Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 33: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 deer hunt codes in Unit 33, 7 of them drawn with 560 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (page 63). In the 2026 draw, 2,368 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 560 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 665 licenses sold, 594 hunters reporting, a 27% success rate, 163 bucks and 2 does taken on the Unit 33 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 refugeState parkMilitary landUnit 33Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 33 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (7 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 560 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 2,368 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 165 (163 bucks, 2 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 27% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 57.9% (842,107 acres) |
| Residents only | 2 of the 7 codes |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 33 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 33, 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-2-314 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 60 | Any applicant | 60 sold, 13% success, 6 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-316 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs, restricted muzzleloader only | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 140 | Any applicant | 140 sold, 15% success, 19 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-312 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 34% success, 46 bucks, 2 does |
| DER-1-313 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 30% success, 41 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-317 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs, Huey WMA only | muzzleloader | Nov 21-29 | Any male or female of a big-game species | 5 | residents only / youth only | 5 sold, 20% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| DER-3-318 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs, Huey WMA only | muzzleloader | Dec 26-Jan 1 | Antlerless deer | 5 | residents only / youth only | 2 sold, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-315 | including Prairie Chicken WMAs | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 30% success, 14 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 33 deer in 2026?
2,368 applicants put one of these 7 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 560 licenses; 335 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-2-314 | 60 | 47 | 22 | 46.8% |
| DER-3-316 | 140 | 73 | 54 | 74% |
| DER-1-312 | 150 | 1,273 | 131 | 10.3% |
| DER-1-313 | 150 | 556 | 76 | 13.7% |
| DER-3-317 | 5 | 17 | 4 | 23.5% |
| DER-3-318 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| DER-2-315 | 50 | 401 | 47 | 11.7% |
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 33?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 33 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 665 licenses sold, 594 hunters reporting, a 27% success rate, 163 bucks and 2 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 665 | 594 | 27% | 163 | 2 |
| 2024-25 | 677 | 614 | 37% | 222 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 691 | 607 | 33% | 201 | 3 |
| 2022-23 | 671 | 595 | 28% | 171 | 3 |
| 2021-22 | 704 | 615 | 19% | 119 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | 747 | 674 | 51% | 339 | 6 |
| 2019-20 | 691 | 617 | 45% | 284 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 702 | 606 | 42% | 256 | 7 |
| 2017-18 | 699 | 619 | 42% | 262 | 3 |
| 2016-17 | 672 | 581 | 44% | 271 | 1 |
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 33?
57.9% of Unit 33 is public land, 842,107 of 1,453,922 acres, most of it BLM (528,735 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 33.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 33?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 deer hunt codes for Unit 33 with 560 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 33?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 27% success rate for the Unit 33 deer hunts as a whole: 594 hunters reported and 165 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 19% to 51%.
When is deer season in Unit 33 in 2026?
The Unit 33 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Jan 1, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 24, Nov 21 and Dec 26 and any legal weapon hunts start Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 33?
Yes, for 5 of the drawn codes. 2 are for residents only. 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).