Deer hunting in New Mexico Unit 8: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer hunt codes in Unit 8, 2 of them drawn with 130 licenses, from September 1 to January 15, 2027 (pages 54 and 56). In the 2026 draw, 1,109 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 130 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 182 licenses sold, 172 hunters reporting, a 37% success rate, 61 bucks and 0 does taken on the Unit 8 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 landState parkMilitary landTribal landUnit 8Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 8 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (2 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 130 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 15, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,109 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 61 (61 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 37% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 16.1% (95,157 acres) |
Which deer hunts are in Unit 8 for 2026-27?
Every deer hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 8, 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-2-501 | bow | Sep 1-24 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 3 sold, 50% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| DER-3-503 | muzzleloader | Sep 27-Oct 3 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 1 sold, 100% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| DER-1-500 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 13 sold, 33% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-162 | bow | Nov 21-29 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 65 | youth only | 65 sold, 37% success, 23 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-163 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | 65 | Any applicant | 65 sold, 36% success, 21 bucks, 0 does |
| DER-2-502 | bow | Jan 1-15 | Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) | not drawn | private land only | 8 sold, 29% success, 2 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 54 and 56. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 8 deer in 2026?
1,109 applicants put one of these 2 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 130 licenses; 109 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-2-162 | 65 | 133 | 51 | 38.3% |
| DER-2-163 | 65 | 976 | 58 | 5.9% |
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 8?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 8 deer hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 182 licenses sold, 172 hunters reporting, a 37% success rate, 61 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 182 | 172 | 37% | 61 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 177 | 163 | 39% | 65 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 173 | 153 | 39% | 60 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 149 | 140 | 42% | 54 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | 141 | 134 | 62% | 76 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 142 | 136 | 43% | 53 | 1 |
| 2019-20 | 136 | 124 | 39% | 47 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 125 | 111 | 35% | 42 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 120 | 112 | 41% | 44 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 113 | 101 | 34% | 36 | 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 8?
16.1% of Unit 8 is public land, 95,157 of 590,059 acres, most of it national forest (61,131 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 8.
Questions hunters ask
How many deer licenses are there in Unit 8?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer hunt codes for Unit 8 with 130 draw licenses; 4 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 54 and 56).
What is the deer success rate in Unit 8?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 37% success rate for the Unit 8 deer hunts as a whole: 172 hunters reported and 61 deer were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 34% to 62%.
When is deer season in Unit 8 in 2026?
The Unit 8 deer hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Nov 21 and Jan 1, muzzleloader hunts start Sep 27 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 17 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 54 and 56).
Can nonresidents hunt deer in Unit 8?
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).