Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 38: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes in Unit 38, 5 of them drawn with 520 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (page 64). In the 2026 draw, 297 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 520 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 578 licenses sold, 510 hunters reporting, a 15% success rate, 74 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 38 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 landNational Park ServiceUnit 38Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 38 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (5 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 520 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 297 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 74 (74 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 15% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 31.9% (665,610 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 38 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 38, 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-2-340 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 65 | Any applicant | 65 sold, 12% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-342 | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 100 | Any applicant | 104 sold, 9% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-338 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 160 | Any applicant | 160 sold, 3% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-339 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 155 | Any applicant | 155 sold, 16% success, 22 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-341 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 46% success, 16 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 38 deer in 2026?
297 applicants put one of these 5 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 520 licenses; 147 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-2-340 | 65 | 16 | 16 | 100% |
| DER-3-342 | 100 | 25 | 24 | 96% |
| DER-1-338 | 160 | 161 | 58 | 36% |
| DER-1-339 | 155 | 56 | 35 | 62.5% |
| DER-2-341 | 40 | 39 | 14 | 35.9% |
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 38?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 38 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 578 licenses sold, 510 hunters reporting, a 15% success rate, 74 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 578 | 510 | 15% | 74 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 569 | 512 | 17% | 78 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 601 | 533 | 17% | 86 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 646 | 545 | 15% | 83 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 633 | 555 | 14% | 79 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 669 | 609 | 17% | 100 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 695 | 619 | 21% | 134 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 664 | 585 | 21% | 124 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 633 | 566 | 27% | 148 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 658 | 565 | 24% | 140 | 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 38?
31.9% of Unit 38 is public land, 665,610 of 2,084,552 acres, most of it state trust land (291,353 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 38.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 38?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 5 deer hunt codes for Unit 38 with 520 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 38?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 15% success rate for the Unit 38 deer hunts as a whole: 510 hunters reported and 74 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 14% to 27%.
When is deer season in Unit 38 in 2026?
The Unit 38 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 38?
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).