Hunt Zone 4D, North Dakota

Zone 4D spans northwestern flatland farmland transitioning sharply into extremely rugged Badlands south of Golva and Bosserman Lake. The unit straddles the Little Missouri River, with steep coulees, eroded buttes, and deep drainages on both sides. Elevations range from 2,300 to 3,400 feet. Creek bottoms hold thick deciduous timber (aspen, oak, cottonwood), while brushy draws of buckbrush and juniper cover the breaks. The oil-patch road network provides unusually good vehicle access for such rugged terrain. The Little Missouri River corridor is the heart of mule deer range; draw bottoms and western badland edges along State Trust Lands and PLOTS hold whitetails.

Public land comprises approximately 34.5% of the unit. The dominant public block is the Little Missouri National Grassland (administered by USDA Forest Service Dakota Prairie Grasslands), which totals over 1 million acres statewide and runs continuously through Zone 4D's southern Badlands along both sides of the Little Missouri River. PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) parcels supplement grassland access — walk-in only, marked with yellow signs. State Trust Lands add additional scattered acres. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (South Unit near Medora, North Unit near Watford City) is within or adjacent to the zone but is closed to hunting. Oil industry roads have improved backcountry access compared to most Badlands units. The Little Missouri River Valley south of Medora and south of Sentinel Butte Village are noted hunter-access focal points.

Badlands sagebrush steppe and mixed-grass prairie on uplands; dense deciduous timber (cottonwood, ash, aspen, oak) in river and creek bottoms; buckbrush and juniper thickets in mid-slope draws; flat agricultural fields (wheat, sunflowers, corn) on the northwestern farmland fringe. The varied structure creates excellent edge habitat but concentrates deer in private bottom-ground during heavy pressure.

Mule deer are most concentrated within 5 miles on either side of the Little Missouri River, using creek drainages for travel corridors between butte feeding areas and river-bottom cover. Whitetails use deeper draws and brushy creek systems, concentrating on private agricultural fringe in the northwest portion of the unit during the rut. Deer push onto public land during gun pressure. By the second week of gun season, heavily pressured public areas adjacent to private land can go nearly empty as deer retreat to remote terrain or private holdings.

Zone 4D is described by experienced hunters as an exceptional dual-species unit — quality mule deer in the river corridor and solid whitetail numbers on the agricultural fringe. However, hunting pressure is notably high: public land adjacent to private is described as getting 'the holy hell pounded out of it' by both whitetail and mule deer hunters, and by end of the first week sections of good public country can hold almost no deer. Hunters with only 2-4 days are cautioned to weigh going home empty-handed as a real possibility on public land alone. Units 4A, 4B, and 4C to the north reportedly hold larger whitetail bucks; 4D compensates with higher deer numbers due to agricultural land mixing. Mule deer bucks in the Little Missouri corridor are considered high quality. Antlerless whitetail licenses are not offered in 4D for 2026 (conservative herd management). Mule deer antlerless licenses in 4A–4F operate through a separate lottery. Statewide mule deer population was estimated at 14,700 in 2025 (post-survey), down from peak years, trending downward since 2021. Whitetail license holders in 4D must hunt their assigned unit for the first 2.5 days of gun season (Nov 6–8, 2026), then may also hunt adjacent Unit 4E.