Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 27: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 deer hunt codes in Unit 27, 11 of them drawn with 395 licenses, from September 1 to January 31, 2027 (pages 61 and 62). In the 2026 draw, 636 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 395 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 423 licenses sold, 389 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 64 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 27 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 landMilitary landUnit 27Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 27 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 11 (11 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 395 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 31, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 636 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 64 (64 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 20% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 67.5% (447,402 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 27 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 27, 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-2-281 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 0% success, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-282 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 0% success, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-285 | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 40 | Any applicant | 38 sold, 4% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| DER-3-286 | muzzleloader | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 21% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-276 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 19% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-277 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 18% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-278 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 26% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-279 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 25 | youth only | 25 sold, 48% success, 10 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-280 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-13 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 22% success, 5 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-283 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered mule deer | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 16% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-284 | bow | Jan 16-31 | Fork-antlered white-tailed deer | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 18% success, 5 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 61 and 62. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 27 deer in 2026?
636 applicants put one of these 11 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 395 licenses; 161 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-2-281 | 30 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| DER-2-282 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 50% |
| DER-3-285 | 40 | 5 | 5 | 100% |
| DER-3-286 | 50 | 11 | 11 | 100% |
| DER-1-276 | 50 | 73 | 34 | 46.6% |
| DER-1-277 | 50 | 23 | 16 | 69.6% |
| DER-1-278 | 40 | 167 | 25 | 15% |
| DER-1-279 | 25 | 40 | 13 | 32.5% |
| DER-1-280 | 25 | 246 | 19 | 7.7% |
| DER-2-283 | 30 | 36 | 20 | 55.6% |
| DER-2-284 | 40 | 28 | 12 | 42.9% |
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 27?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 27 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 423 licenses sold, 389 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 64 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 423 | 389 | 20% | 64 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 430 | 388 | 32% | 108 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 438 | 395 | 33% | 108 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 403 | 372 | 31% | 109 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 397 | 361 | 37% | 117 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 409 | 381 | 39% | 133 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 394 | 356 | 30% | 94 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 425 | 391 | 36% | 128 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 422 | 375 | 38% | 128 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 413 | 371 | 34% | 110 | 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 27?
67.5% of Unit 27 is public land, 447,402 of 662,898 acres, most of it BLM (250,223 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 27.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 27?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 deer hunt codes for Unit 27 with 395 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 61 and 62).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 27?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 20% success rate for the Unit 27 deer hunts as a whole: 389 hunters reported and 64 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 20% to 39%.
When is deer season in Unit 27 in 2026?
The Unit 27 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, pages 61 and 62).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 27?
Yes, for 11 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).