sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Mon, 10/19/2026
State officials announce several conservative strategies in southwestern and south-central North Dakota in response to a recent epizootic hemorrhagic disease outbreak in white-tailed deer to safeguard an already slow-to-rebound population.
“We know how important deer hunting season is to North Dakotans, and we're doing everything we can to make these changes as targeted as possible while protecting the long-term health of our deer herds,” Gov. Armstrong said. “Our deer population is still recovering from the devastating losses in 2021, and this latest outbreak of EHD is another serious setback. Every doe that survives this season gives us a better chance to rebuild the herd. These are difficult decisions, but taking action now is the right thing to do for the long-term future of deer hunting in North Dakota.”
Effective immediately, North Dakota Game and Fish Department announces the following deer season updates:
Hunters are encouraged to view the EHD mortality map on the Game and Fish website before deciding whether or not to turn in a license. Additional units beyond where EHD has been detected so far are eligible for returns to account for any reports that come in between now and the deer gun season. EHD can be inconsistent within a deer gun unit, therefore it may be best to check with local landowners or contacts.
The last severe EHD outbreak in North Dakota was 2021 and was said to be on par with the worst that wildlife biologists had experienced in terms of EHD attributed mortality.
“While the number of reports received and mortality observed this year are considerably less than in 2021, it’s concerning, especially given how few deer were on the landscape to start this year compared to then,” said Jeb Williams, Game and Fish director.
EHD is a naturally occurring virus spread by biting midges that is often fatal to whitetails, and less commonly to mule deer, pronghorn and elk. EHD is no newcomer to the landscape as Game and Fish officials reported the state’s first documented outbreak in 1962.
For more information on EHD, including a map of these changes, visit the department’s website at gf.nd.gov.
State officials announce several conservative strategies in southwestern and south-central North Dakota in response to a recent epizootic hemorrhagic disease outbreak in white-tailed deer to safeguard an already slow-to-rebound population.
“We know how important deer hunting season is to North Dakotans, and we're doing everything we can to make these changes as targeted as possible while protecting the long-term health of our deer herds,” Gov. Armstrong said. “Our deer population is still recovering from the devastating losses in 2021, and this latest outbreak of EHD is another serious setback. Every doe that survives this season gives us a better chance to rebuild the herd. These are difficult decisions, but taking action now is the right thing to do for the long-term future of deer hunting in North Dakota.”
Effective immediately, North Dakota Game and Fish Department announces the following deer season updates:
- The harvest of antlerless white-tailed deer in deer gun units 3C, 3E1, 3E2 and 3F2 shall be prohibited. This restriction includes all license types (youth, muzzleloader, deer gun, deer bow and gratis). Antlerless white-tailed deer gun licenses for those units are no longer valid and hunters who hold those licenses will automatically be refunded.
- Hunters with whitetail licenses (any antlered, any antlerless, antlered whitetail and antlerless whitetail) in units 2H, 2I, 3B3, 3C, 3D1, 3D2, 3E1, 3E2, 3F1, 3F2, 4D, 4E and 4F or hunters with a muzzleloader license, have the option of turning those licenses in for a refund and restored bonus points or donating the license fee and earning a bonus point, if applicable. Hunters who opt to turn in a license need to do so prior to the deer gun season and indicate which option.
Hunters are encouraged to view the EHD mortality map on the Game and Fish website before deciding whether or not to turn in a license. Additional units beyond where EHD has been detected so far are eligible for returns to account for any reports that come in between now and the deer gun season. EHD can be inconsistent within a deer gun unit, therefore it may be best to check with local landowners or contacts.
The last severe EHD outbreak in North Dakota was 2021 and was said to be on par with the worst that wildlife biologists had experienced in terms of EHD attributed mortality.
“While the number of reports received and mortality observed this year are considerably less than in 2021, it’s concerning, especially given how few deer were on the landscape to start this year compared to then,” said Jeb Williams, Game and Fish director.
EHD is a naturally occurring virus spread by biting midges that is often fatal to whitetails, and less commonly to mule deer, pronghorn and elk. EHD is no newcomer to the landscape as Game and Fish officials reported the state’s first documented outbreak in 1962.
For more information on EHD, including a map of these changes, visit the department’s website at gf.nd.gov.