North Dakota Pheasant Hunting 2026: Season Dates, PLOTS Program, License Costs & Nonresident Guide

North Dakota pheasant hunting in 2026 typically opens around October 11 and runs into early January. Nonresidents buy OTC licenses totaling about $184, but cannot hunt PLOTS or NDGF WMAs during the first seven days of the season. Plan trips for Day 8 onward for full public access. Always verify final dates at gf.nd.gov when the late-July proclamation publishes.

• Projected opener: ~October 11, 2026 (verify by proclamation)
• Nonresident package: ~$184 (license + stamps)
• Bag: 3 roosters/day; hens protected
• Shooting hours: 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset
• First-week PLOTS/WMA restriction for nonresidents

Quick Facts: North Dakota Pheasant 2026

North Dakota's 2026-27 pheasant season dates are set by proclamation in late July. Dates above are confirmed projections based on the standard season structure (second Saturday of October through early January). Verify final 2026-27 dates at gf.nd.gov once the proclamation is published.

Why North Dakota for Pheasant

North Dakota is the third spoke in the Great Plains pheasant triangle (with South Dakota and Kansas), and it punches well above its population weight as a destination. The state's south-central and southwestern counties — where rolling grassland meets grain farming in Adams, Hettinger, Bowman, Grant, and Sioux counties — support wild pheasant populations that compete with the best anywhere in the region. The North Dakota landscape also provides a combined hunt that few states can match: wild pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, and waterfowl all available concurrently in the same prairie landscape during the fall season.

The PLOTS (Private Lands Open To Sportsmen) program is North Dakota's defining access tool — a landowner incentive program that compensates willing ranchers and farmers for opening their private land to free public hunting. More than 1 million acres are enrolled annually, giving nonresident hunters genuine access to working farm and ranch land without private connections or lease costs.

The one important caveat for nonresidents: North Dakota restricts nonresident access to PLOTS and NDGF Wildlife Management Areas for the first seven days of pheasant season. This isn't a ban — it's a resident-priority window giving North Dakotans first access to the state's public and PLOTS ground before out-of-state hunters can enter. Plan your nonresident trip to arrive after the first-week restriction lifts.

2026 Season Dates

Youth Season

North Dakota's youth pheasant season typically runs two days in early October, immediately before the general opener. Available to youth hunters only. Verify exact 2026 dates at gf.nd.gov when the fall proclamation publishes in late July.

General Season

Approximately October 11, 2026 – January 4, 2027.

North Dakota's general pheasant season historically opens on the second Saturday of October and runs approximately 12 weeks through early January. Final dates are set by proclamation in late July annually. Shooting hours run from 30 minutes before sunrise to sunset.

The 7-Day Nonresident Restriction on PLOTS Lands

This is the regulation that most commonly surprises first-time North Dakota pheasant hunters from out of state. In accordance with NDCC 20.1-08-04.9:

Nonresidents may not hunt on any North Dakota Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas (WMAs) or PLOTS areas during the first seven days of pheasant season.

This restriction applies to all types of hunting during that week, not just pheasants. It covers all land owned or leased by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, and all privately owned land enrolled in the PLOTS program.

What the restriction does NOT prohibit:

• Nonresidents hunting on private land with landowner permission during the first week
• Nonresidents hunting on federal lands (national grasslands, BLM, USFWS lands) during the first week
• Nonresidents hunting on state lands managed by other agencies (state school lands, etc.) during the first week
• Nonresidents who own PLOTS-enrolled land may also hunt that land during the restricted period

Practical impact: Most nonresident pheasant hunters plan trips to North Dakota to begin after the first-week restriction expires. The second weekend of the season and beyond is open to all licensed hunters on all land types.

Bag Limits

• Daily bag limit: 3 roosters (roosters only; hens are protected)
• Statewide limit — no zone restrictions
• Sharp-tailed grouse may be taken concurrently with the same small game license (daily limit 3; verify current season dates and limits at gf.nd.gov)

Licenses and Fees

North Dakota requires several licenses and permits that stack together — budget for the full package:

Total estimated nonresident pheasant hunting cost: approximately $184 before any transaction fees.

Hunter education: Required for hunters born on or after January 1, 1961. Out-of-state certificates accepted. Complete at hunter-ed.com or through NDGF.

Purchase all licenses at gf.nd.gov/licensing or through authorized NDGF license vendors statewide.

