New Mexico elk hunting: every hunt area, the draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 351 elk hunt codes, 322 of them drawn with 22,783 licenses, in 53 of the state's 70 game management units (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 75 to 94). In the 2026 draw, 101,892 applicants chose an elk hunt as their first choice. In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 39,022 licenses sold, 31,351 hunters reporting, a 40% success rate, 7,644 bulls and 6,666 cows taken statewide.
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.
Where can you hunt elk in New Mexico?
Each hunt area is the unit or units NMDOW's hunt codes are valid in. 41 areas have a page of their own, with every hunt code, the 2026 draw and NMDGF's harvest by season.
| Hunt area | Hunt codes | Draw licenses | First-choice applicants, 2026 | Licenses NMDGF counted | Harvest | Success rate | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units 2A, 2B and 2C | 7 | 735 | 3,442 | 1,026 | 424 | 49% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 4 | 15 | 175 | 1,341 | 2,008 | 1,254 | 57% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 5A | 10 | 90 | 297 | 567 | 340 | 25% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 5B | 10 | 674 | 1,802 | 754 | 191 | 35% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 6A | 8 | 658 | 4,998 | 877 | 372 | 50% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 6B | 15 | 350 | 7,207 | 350 | 169 | 51% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 6C | 9 | 840 | 2,163 | 1,085 | 321 | 37% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 7 | 5 | 133 | 209 | 265 | 107 | 40% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 9 | 11 | 351 | 418 | 504 | 132 | 27% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 10 | 7 | 610 | 1,578 | 948 | 231 | 31% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 12 | 10 | 535 | 1,686 | 1,236 | 542 | 41% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 13 | 10 | 951 | 2,159 | 1,403 | 403 | 36% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 15 | 10 | 1,820 | 6,514 | 2,422 | 744 | 40% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 16A | 9 | 750 | 10,089 | 926 | 304 | 48% | 2025-26 |
| Units 16B and 22 | 5 | 615 | 2,025 | 642 | 111 | 41% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 16C | 9 | 467 | 1,455 | 710 | 105 | 23% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 16D | 9 | 380 | 4,988 | 586 | 275 | 54% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 16E | 9 | 448 | 871 | 766 | 244 | 38% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 17 | 11 | 675 | 1,588 | 878 | 187 | 28% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 18 | 3 | 60 | 384 | 149 | 46 | 38% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 21A | 7 | 250 | 817 | 256 | 48 | 25% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 21B | 10 | 180 | 285 | 374 | 150 | 39% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 23 | 8 | 430 | 888 | 462 | 66 | 23% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 24 | 6 | 65 | 385 | 111 | 42 | 44% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 28 | 2 | 20 | 133 | 20 | 11 | 65% | 2025-26 |
| Units 29 and 30 | 4 | 90 | 1,651 | 180 | 80 | 47% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 34 | 14 | 2,695 | 16,432 | 3,734 | 1,725 | 51% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 36 | 10 | 1,000 | 5,577 | 1,751 | 978 | 57% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 37 | 6 | 225 | 1,610 | 521 | 273 | 52% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 38 | 2 | 20 | 190 | 155 | 80 | 25% | 2025-26 |
| Units 42, 47 and 59 | 3 | 39 | 164 | 479 | 315 | 44% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 45 | 6 | 613 | 1,486 | 781 | 188 | 27% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 48 | 7 | 463 | 779 | 701 | 219 | 34% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 49 | 7 | 426 | 1,683 | 532 | 145 | 34% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 50 | 6 | 447 | 308 | 674 | 178 | 31% | 2025-26 |
| Units 51A and 51B | 11 | 1,919 | 4,823 | 2,531 | 857 | 39% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 52 | 12 | 1,464 | 3,997 | 1,644 | 488 | 40% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 53 | 9 | 574 | 405 | 902 | 156 | 20% | 2025-26 |
| Unit 55A | 19 | 335 | 3,141 | ||||
| Unit 56 | 4 | 30 | 175 | 605 | 456 | 58% | 2025-26 |
| Units 57 and 58 | 7 | 40 | 179 | 738 | 469 | 50% | 2025-26 |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information. Draw: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report. Harvest: NMDOW elk harvest reports, printed area totals; where NMDGF's total counts private-land licenses too, its license count is higher than the draw licenses.
Hunt codes not in an area above: ELK-1-392 (Unit 14), ELK-1-410 (Units 39 and 43), ELK-1-428 (Units 54 and 55A), ELK-1-429 (Units 54 and 55A), ELK-1-430 (Units 54 and 55A), ELK-1-700 (Premium Statewide Elk Hunt ( page 43)), ELK-2-425 (Units 54 and 55A), ELK-2-426 (Units 54 and 55A), ELK-3-427 (Units 54 and 55A).
How many elk were taken in each NMDGF reporting region?
NMDGF's 2025-26 report groups its elk hunts into these regions and prints a total for each.
| NMDGF region | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Region | 3,045 | 2,502 | 33% | 603 | 524 |
| North Central Region (Chama / San Antonio Herd Unit) | 7,611 | 6,118 | 40% | 1,704 | 1,263 |
| Jemez Region | 2,577 | 2,259 | 45% | 555 | 413 |
| Greater Gila Herd Unit | 6,052 | 5,355 | 41% | 893 | 890 |
| Lesser Gila Herd Unit | 1,203 | 1,009 | 33% | 220 | 87 |
| Southwest Region | 10,772 | 8,351 | 34% | 1,501 | 1,179 |
| South Central Region | 5,485 | 4,576 | 54% | 1,230 | 1,473 |
| Northeast Region | 2,916 | 2,397 | 29% | 456 | 253 |
| Secondary Management Zones | 4,799 | 3,964 | 56% | 2,340 | 1,503 |
| Special Management Zones | 1,788 | 1,161 | 35% | 601 | 416 |
Source: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses does New Mexico have?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 22,783 draw licenses across 322 drawn elk hunt codes, plus 29 codes that are not drawn.
What is the elk success rate in New Mexico?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a statewide 40% success rate: 31,351 hunters reported and 14,310 elk were taken.
When is the New Mexico elk draw deadline?
For 2026-27 it was March 18, 2026, before 5 p.m. MDT (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 10). NMDOW has not published the 2027 date.
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