Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 37: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes in Unit 37, 5 of them drawn with 1,030 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (page 64). In the 2026 draw, 1,049 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 1,030 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,224 licenses sold, 1,061 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 217 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 37 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 landUnit 37Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 37 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (5 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 1,030 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,049 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 217 (217 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 20% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 38.8% (409,272 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 37 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 37, 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-2-335 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 15% success, 12 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-337 | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 125 | Any applicant | 125 sold, 18% success, 19 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-333 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 365 | Any applicant | 365 sold, 17% success, 55 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-334 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 360 | Any applicant | 360 sold, 15% success, 48 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-336 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 33% success, 24 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 37 deer in 2026?
1,049 applicants put one of these 5 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 1,030 licenses; 503 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-2-335 | 100 | 52 | 41 | 78.8% |
| DER-3-337 | 125 | 77 | 61 | 79.2% |
| DER-1-333 | 365 | 563 | 207 | 36.8% |
| DER-1-334 | 360 | 268 | 148 | 55.2% |
| DER-2-336 | 80 | 89 | 46 | 51.7% |
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 37?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 37 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 1,224 licenses sold, 1,061 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 217 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,224 | 1,061 | 20% | 217 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 1,247 | 1,082 | 26% | 280 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 1,246 | 1,079 | 24% | 267 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 1,270 | 1,085 | 27% | 310 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 1,317 | 1,096 | 24% | 274 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 1,341 | 1,209 | 26% | 302 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 1,353 | 1,170 | 30% | 367 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 1,331 | 1,126 | 33% | 384 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 1,336 | 1,164 | 36% | 436 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 1,408 | 1,161 | 34% | 426 | 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 37?
38.8% of Unit 37 is public land, 409,272 of 1,054,257 acres, most of it national forest (211,013 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 37.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 37?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes for Unit 37 with 1,030 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 37?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 20% success rate for the Unit 37 deer hunts as a whole: 1,061 hunters reported and 217 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 20% to 36%.
When is deer season in Unit 37 in 2026?
The Unit 37 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 64).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 37?
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).