Where to Hunt North Dakota Pheasants

Southwest North Dakota: The Premier Zone

Adams, Hettinger, Bowman, and Grant counties in southwest North Dakota are the state's pheasant heartland. This region combines the terrain relief of the Missouri River breaks country with a strong agricultural base — exactly the edge habitat that concentrates wild pheasants. PLOTS acreage in these counties provides substantial public access, but competition on opener weekend is real.

South-Central North Dakota: Strong Habitat, Lower Pressure

Emmons, Logan, McIntosh, and Dickey counties in south-central North Dakota produce solid bird numbers with slightly lower nonresident pressure than the southwestern counties. The CRP grassland and row crop mix here is productive, and PLOTS enrollment is typically strong in these agricultural areas.

Eastern Margin Counties

Ransom, Sargent, and Richland counties on the eastern border produce pheasants where CRP and wetland cover intersect with cropland. Good hunting but generally lower density than the southwest core.

The PLOTS Program

North Dakota's Private Lands Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS) program is the state's primary mechanism for providing hunters access to privately owned agricultural land without a lease or personal relationship with the landowner.

Key facts:

• Over 1 million acres enrolled annually
• Access is free for any licensed hunter (subject to the first-week nonresident restriction)
• PLOTS areas are marked with orange signs on access routes and property corners
• Annual PLOTS Guide and maps are available free from NDGF at gf.nd.gov — download or pick up a physical copy before your trip
• PLOTS enrollment changes annually — use only the current-year map

Combined access: North Dakota's PLOTS lands, NDGF wildlife management areas, and federal ground (Little Missouri National Grassland, federal WMAs) together provide a substantial public hunting footprint across the state's best pheasant counties. The Little Missouri National Grassland in the badlands of western North Dakota also provides public hunting for pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, and deer: fs.usda.gov/main/dpg.

Sharp-Tailed Grouse: A Bonus Species

North Dakota is one of the few remaining states where hunters can realistically encounter wild sharp-tailed grouse in the same areas and during the same season as pheasants. The sharptail season runs concurrently with pheasant season in most of the state. Daily limit is 3 sharptails. Hunters pursuing both species in the same field are a legal combination — just make sure your bag of roosters and sharptails stays within their respective daily limits.

Nonresident Pheasant Hunting in North Dakota

How to Hunt Pheasants in North Dakota as a Nonresident

North Dakota is genuinely accessible for nonresidents — the first-week PLOTS restriction is the key logistical consideration.

What nonresidents need:

• Small Game License: $150
• Habitat Stamp: $12
• General Game and Habitat License: $20
• Hunting and Furbearer Certificate: $2
• Hunter Education Certificate: Required if born on or after January 1, 1961
• Trip timing: Arrive after Day 7 of the season to access PLOTS and WMA public lands

Access strategy for nonresidents:

• Days 1–7: federal lands (national grasslands, USFWS), private land with landowner permission — both fully accessible from Day 1
• Day 8 onward: PLOTS lands, NDGF wildlife management areas fully open
• Plan your trip for the second weekend of the season or later for full access

Combination hunting: North Dakota's location on the Central Flyway also makes it a strong waterfowl destination. A single small game license ($150) covers pheasant, grouse, and waterfowl species — add a Federal Duck Stamp ($25) for waterfowl and the total nonresident combo hunt cost is approximately $209.

Purchase licenses at gf.nd.gov/licensing.

Key Resources

• NDGF Pheasant Hunting (official): gf.nd.gov/hunting/pheasant
• License purchase: gf.nd.gov/licensing
• PLOTS guide and maps: gf.nd.gov/plots
• Little Missouri National Grassland: fs.usda.gov/main/dpg
• Hunter Education: hunter-ed.com

For more pheasant hunting guides by state, visit The Inside Spread State Guides. See our full North Dakota hunting guide for deer and waterfowl opportunities. Also see our South Dakota pheasant hunting guide and Kansas pheasant hunting guide.

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Sources

1. North Dakota Game and Fish Department. "Pheasant Hunting." NDGF, gf.nd.gov/hunting/pheasant. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
2. North Dakota Game and Fish Department. "PLOTS." NDGF, gf.nd.gov/plots. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
3. North Dakota Game and Fish Department. "Licensing." NDGF, gf.nd.gov/licensing. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
4. Unsplash. "Pheasant in Tall Grass." Unsplash, unsplash.com/photos/kl2bfigoXAQ. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
5. Kangas, Lumi. "Pheasant Standing in Snow." Unsplash, unsplash.com/photos/phbk6HiozZo. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.