Hunt Zone 3E1, North Dakota

Zone 3E1 spans 2,028 square miles at elevations of 2,100–2,850 feet in Slope County, southwestern North Dakota. Topography is characterized by mixed-grass prairie rolling into badlands-style sandstone buttes and coulees, with numerous creek drainages cutting through the unit. Brushy draws lined with cottonwood and willow mark the creek bottoms, while the uplands are dominated by short- to mid-grass prairie transitioning to dryland crop agriculture. The unit sits at the eastern edge of the Badlands physiographic zone — the northwest corner is roughly 7 miles from Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and the western boundary is approximately 5 miles from the primary mule deer range of the Little Missouri Badlands. Wetland waterfowl production areas (WPAs) are scattered across the unit.

Public land coverage is low at approximately 2.9% of the unit. Public access consists primarily of scattered State Trust Land parcels and PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) walk-in areas, which are the most practical access point for non-landowner hunters. The Little Missouri National Grassland provides 5,000+ acres of public access within 15 miles west of New England, ND, near the unit's western fringe. The only NDGF Wildlife Management Area wholly within Slope County is Speck Davis Pond (159 acres, located approximately 9 miles west and then north of Amidon). USFWS Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) add additional scattered public acres. PLOTS acreage fluctuates annually; the statewide PLOTS program enrolled roughly 880,000 acres for the 2025 season. Hunters are advised to use current NDGF PLOTS guide maps and onX or similar tools to locate active walk-in parcels each season.

Uplands: Northern mixed-grass prairie dominated by western wheatgrass, blue grama, and needlegrass; some CRP and idle grassland. Creek/draw corridors: cottonwood, green ash, and buffaloberry with understory of wolfberry and wild plum thickets — primary whitetail bedding cover. Agricultural fields: winter wheat, spring wheat, sunflowers, and alfalfa provide high-calorie forage. Badlands fringe: sparse sagebrush and Rocky Mountain juniper on exposed sandstone benches favored by mule deer.

Whitetail deer concentrate in creek and river bottom corridors, particularly during early morning and evening feeding movements to adjacent wheat and alfalfa fields. Mule deer activity is most pronounced in the badlands and coulee terrain in the western third of the unit, with animals moving between thermal cover in sandstone breaks and open grassland feeding areas. During the rut (peak mid-November), bucks range widely across prairie uplands linking creek bottom bedding areas. EHD (Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease) events — transmitted by biting midges near water sources in late summer — periodically affect whitetail populations; a localized 2025 EHD outbreak in 3E1 prompted NDGF to offer tag refunds and preference point restorations.

Zone 3E1 is a lottery-draw unit for all deer license types (gun and muzzleloader). Tags are allocated via a weighted preference point system — unsuccessful applicants accumulate bonus points improving future draw odds. The 2026 season saw a statewide reduction to 39,100 total deer licenses, the lowest in over 50 years, reflecting conservative management posture. A 2025 EHD event in 3E1 (and neighboring units 3F1, 3F2, 4E, 4F) led NDGF to offer refunds; hunters should monitor pre-season population surveys. The unit is well-suited to hunters targeting mature whitetail bucks in creek bottom habitat, or those willing to push into the western badlands fringe for mule deer. Resident and non-resident hunters are both eligible to apply. Archery season is over-the-counter for residents; non-resident archery requires a draw (application window April 15–May 15). 2026 gun season: Nov 6 (noon) – Nov 22. 2026 muzzleloader: Nov 27 (noon) – Dec 13. Archery: Sep 4 (noon) – Jan 3.