New Mexico hunting: units, the draw, seasons and public land

New Mexico's Department of Wildlife (NMDOW, formerly the Department of Game and Fish) runs big game hunting in 70 game management units, 41.6% of their ground public land open to hunting. Its 2026-27 elk hunt codes add up to 22,783 draw licenses and its deer codes to 29,461, and the 2026 draw closed March 18, 2026. NMDGF reports 9,435 deer taken in 2025-26 and 3,434 pronghorn.

Data updated October 2026. Hunts, dates and rules: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 drawing report. Harvest: NMDGF reports to 2025-26. Land: BLM New Mexico, 2026-10.

What can you hunt in New Mexico, and when?

Hunt codes and draw licenses by species for 2026-27. The season span runs from the first opening to the last closing date of the drawn hunts; private-land and off-range licenses can run longer. First-choice applicants add up each hunt's first choices in the 2026 draw, so each applicant counts once per species.

Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information. Draw: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report. Each hunt code has its own dates.

When is the New Mexico draw?

For 2026-27, applications for Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, ibex, javelina, pronghorn and oryx draw licenses closed March 18, 2026 at 5 p.m. MDT, and big game results came out April 22, 2026 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 10). Bear and turkey draw permits closed February 11, 2026. NMDOW has not published the 2027 dates.

Source: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 10.

How does the New Mexico draw work?

New Mexico sells deer, elk, pronghorn, oryx, ibex, Barbary sheep and bighorn sheep hunts through one public draw. Every hunt has a hunt code, such as ELK-1-132: the species, then the weapon (1 is any legal big-game sporting arm, 2 is bow only, 3 is muzzleloader, crossbow or bow), then the hunt (2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 30).

Before applying, a hunter buys a 2026-27 Game-Hunting License (resident $25, nonresident $90) and, if he needs one, the Habitat Management and Access Validation; each draw fee includes a nonrefundable application fee of $7 for residents and $13 for nonresidents (pages 16 to 18).

There are no preference points: New Mexico gives no preference to applicants who did not draw before (page 18). Of the draw licenses, at least 84% go to residents, 10% to applicants using a New Mexico registered outfitter and 6% to nonresidents without an outfitter. Antlerless elk hunts and hunts held only on wildlife management areas go 100% to residents (page 18).

New Mexico's hunting quadrants

NMDOW groups the units into four quadrants for fourth-choice draw applications (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 52). Each quadrant page lists every unit's public land and hunt codes.

Unit pages: 2A, 2B, 2C, 4, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 6C, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D, 16E, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21A, 21B, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51A, 51B, 52, 53, 54, 55A, 55B, 56, 57, 58, 59.

How much of New Mexico's hunting ground is public?

Inside NMDOW's units, 41.6% of the ground is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: BLM 17.1%, national forest 11.9%, state trust land 11.5%, national wildlife refuge 0.5%, Wildlife Commission land 0.3% and Bureau of Reclamation 0.2%. Another 10.7% is tribal land.

State trust land, BLM land and national forest make up most of the public ground. A Habitat Stamp is required to hunt U.S. Forest Service and BLM land in New Mexico, except on the withdrawn BLM land in Unit 28 (page 14).

Tribal land is not open under a state license; each tribe sets its own hunting rules. Military land is closed except for the special hunts NMDOW lists, such as oryx on White Sands Missile Range.

State Wildlife Commission lands open to hunting: Edward Sargent, Marquez/L-Bar, W.A. Humphries, Rio Chama, Water Canyon, Colin Neblett, Elliott Barker, Urraca, Bernardo, La Joya, Jackson Lake, Charette Lakes, McAllister Lake, Wagon Mound Lake, Socorro-Escondida, Prairie Chicken, W.S. Huey. Private land leased for public use: Open Gate.

Questions hunters ask

Do you need a license to apply for a New Mexico elk or deer draw?

Yes. NMDOW requires a nonrefundable 2026-27 Game-Hunting License (or Game-Hunting and Fishing License) and the Habitat Management and Access Validation where it applies before a draw application for Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, ibex, javelina, oryx or pronghorn (2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 18).

Does New Mexico have preference points?

No. NMDOW says New Mexico does not grant preference to previously unsuccessful applicants (2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 18). Each draw is a fresh draw within the resident, outfitter and nonresident shares.

How many New Mexico draw licenses go to nonresidents?

NMDOW sets aside 6% of draw licenses for nonresidents applying without an outfitter and 10% for residents and nonresidents applying with a New Mexico registered outfitter; at least 84% go to residents. Antlerless elk and WMA-only hunts are for residents only (page 18).

When is the New Mexico big game draw deadline?

For the 2026-27 season the deadline for Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, ibex, javelina, pronghorn and oryx draw licenses was March 18, 2026, before 5 p.m. MDT, and NMDOW posted big game draw results on April 22, 2026 (page 10). NMDOW has not published the 2027 dates yet.

What is the difference between GMU and unit in New Mexico?

They are the same thing. NMDOW divides the state into 70 game management units (GMUs), numbered 1 to 59 with letters for split units such as 2A, 16B and 55A. A hunt code lists the unit or units it is valid in.

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