Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 5B: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 deer hunt codes in Unit 5B, 4 of them drawn with 60 licenses, from September 1 to November 29, 2026 (page 56). In the 2026 draw, 2,310 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 60 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 106 licenses sold, 96 hunters reporting, a 60% success rate, 60 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 5B 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 landMilitary landTribal landUnit 5BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 5B |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (4 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 60 |
| Season span | September 1 to November 29, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 2,310 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 60 (60 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 60% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 81% (214,294 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 5B for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 5B, 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-2-152 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 38% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-3-153 | muzzleloader | Sep 27-Oct 3 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 67% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-150 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 72% success, 21 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-1-151 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 10 | youth only | 10 sold, 80% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 5B deer in 2026?
2,310 applicants put one of these 4 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 60 licenses; 44 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-2-152 | 10 | 148 | 9 | 6.1% |
| DER-3-153 | 10 | 121 | 8 | 6.6% |
| DER-1-150 | 30 | 1,709 | 23 | 1.3% |
| DER-1-151 | 10 | 332 | 4 | 1.2% |
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 5B?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 5B deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 106 licenses sold, 96 hunters reporting, a 60% success rate, 60 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 106 | 96 | 60% | 60 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 114 | 102 | 49% | 50 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 109 | 95 | 49% | 47 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 97 | 85 | 64% | 56 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 105 | 87 | 71% | 72 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 114 | 100 | 57% | 62 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 104 | 91 | 57% | 58 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 75 | 61 | 70% | 48 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 74 | 68 | 77% | 53 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 82 | 69 | 64% | 50 | 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 5B?
81% of Unit 5B is public land, 214,294 of 264,652 acres, most of it national forest (205,516 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 5B.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 5B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 deer hunt codes for Unit 5B with 60 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 5B?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 60% success rate for the Unit 5B deer hunts as a whole: 96 hunters reported and 60 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 49% to 77%.
When is deer season in Unit 5B in 2026?
The Unit 5B deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to November 29, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, muzzleloader hunts start Sep 27 and any legal weapon hunts start Nov 7 and Nov 21 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 5B?
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).