The full picture · 5 sources

North Dakota closes 4 deer hunting units ahead of gun season due to EHD outbreak

Updated Oct 20, 11:11 PM CT. Every fact below links to the source that reported it.

What the primary sources show

North Dakota Game and Fish announced the closure of four deer hunting units to antlerless whitetail harvest ahead of the 2026 deer gun season in response to an epizootic hemorrhagic disease outbreak. [Bismarck Tribune] [KFYR-TV] [Bismarck Source]
The four closed units are 3C, 3E1, 3E2, and 3F2, located in the southern and south-central parts of the state. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
Game and Fish director Jeb Williams reported that approximately 400 deer have been affected by the EHD outbreak so far this year. [KFYR-TV]
Roughly 350 hunters will be sidelined from harvesting antlerless deer in the closed units. [KFYR-TV]
The state previously experienced a significant EHD outbreak in 2021 that resulted in over 1000 license refund requests. [KFYR-TV]

The exact date when the 2026 deer gun season begins
How many hunters have requested license refunds so far this season
When the four closed units will reopen or what criteria Game and Fish will use to determine reopening

Bismarck Community Buzz (public group): Community discussion post announcing that Armstrong and Williams are discussing changes to the hunting season. Read it →
Bismarck Tribune: Straightforward announcement from Game and Fish of the four unit closures to protect the whitetail population during the EHD outbreak. Read it → · Paywall
KFYR-TV: News report emphasizing the number of affected hunters and including statements from Governor Armstrong and director Williams about the need for short-term restrictions to benefit long-term population recovery. Read it → · Ads
KX News: Brief report noting that hunters have the option to return deer tags as Game and Fish continues monitoring dead deer. Read it → · Ads
Bismarck Source: Detailed explanation of all closure and refund policy details, including specific unit numbers, license types affected, and how hunters can apply for refunds or bonus points. Read it →

701 News writes these summaries from the sources above and checks every sentence against them. Read the originals for the full reporting. Corrections