While this unit is primarily known as a waterfowl haven, there are also a bunch of places to find deer. Creeks, wetlands, and croplands create great opportunities for the DIY whitetail hunter. There are a lot of public access places and hunters willing to put in the time are likely to find the deer.

Many habitat types are found throughout the unit and deer can inhabit any of them. Cover ground and pay close attention to landownerships maps while scouting. Even the smallest bit of habitat can hold animals.

This unit is primarily in North Dakota’s Northern Coteau region and features many coulees and pothole ponds, especially in the northeastern portion of the unit. This makes it a popular nesting area for waterfowl. The primary downfall here is cover, there are very few areas in this unit that have thick groves of native trees. Old Johns Lake Wildlife Management Area is in the north-central part of the unit. The McClusky Canal also cuts through the area. On both sides, there are large rows of planted trees that will provide cover and be a good bedding area for resident whitetails. Hunters that are willing to put in a little extra effort to scout out all of the nooks and crannies will have a better chance of success.

Much of this unit is either agricultural property, both livestock pasture and cropland, or wetlands with native grasses. The steep ridges and some coulees and draws feature primarily cottonwood, with some scattered aspen and birch trees. Native tree patches in Unit 2J1 are scarce for the most part.

This unit has great access via highways and county roads that will get you close to most areas. Highway 36 cuts right through the middle of the unit, running east and west. There are a few areas in the region that don’t have marked roads, but in general, the public land portions are small, and accessing them on foot is not too difficult. However, there are some rugged areas that will require a good amount of hiking to get into. While public opportunities are not in short supply, the majority of the land is private, and getting to know which landowners allow hunting will provide a better opportunity at success. While there are many plots of public access, most of them are small. One such area that provides excellent opportunities for whitetail hunting is the Wilton Mine Wildlife Management Area in the east part of the state. It is small but has thick groves of trees surrounding small ponds that provide excellent opportunities for a patient whitetail hunter. In the northwest portion of the unit, the Art Brazda Wildlife Management Area is made up of close to 1,000 public access acres. It is surrounded by more public access to both the north and the south, making up a large chunk of public access. Hunters who are looking to get off the beaten path may hunt here. Unit 2J1 offers a lot of public access areas, even though the majority of them are pretty small. Although the majority of the unit is agricultural land, and trees are virtually nonexistent outside of the creek bottoms and a few select areas, the abundance of public access and steep ridges in a variety of locations make this a worthwhile unit.

The unit is bordered by Bismark on its southeast corner. As the capital of North Dakota, Bismark has numerous places to stay. If you want to stay closer to the northern end of the unit there are several small towns with lodging options, such as McClusky. Primitive camping on most WMAs is allowed, but make sure to check restrictions for each specific WMA.