Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 29: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes in Unit 29, 5 of them drawn with 520 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (page 62). In the 2026 draw, 168 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 520 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 531 licenses sold, 475 hunters reporting, a 9% success rate, 37 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 29 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.
BLMState trust landUnit 29Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 29 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (5 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 520 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 168 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 37 (37 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 9% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 84% (635,066 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 29 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 29, 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-2-291 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 6% success, 2 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-293 | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 70 | Any applicant | 70 sold, 11% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-289 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 10% success, 11 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-290 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 9% success, 12 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-292 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 12% success, 5 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 29 deer in 2026?
168 applicants put one of these 5 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 520 licenses; 119 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-2-291 | 100 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| DER-3-293 | 70 | 4 | 4 | 100% |
| DER-1-289 | 150 | 76 | 47 | 61.8% |
| DER-1-290 | 150 | 68 | 53 | 77.9% |
| DER-2-292 | 50 | 17 | 12 | 70.6% |
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 29?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 29 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 531 licenses sold, 475 hunters reporting, a 9% success rate, 37 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 531 | 475 | 9% | 37 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 533 | 481 | 19% | 75 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 529 | 465 | 16% | 60 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 577 | 515 | 15% | 65 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 586 | 507 | 11% | 50 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 586 | 547 | 21% | 97 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 590 | 517 | 18% | 81 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 587 | 517 | 12% | 56 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 582 | 526 | 20% | 92 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 582 | 521 | 23% | 109 | 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 29?
84% of Unit 29 is public land, 635,066 of 756,258 acres, most of it BLM (459,195 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 29.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 29?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes for Unit 29 with 520 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 29?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 9% success rate for the Unit 29 deer hunts as a whole: 475 hunters reported and 37 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 9% to 23%.
When is deer season in Unit 29 in 2026?
The Unit 29 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Jan 1, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 24 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 31 and Nov 14 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 29?
Yes, for 5 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).