Unit M5

The Forest River and its North, Middle, and South branches serve as primary navigation features and moose corridors, with Whisky Creek and Salt Water Coulee offering secondary drainage systems. McHugh Slough, Lake Miller, and Kellys Slough Reservoir anchor water-based reference points across the unit. Cleveland Park provides a terrestrial landmark in the western portion.

County ditches (Numbers 3, 11, 12, 13, 19, and 32) supplement the natural drainage network and offer glassing opportunities across otherwise monotonous prairie. These man-made and natural waterways function as both travel corridors and concentration points for moose seeking water and browse.

The unit occupies low-elevation prairie entirely below 1,600 feet, creating uniformly gentle terrain. Sparse forest coverage (roughly 1%) clusters primarily around creek drainages and lake margins, while the dominant landscape is open agricultural land interspersed with wetlands. Grasslands transition to cattail marshes and willow bottoms along the Forest River system and tributary creeks.

This low, wet country supports thick riparian corridors that provide cover and browse in an otherwise open prairie matrix. The habitat composition is largely non-forested grassland and wetland—ideal for moose that utilize the dense brush and accessible water.

The unit benefits from an extensive road network (2.74 miles per mile—exceptionally high density), with major highways and county roads connecting small communities throughout. This connected infrastructure makes the entire unit accessible by vehicle, with minimal backcountry travel required. However, 98% of the land is private, meaning hunters must secure permission to access most areas.

The road density suggests moderate hunting pressure in accessible areas near communities, but the vast size and abundant moose habitat means significant country remains lightly hunted away from main highway corridors. Strategic scouting and landowner relations are essential.

Unit M5 spans roughly 1,716 square miles of northeastern North Dakota prairie country, anchored by the Forest River drainage system and scattered communities including Whitman, Petersburg, and Fordville. The landscape sits entirely below 1,600 feet elevation—true prairie terrain with minimal topographic relief. Adjacent to Grand Forks Air Force Base and the Minnesota border, this unit represents classic northern Great Plains habitat where agricultural operations blend with wetland complexes that define the region's character.

The terrain is remarkably consistent throughout—flat to gently rolling with water as the dominant landscape feature.

Water abundance is the unit's defining feature. The Forest River system dominates, flowing through multiple branches and creating extensive riparian habitat. Numerous named lakes—including Lake Miller, Fiske Lake, Rose Lake, Lake Laretta, and Clear Lake—provide permanent water.

Sloughs and reservoirs (Kellys Slough, Lake Ardoch) and man-made ditches create a dense network of water sources across the prairie. This exceptional water availability makes moose habitat highly favorable, as animals can access drink and browse-rich wetland margins throughout the unit. Seasonal water fluctuations in sloughs and ditches are common; permanent lakes and the main river channel provide reliable sources.

M5 is moose country first and foremost. The Forest River system and its tributaries provide prime moose habitat—dense riparian brush, reliable water, and minimal human development across much of the drainage. Early season hunting should focus on river bottoms and slough margins where moose concentrate to feed on aquatic vegetation and willow.

The numerous lakes offer glassing opportunities from distance, particularly dawn and dusk when animals move to feed. Midseason, look to thicker brush cover away from roads. Late season, water sources become critical as temperatures drop.

Hunt drainages systematically, using the road network to access different creek and river sections. Patience and willingness to negotiate private land access will determine success in this accessible but heavily privatized landscape.