Hunt Zone 3C, North Dakota

Zone 3C covers approximately 1,522 square miles along both banks of the Missouri River centered on Bismarck/Mandan, spanning Burleigh County on the east bank and Morton County on the west bank. Elevations range from roughly 1,650 to 2,200 feet. The Missouri River corridor dominates the character of the unit: the southern and western portions feature steep ridges, buttes, and deeply cut coulees typical of the Missouri Coteau breaks, transitioning to gentler rolling hills and agricultural plains as you move north and east away from the river. Creek drainages — particularly Apple Creek and the Heart River — cut through the eastern portions of the unit with heavily timbered bottoms. Bismarck is the only river crossing within the unit, separating the east-bank and west-bank hunting environments.

Public land comprises approximately 11.4% of the unit, and much of it is difficult to access due to the extreme topography of the Missouri River breaks — many draws are too deep and rugged to be served by roads. Key public land parcels include: Apple Creek Bottoms WMA (1,081 acres, Burleigh County, south of Bismarck off Hwy 1804); Kimball Bottoms WMA (2,877 acres, 6 miles SE of Bismarck); MacLean Bottoms WMA (6,927 acres, 11.5 miles SE of Bismarck — largest accessible block in the unit); Graner Bottoms WMA (3,645 acres, Morton County, 17 miles SE of Mandan); Little Heart Bottoms WMA (666 acres, Morton County, 12.5 miles SE of Mandan); Schmidt Bottoms WMA (1,318 acres, Morton County, near Little Heart). PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) tracts are available in the unit, with decent-sized parcels providing walk-in whitetail hunting particularly east of the river. Lake Oahe (Corps of Engineers) provides some public shoreline access in the southern portion of the unit. Private land dominates; hunters should secure permission well in advance of the season and consult current plat maps.

Thick stands of cottonwood, green ash, and willow line creek bottoms and the immediate Missouri River corridor. Upland draws and coulees hold dense buckbrush, buffaloberry, and mixed-grass prairie. Oats, barley, and wheat are the dominant crops farmed in the unit, providing critical food sources. Grama grass prairies occupy open ridgetops. Heavily forested draws branch off the main river channel and provide thermal cover and bedding habitat for both species year-round. The combination of agricultural fields adjacent to deep, timbered breaks creates ideal edge habitat for mature whitetail bucks.

Whitetail deer follow the cottonwood and ash creek bottoms as movement corridors, staging near agricultural fields at dawn and dusk and retreating into deep draws and timbered coulees during daylight. Mule deer occupy the rougher west-bank terrain and the steeper east-bank ridges, moving along ridge systems. During the November rut, bucks range widely across both the breaks and adjacent cropland. The Missouri River itself is a significant barrier to deer movement — elk and deer do cross but movement is limited, keeping populations somewhat distinct between the two banks. Deer funnel through the narrowest points in the draws and along creek bottoms when transitioning between bedding and feeding areas.

Zone 3C has a specific no-baiting regulation: it is unlawful to hunt over bait or place bait to attract big game in unit 3C west of the Missouri River. The South Bismarck/Mandan Deer Management Zone overlaps portions of the unit near the city limits, with Special Deer-Bow Herd Reduction licenses available for private land in that area after obtaining landowner permission — these do not require draw. EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) impacted several units south and west of the Missouri River in recent years, depressing whitetail populations; hunters should check current NDGF population assessments before applying. Statewide 2025 license allocation was reduced to 42,300 total — the lowest in over 50 years — reflecting ongoing habitat loss and population pressure below objectives in most units. Putting in a significant hike into the deeper breaks away from road access is essential to avoid hunting pressure and encounter quality animals. Unit 3C is split by the Missouri River; Bismarck provides the only vehicle crossing within the unit.