Dakota Prairie National Grasslands

Recreational Activities - Hunting

Hunting on the Grasslands

National Grasslands are open for public hunting under the North Dakota Game and Fish or the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks regulations. 

Some suggestions on finding a place to hunt in the National Grasslands:

Using Species Distribution Maps for either North Dakota or South Dakota, pick an area to hunt. Perhaps you want to combine a duck hunt with a pheasant hunt. We suggest you choose an area that has overlapping ranges for the two species.

National Grasslands Maps are useful when hunting in or near the Grasslands. These maps show the location of state, federal, and private lands in the National Grasslands. Maps are $9.00 and $10.00 for water proof per copy.

Once you have maps in hand, you can locate the public lands. This will get you started hunting on your arrival. Then, we suggest contacting area landowners for permission to hunt on the privately owned land.

State school land, administered by the North Dakota Land Department or the South Dakota Office of School and Public Lands, may be open to public hunting. Check their websites to find out which tracts are closed and how they must be posted.

There is a new policy on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands that confines motorized vehicles (except snowmobiles) to approved roads and trails only. This includes the Little Missouri, Sheyenne, Grand River and Cedar River National Grasslands.

Previously, big game hunters could retrieve animals by driving off-trail on untraveled terrain. Campers and waterfowl hunters could also drive off-trail to reach favored locations. However, effective July 1, 2001, off-trail driving is no longer allowed, except for limited administrative or management purposes.

For the Little Missouri National Grasslands, current policy confines motorized vehicles (except snowmobiles) to existing roads and trails only. Guidelines in determining an existing trail under the new travel policy include:

• A two-track trail with bare dirt in the wheel tracks and grass in the middle.

• Vehicles may travel on existing routes where plants grow in obvious wheel depressions.

• ATVs may drive within a two-track road or trail, if the road is wider than the vehicle.

• Vehicles of any kind may not drive on two-track trails that are narrower than the vehicle.

• Game and livestock trails are not suitable pathways for motorcycles.

• Established motorcycle trails are not suitable for four-wheeled types of vehicles.

A complete copy of the OHV brochure is available online at http://www.mt.blm.gov/ea/ohv/FSbrochure.pdf
or at any Forest Service office.

SPECIAL NOTE: Weather on the National Grasslands can change in minutes. Always pack proper gear for any eventuality as it can go from +50F to -20F overnight during the hunting seasons.

US Forest Service - Dakota Prairie Grasslands
Last Modified: Tuesday, 23 December 2008 at 13:04:22 EST