and some some broadleaf pre-emergent. The switchgrass didn't take but it knocked back the brome and allowed some other natives to grow better and the deer seemed to prefer spending more time in that area for a few years until the brome overtook it again. I have an area around the tree rows that i planted this year that i would like to plant with NWSG and pollinators. Debating on dormant planting or if i should hit it this fall with glyphosate, then again in the spring and then plant.

I truly feel brome grass is a giant problem with lots of our prairie around here for wildlife. It doesn't stand up well to snow and nothing but livestock eat it much.

 

[1bigfokker]

Have you tried a controlled burn. Early spring is the best.

 

[Iwhackwheat]

I feel like the youth tags are still in the fall, as long as they aren't trying to get a muley tag for for their any deer tag in any of the soutwest units... those do go through the normal lottery, but if they just want a standard any deer tag, those should become available closer to the season if I remember correctly... at least thats how it was 2 years ago for my son.

Yep. I had an update earlier that they confirmed the later deadline. For the life of me, I can’t find it on their website anymore though.

 

[luvcatchingbass]

NWSG is expensive and tough to get established without the brome over taking it. I tried to get switchgrass one year without the best prep work and it didn't take at all. I tried frost seeding then spraying the cool season grasses early with glyphosate and some some broadleaf pre-emergent. The switchgrass didn't take but it knocked back the brome and allowed some other natives to grow better and the deer seemed to prefer spending more time in that area for a few years until the brome overtook it again. I have an area around the tree rows that i planted this year that i would like to plant with NWSG and pollinators. Debating on dormant planting or if i should hit it this fall with glyphosate, then again in the spring and then plant.

I truly feel brome grass is a giant problem with lots of our prairie around here for wildlife. It doesn't stand up well to snow and nothing but livestock eat it much.

Yeah that is the other thing is prep is a big deal and the competition from brome grass. I got a lead on a guy near me that I believe works with United Prairie Foundation. As I find out more I will keep you in mind and PM you any of my findings. A guy can spend a ton of money with good intention experiments on what in our heads makes sense. I'm trying to find a way to just spend less than a ton and get higher success rates.
I'm convinced if a person can reduce the brome and increase the native such as bluestem, switchgrass and clover species it will be higher benefit to the wildlife and produce better cattle grazing. I think you have a good idea with the spraying thing but you might want to look into prescribed burning as well. I don't think brome stands up to burning quite as good as some of the other species, but no doubt brome is tough stuff

 

[luvcatchingbass]

Have you tried a controlled burn. Early spring is the best.

I've done control burns. Unfortunately the last one became an uncontrolled burn the next day after it restarted from some pine thatch. Luckily it didn't get too out of hand but was tough on a few pine trees.

 

[Tymurrey]

Yeah that is the other thing is prep is a big deal and the competition from brome grass. I got a lead on a guy near me that I believe works with United Prairie Foundation. As I find out more I will keep you in mind and PM you any of my findings. A guy can spend a ton of money with good intention experiments on what in our heads makes sense. I'm trying to find a way to just spend less than a ton and get higher success rates.
I'm convinced if a person can reduce the brome and increase the native such as bluestem, switchgrass and clover species it will be higher benefit to the wildlife and produce better cattle grazing. I think you have a good idea with the spraying thing but you might want to look into prescribed burning as well. I don't think brome stands up to burning quite as good as some of the other species, but no doubt brome is tough stuff

the whole turning into an uncontrolled burn scares me. The bee and butterfly foundation have good program for seed and such. I need to talk to my local pheasants forever chapter to see if they will do anything. I've learned and been very vocal that conservation costs. Much easier to just collect a rent check than it is to constantly be battling weeds, and replacement trees and mother nature. From what i've seen in montana is the native tall grasses that hold up to snow seem to really help provide habitat better than ours. My pasture is worthless for grass cover after the first snow.