Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 48: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 deer hunt codes in Unit 48, 4 of them drawn with 175 licenses, from September 1 to November 11, 2026 (pages 65 and 66). In the 2026 draw, 521 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 175 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 206 licenses sold, 181 hunters reporting, a 51% success rate, 90 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 48 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 landUnit 48Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 48 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (4 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 175 |
| Season span | September 1 to November 11, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 521 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 90 (90 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 51% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 29.1% (70,473 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 48 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 48, 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-2-381 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 45 | Any applicant | 45 sold, 41% success, 15 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-382 | muzzleloader | Sep 27-Oct 3 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 68% success, 18 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-379 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 59% success, 24 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-380 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 46% success, 21 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 65 and 66. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 48 deer in 2026?
521 applicants put one of these 4 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 175 licenses; 113 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-2-381 | 45 | 103 | 35 | 34% |
| DER-3-382 | 30 | 73 | 22 | 30.1% |
| DER-1-379 | 50 | 232 | 42 | 18.1% |
| DER-1-380 | 50 | 113 | 14 | 12.4% |
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 48?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 48 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 206 licenses sold, 181 hunters reporting, a 51% success rate, 90 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 206 | 181 | 51% | 90 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 198 | 175 | 51% | 90 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 198 | 167 | 49% | 84 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 184 | 164 | 43% | 69 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 173 | 157 | 42% | 62 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 179 | 165 | 41% | 64 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 182 | 162 | 49% | 84 | 1 |
| 2018-19 | 162 | 146 | 43% | 61 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 177 | 148 | 40% | 63 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 170 | 160 | 40% | 61 | 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 48?
29.1% of Unit 48 is public land, 70,473 of 242,197 acres, most of it state trust land (66,756 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 48.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 48?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 deer hunt codes for Unit 48 with 175 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 65 and 66).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 48?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 51% success rate for the Unit 48 deer hunts as a whole: 181 hunters reported and 90 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 40% to 51%.
When is deer season in Unit 48 in 2026?
The Unit 48 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to November 11, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, muzzleloader hunts start Sep 27 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 31 and Nov 7 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 65 and 66).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 48?
Yes, for 4 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).