Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 31: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes in Unit 31, 5 of them drawn with 1,325 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (page 62). In the 2026 draw, 2,827 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 1,325 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,670 licenses sold, 1,398 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 483 bucks and 2 does taken on the Unit 31 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 landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationState parkMilitary landOther federal (closed)Unit 31Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 31 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (5 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 1,325 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 2,827 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 485 (483 bucks, 2 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 33% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 48.4% (2,587,901 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 31 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 31 (all of them including Prairie Chicken WMAs), 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-2-302 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 175 | Any applicant | 175 sold, 16% success, 23 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-304 | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 175 | Any applicant | 175 sold, 26% success, 38 bucks, 1 doe |
| DER-1-300 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 440 | Any applicant | 440 sold, 35% success, 135 bucks, 1 doe |
| DER-1-301 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 435 | Any applicant | 435 sold, 33% success, 127 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-303 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 23% success, 20 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 31 deer in 2026?
2,827 applicants put one of these 5 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 1,325 licenses; 794 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-2-302 | 175 | 68 | 60 | 88.2% |
| DER-3-304 | 175 | 111 | 81 | 73% |
| DER-1-300 | 440 | 1,703 | 378 | 22.2% |
| DER-1-301 | 435 | 543 | 197 | 36.3% |
| DER-2-303 | 100 | 402 | 78 | 19.4% |
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 31?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 31 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 1,670 licenses sold, 1,398 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 483 bucks and 2 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,670 | 1,398 | 33% | 483 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | 1,685 | 1,422 | 39% | 600 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 1,726 | 1,409 | 38% | 578 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 1,747 | 1,433 | 33% | 517 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 1,824 | 1,500 | 30% | 480 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 1,908 | 1,636 | 53% | 925 | 2 |
| 2019-20 | 1,873 | 1,564 | 50% | 859 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 1,738 | 1,459 | 50% | 811 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 1,757 | 1,530 | 48% | 776 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 1,708 | 1,455 | 48% | 764 | 2 |
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 31?
48.4% of Unit 31 is public land, 2,587,901 of 5,342,364 acres, most of it state trust land (1,344,260 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 31.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 31?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes for Unit 31 with 1,325 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 31?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 33% success rate for the Unit 31 deer hunts as a whole: 1,398 hunters reported and 485 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 30% to 53%.
When is deer season in Unit 31 in 2026?
The Unit 31 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 Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 31?
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).