Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 17: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer hunt codes in Unit 17, 6 of them drawn with 470 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (page 58). In the 2026 draw, 2,368 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 470 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 521 licenses sold, 474 hunters reporting, a 36% success rate, 164 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 17 hunts.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 drawing report. Harvest: NMDGF reports to 2025-26.
National forestBLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeUnit 17Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 17 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (6 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 470 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 2,368 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 164 (164 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 36% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 73.8% (778,238 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 17 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 17, with the code's own 2025-26 result where NMDGF reported one under the same code and units.
| Hunt code | Weapon | Dates, 2026-27 | Bag limit | Licenses | Who may apply | 2025-26 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DER-2-204 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 25% success, 15 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-206 | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 22% success, 14 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-201 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 51% success, 38 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-202 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 36% success, 24 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-203 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 80 | youth only | 80 sold, 62% success, 44 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-205 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 16% success, 11 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 17 deer in 2026?
2,368 applicants put one of these 6 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 470 licenses; 265 of them drew on that first choice. The share is NMDOW's 2026 result, not a forecast for another year.
| Hunt code | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn on first choice | Share of first-choice applicants who drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DER-2-204 | 75 | 118 | 52 | 44.1% |
| DER-3-206 | 80 | 199 | 46 | 23.1% |
| DER-1-201 | 80 | 1,267 | 58 | 4.6% |
| DER-1-202 | 80 | 357 | 34 | 9.5% |
| DER-1-203 | 80 | 246 | 43 | 17.5% |
| DER-2-205 | 75 | 181 | 32 | 17.7% |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report. Applicants and licenses drawn on second and third choices are on each hunt code's page.
How many deer are taken in Unit 17?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 17 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 521 licenses sold, 474 hunters reporting, a 36% success rate, 164 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 521 | 474 | 36% | 164 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 531 | 490 | 33% | 152 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 537 | 480 | 35% | 163 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 530 | 478 | 40% | 189 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 541 | 489 | 36% | 169 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 557 | 518 | 40% | 202 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 554 | 499 | 41% | 200 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 567 | 499 | 45% | 235 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 565 | 509 | 49% | 255 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 554 | 514 | 47% | 235 | 0 |
Source: NMDOW deer harvest reports, the printed area totals (public-land hunt codes and, where NMDGF counts them in the total, private-land licenses).
How much public land is in Unit 17?
73.8% of Unit 17 is public land, 778,238 of 1,054,864 acres, most of it national forest (483,762 acres), measured from the BLM New Mexico surface management agency map (read 2026-10). The unit page has the map, highways, towns and neighbors: Unit 17.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 17?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer hunt codes for Unit 17 with 470 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 17?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 36% success rate for the Unit 17 deer hunts as a whole: 474 hunters reported and 164 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 33% to 49%.
When is deer season in Unit 17 in 2026?
The Unit 17 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Jan 1, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 31 and any legal weapon hunts start Nov 7, Nov 14 and Nov 21 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 17?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. Statewide, at least 84% of draw licenses go to residents, 10% to applicants with a registered outfitter and 6% to nonresidents without one, and antlerless elk and WMA-only hunts are for residents (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 18).