Peace Garden News

The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering hunters the option to return their whitetail or “any” deer gun licenses for refunds in five western North Dakota units due to concerns about epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) among white-tailed deer. The affected units are 3E1, 3F1, 3F2, 4E, and 4F. Eligible licenses include antlered whitetail, antlerless whitetail, any antlered, and any antlerless. Hunters who choose to return their licenses will have their bonus points restored to their pre-2025 deer gun lottery levels.

Mason Ryckman, wildlife health biologist for the department, explained that the decision follows reports of EHD-related deer deaths beginning in early September. “This outbreak appears mild,” Ryckman said. “We see a low level of EHD most years. It typically stays fairly localized, but every so often it can intensify into a significant die-off. The combined outbreak in 2020 and 2021 was probably the worst in memory, with extensive mortality across much of western North Dakota. Similar to 2024, we’re nowhere close to that level, but we have received around 20 reports, primarily focused across Bowman and Adams counties. We’re hopeful that the few nights with temperatures in the 20s this past week helped slow things down, but it typically takes a series of hard frosts to kill the gnats and completely end an outbreak.”

The department will continue monitoring the situation and may expand refund eligibility if necessary. Hunters and landowners are encouraged to report dead deer using the department’s online wildlife mortality reporting system at gf.nd.gov/mortality-report.

“It is important to make note of the location and the approximate number of animals found,” Ryckman said. “In some cases, we may need to collect samples off fresh carcasses, so it is important to notify the department as soon as possible.”