Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 41: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 8 deer hunt codes in Unit 41, 8 of them drawn with 155 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (pages 64 and 65). In the 2026 draw, 301 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 155 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 281 licenses sold, 211 hunters reporting, a 52% success rate, 125 bucks and 3 does taken on the Unit 41 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.
State trust landUnit 41Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 41 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 8 (8 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 155 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 301 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 128 (125 bucks, 3 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 52% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 20.5% (240,546 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 41 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 41, 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-2-358 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 38% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-360 | muzzleloader | Sep 27-Oct 3 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 32% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-353 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 46% success, 14 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-354 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 34% success, 13 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-355 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 5 | youth only | 5 sold, 80% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-356 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Either sex white-tailed deer | 15 | youth only | 15 sold, 20% success, 2 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-357 | any legal weapon | Dec 12-16 | Either sex white-tailed deer | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 13% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| DER-2-359 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 50% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 64 and 65. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 41 deer in 2026?
301 applicants put one of these 8 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 155 licenses; 75 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-2-358 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 66.7% |
| DER-3-360 | 25 | 14 | 11 | 78.6% |
| DER-1-353 | 40 | 137 | 27 | 19.7% |
| DER-1-354 | 40 | 68 | 18 | 26.5% |
| DER-1-355 | 5 | 53 | 5 | 9.4% |
| DER-1-356 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| DER-1-357 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 40% |
| DER-2-359 | 10 | 13 | 5 | 38.5% |
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 41?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 41 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 281 licenses sold, 211 hunters reporting, a 52% success rate, 125 bucks and 3 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 281 | 211 | 52% | 125 | 3 |
| 2024-25 | 262 | 200 | 42% | 106 | 4 |
| 2023-24 | 274 | 205 | 43% | 100 | 4 |
| 2022-23 | 288 | 209 | 38% | 102 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 292 | 222 | 48% | 121 | 3 |
| 2020-21 | 296 | 244 | 53% | 141 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 304 | 250 | 52% | 139 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 274 | 199 | 60% | 150 | 3 |
| 2017-18 | 287 | 206 | 63% | 162 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 262 | 190 | 63% | 143 | 4 |
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 41?
20.5% of Unit 41 is public land, 240,546 of 1,174,473 acres, most of it state trust land (240,546 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 41.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 41?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 8 deer hunt codes for Unit 41 with 155 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 64 and 65).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 41?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 52% success rate for the Unit 41 deer hunts as a whole: 211 hunters reported and 128 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 38% to 63%.
When is deer season in Unit 41 in 2026?
The Unit 41 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Jan 1, muzzleloader hunts start Sep 27 and 5 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 24 and Dec 12 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 64 and 65).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 41?
Yes, for 8 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).