Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 23: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 19 deer hunt codes in Unit 23, 19 of them drawn with 2,125 licenses, from September 1 to January 31, 2027 (page 60). In the 2026 draw, 2,830 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 2,125 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,977 licenses sold, 1,754 hunters reporting, a 22% success rate, 334 bucks and 25 does taken on the Unit 23 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 landWildlife Commission landMilitary landUnit 23Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 23 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 19 (19 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 2,125 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 31, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 2,830 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 359 (334 bucks, 25 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 22% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 63.1% (1,183,461 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 23 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 23, with the code's own 2025-26 result where NMDGF reported one under the same code and units.
| Hunt code | Where | Weapon | Dates, 2026-27 | Bag limit | Licenses | Who may apply | 2025-26 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DER-2-239 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 205 | Any applicant | 205 sold, 20% success, 17 bucks, 13 does |
| DER-2-241 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 15% success, 2 bucks, 7 does |
| DER-2-249 | Burro Mountain Area only | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 20 | Any applicant | 3 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-243 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 225 | Any applicant | 226 sold, 13% success, 23 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-244 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 14% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-251 | Burro Mountain Area only | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 40 | Any applicant | 3 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-252 | Burro Mountain Area only | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 9% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-234 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 450 | Any applicant | 450 sold, 19% success, 73 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-245 | Burro Mountain Area only | any legal weapon | Nov 7-15 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 35 | Any applicant | 2 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-235 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 450 | Any applicant | 450 sold, 16% success, 62 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-236 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 26% success, 22 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-238 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | any legal weapon | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 75 | youth only | 75 sold, 50% success, 33 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-247 | Burro Mountain Area only | any legal weapon | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 25 | youth only | 2 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-237 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | any legal weapon | Dec 5-13 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 55 | Any applicant | 55 sold, 27% success, 12 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-246 | Burro Mountain Area only | any legal weapon | Dec 5-13 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 40 | Any applicant | 1 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-240 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 41% success, 15 bucks, 2 does |
| DER-2-248 | Burro Mountain Area only | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 40 | Any applicant | 5 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-242 | excluding Burro Mountain Area | bow | Jan 16-31 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 14% success, 4 bucks, 1 doe |
| DER-2-250 | Burro Mountain Area only | bow | Jan 16-31 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 50 | Any applicant | 49 sold, 21% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 23 deer in 2026?
2,830 applicants put one of these 19 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 2,125 licenses; 827 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-2-239 | 205 | 73 | 70 | 95.9% |
| DER-2-241 | 100 | 6 | 6 | 100% |
| DER-2-249 | 20 | 16 | 14 | 87.5% |
| DER-3-243 | 225 | 49 | 45 | 91.8% |
| DER-3-244 | 75 | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| DER-3-251 | 40 | 64 | 23 | 35.9% |
| DER-3-252 | 40 | 38 | 26 | 68.4% |
| DER-1-234 | 450 | 497 | 234 | 47.1% |
| DER-1-245 | 35 | 458 | 32 | 7% |
| DER-1-235 | 450 | 167 | 126 | 75.4% |
| DER-1-236 | 100 | 116 | 29 | 25% |
| DER-1-238 | 75 | 65 | 30 | 46.2% |
| DER-1-247 | 25 | 151 | 22 | 14.6% |
| DER-1-237 | 55 | 198 | 36 | 18.2% |
| DER-1-246 | 40 | 571 | 30 | 5.3% |
| DER-2-240 | 50 | 67 | 24 | 35.8% |
| DER-2-248 | 40 | 209 | 32 | 15.3% |
| DER-2-242 | 50 | 27 | 15 | 55.6% |
| DER-2-250 | 50 | 47 | 22 | 46.8% |
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 23?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 23 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 1,977 licenses sold, 1,754 hunters reporting, a 22% success rate, 334 bucks and 25 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,977 | 1,754 | 22% | 334 | 25 |
| 2025-26 | 275 | 275 | 33% | 75 | 3 |
| 2024-25 | 2,294 | 2,057 | 29% | 520 | 25 |
| 2023-24 | 2,273 | 2,018 | 27% | 488 | 19 |
| 2022-23 | 2,233 | 2,011 | 28% | 499 | 26 |
| 2021-22 | 2,263 | 2,018 | 23% | 396 | 15 |
| 2020-21 | 2,287 | 2,098 | 32% | 606 | 19 |
| 2019-20 | 2,238 | 2,069 | 28% | 522 | 18 |
| 2018-19 | 2,329 | 2,109 | 29% | 540 | 22 |
| 2017-18 | 2,133 | 1,922 | 30% | 539 | 11 |
| 2016-17 | 2,525 | 2,283 | 27% | 545 | 18 |
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 23?
63.1% of Unit 23 is public land, 1,183,461 of 1,874,142 acres, most of it national forest (442,123 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 23.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 23?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 19 deer hunt codes for Unit 23 with 2,125 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 23?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 22% success rate for the Unit 23 deer hunts as a whole: 1,754 hunters reported and 359 deer were taken. Across the 11 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 22% to 33%.
When is deer season in Unit 23 in 2026?
The Unit 23 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Jan 1 and Jan 16, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 31 and any legal weapon hunts start Nov 7, Nov 14, Nov 21 and Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 23?
Yes, for 19 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).