Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 51A: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 2 deer hunt codes in Unit 51A, 2 of them drawn with 210 licenses, from September 1 to November 4, 2026 (page 66). In the 2026 draw, 1,113 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 210 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 321 licenses sold, 288 hunters reporting, a 36% success rate, 103 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 51A 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 51ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 51A |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 2 (2 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 210 |
| Season span | September 1 to November 4, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,113 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 103 (103 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 36% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 86.4% (439,816 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 51A for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 51A, 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-2-390 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 65 | Any applicant | 65 sold, 22% success, 12 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-389 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 145 | Any applicant | 145 sold, 34% success, 42 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 51A deer in 2026?
1,113 applicants put one of these 2 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 210 licenses; 144 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-2-390 | 65 | 176 | 49 | 27.8% |
| DER-1-389 | 145 | 937 | 95 | 10.1% |
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 51A?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 51A deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 321 licenses sold, 288 hunters reporting, a 36% success rate, 103 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 321 | 288 | 36% | 103 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 299 | 262 | 32% | 87 | 1 |
| 2023-24 | 313 | 269 | 36% | 98 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 293 | 246 | 33% | 86 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 280 | 238 | 30% | 73 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 285 | 265 | 31% | 77 | 1 |
| 2019-20 | 277 | 243 | 25% | 63 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 267 | 243 | 35% | 82 | 1 |
| 2017-18 | 260 | 227 | 26% | 61 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 260 | 232 | 28% | 63 | 1 |
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 51A?
86.4% of Unit 51A is public land, 439,816 of 509,195 acres, most of it national forest (430,749 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 51A.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 51A?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 2 deer hunt codes for Unit 51A with 210 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 51A?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 36% success rate for the Unit 51A deer hunts as a whole: 288 hunters reported and 103 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 25% to 36%.
When is deer season in Unit 51A in 2026?
The Unit 51A deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to November 4, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 31 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 51A?
Yes, for 2 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).