Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 46: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 deer hunt codes in Unit 46, from September 1 to November 4, 2026 (page 54). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 375 licenses sold, 290 hunters reporting, a 60% success rate, 207 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 46 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 landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landUnit 46Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 46 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (0 drawn) |
| Season span | September 1 to November 4, 2026 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 207 (207 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 60% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 0.7% (5,799 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 46 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 46, 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-2-506 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 40 sold, 48% success, 18 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-507 | muzzleloader | Sep 27-Oct 3 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 8 sold, 60% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-504 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 150 sold, 61% success, 89 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-505 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 177 sold, 62% success, 96 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 54. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many deer are taken in Unit 46?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 46 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 375 licenses sold, 290 hunters reporting, a 60% success rate, 207 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 375 | 290 | 60% | 207 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 416 | 299 | 50% | 193 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 348 | 251 | 48% | 155 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 349 | 245 | 46% | 151 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 391 | 292 | 45% | 167 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 413 | 331 | 36% | 138 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 325 | 233 | 47% | 145 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 303 | 199 | 35% | 102 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 309 | 207 | 36% | 106 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 269 | 175 | 40% | 105 | 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 46?
0.7% of Unit 46 is public land, 5,799 of 806,259 acres, most of it national wildlife refuge (4,346 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 46.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 46?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 deer hunt codes for Unit 46; 4 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 54).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 46?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 60% success rate for the Unit 46 deer hunts as a whole: 290 hunters reported and 207 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 35% to 60%.
When is deer season in Unit 46 in 2026?
The Unit 46 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to November 4, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, muzzleloader hunts start Sep 27 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 24 and Oct 31 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 54).