Predictions for deer season 26

[fly2cast]

Curious what your predictions are for the amount of tags for the 26 ND deer season. More, less or the same as 25? I saw so few deer last year with many hours in the field that I think it's going to be quite a bit less unfortunately.

 

[Rut2much]

https://kfgo.com/2026/03/17/1274556/

No doe tags, bucks harvested have to have 15-16" minimum spread (similar to minimum 50" moose regs elsewhere) and no nr tags for a year and reassess.

 

[Obi-Wan]

Remind us why they shut down Antelope season for a few years in the early 2010s. Did it work ?

 

[Jiffy]

I predict I won’t apply.

 

[bucksnbears]

Cutting tags won't help much for you fellas I'm afraid.

Unless there is new habitat, it's just a bandage.

 

[fly2cast]

They can cut tags. They cut about 100,000 since 2010. I'd like to see what your thoughts are for how many tags there will be based on what you saw last year.

 

[Rut2much]

Hot topics of devils lake going downhill and cancelling deer season just kinda makes me think the ndgf should start gathering what the actual residents opinions are because "this" just isn't working.
You can't just keep catering to everybody while emptying out the cupboards for the guests who don't even live in the house.

 

[KDM]

I predict at least one young man or woman, who is experiencing life's low points will look out over the same ground I hunted for 45 years and have the opportunity to experience one of life's high points from the comfort of a deer blind and this grey beard will enjoy every second of being involved.

 

[wslayer]

G&F are gonna get their money one way or the other. Yes, numbers are down but if we keep losing habitat at the rate we are, its never ever gonna rebound.

 

[LBrandt]

Had more deer winter here than I ever had and I cannot get a tag because they all go gratis. I dont see that changing. LB

 

[NodakBob]

I’m predicting a quarter of beef next fall

 

[measure-it]

Mild winter...low EHD currently...cwd doing pretty good.
No improvement in much-needed habitat.
1st 3 don't count when habitat is as bad as it is!
Bring back soil-bank, crp, incentives to leave decent cover,
sloughs, tree rows, etc. Until then, it's a downward spiral as far as deer & all wildlife numbers.

 

[Skeeter]

No tags!! Closed season because of all of the horrible and evil landowners who won’t let me hunt once a year on their empire of gold.

 

[1lessdog]

My Grandson will shoot his first Deer out of this blind in S.D. And a 7 yr old young hunter from Gwinner shot his first deer out of it last year.

 

[SDMF]

Think I may burn some pref. Points and hunt Antelope this fall, doubt I’ll draw a deer tag.

 

[walleyeman_1875]

My predictions……The G&F will continue to mismanage the deer tag allocation and give out too many doe tags in the units that have low population of deer.

 

[Bacon]

Mild winter...low EHD currently...cwd doing pretty good.
No improvement in much-needed habitat.
1st 3 don't count when habitat is as bad as it is!
Bring back soil-bank, crp, incentives to leave decent cover,
sloughs, tree rows, etc. Until then, it's a downward spiral as far as deer & all wildlife numbers.

So, farmer welfare is good as long as you get a benefit from it? Hunters are conservationist till it comes time to kill something. you want to save it to kill it. Maybe if you really want to see wildlife recover, stop hunting.

 

[Lycanthrope]

its pretty clear that most farmers cannot survive without govt assistance... why not make qualifying for govt handouts conditional on proper land stewardship, which would include dedicating a % of your land as wildlife habitat? Of course this would be 100% optional, but Im guessing most farmers would be happy to do this.

 

[Rut2much]

Deer absolutely everywhere but for some reason you can't even get a tag in the biggest unit in the state unless it's a gratis tag, "things that make you go hmmmmmm..." #f'dup

 

[duckman1302]

Out where I hunt I seen more deer last year than in recent years. Combine that with a mild winter, tags should go up at least in this unit. Judging by the comments we SHOULD see some units increase and some decrease. Time will tell.