Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 10: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes in Unit 10, 6 of them drawn with 610 licenses, from September 1 to December 9, 2026 (pages 79 and 92). In the 2026 draw, 1,578 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 610 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 948 licenses sold, 790 hunters reporting, a 31% success rate, 114 bulls and 117 cows taken on the Unit 10 hunts (Zuni Herd Unit (GMU 10)).
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 landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landUnit 10Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 10 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (6 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 610 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 9, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,578 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 231 (114 bulls, 117 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 31% (NMDGF) |
| Population estimate, 2025-26 | 1,500-1,800 elk (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 31.2% (447,239 acres) |
| Residents only | 3 of the 7 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 10 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 10, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-2-157 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 125 | Any applicant | 124 sold, 9% success, 5 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-2-158 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 125 | Any applicant | 125 sold, 3% success, 1 bull, 2 cows |
| ELK-3-159 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 70 | Any applicant | 70 sold, 27% success, 18 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-160 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 70 | Any applicant | 70 sold, 33% success, 20 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-161 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Antlerless elk | 120 | residents only / youth only | 120 sold, 30% success, 0 bulls, 32 cows |
| ELK-1-105 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 35 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 34 sold, 50% success, 0 bulls, 15 cows |
| ELK-1-162 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 100 | residents only | 100 sold, 20% success, 1 bull, 17 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 79 and 92. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 10 elk in 2026?
1,578 applicants put one of these 6 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 610 licenses; 367 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-2-157 | 125 | 178 | 65 | 36.5% |
| ELK-2-158 | 125 | 265 | 80 | 30.2% |
| ELK-3-159 | 70 | 276 | 46 | 16.7% |
| ELK-1-160 | 70 | 559 | 55 | 9.8% |
| ELK-1-161 | 120 | 83 | 59 | 71.1% |
| ELK-1-162 | 100 | 217 | 62 | 28.6% |
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 elk are taken in Unit 10?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 10 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 948 licenses sold, 790 hunters reporting, a 31% success rate, 114 bulls and 117 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 948 | 790 | 31% | 114 | 117 | 1,500-1,800 | 35:100:32 |
| 2024-25 | 957 | 780 | 26% | 140 | 80 | 1,500-1,800 | 35:100:32 |
| 2023-24 | 942 | 761 | 26% | 121 | 91 | 1,500-1,800 | 35:100:32 |
| 2022-23 | 942 | 774 | 19% | 101 | 74 | 1,500-1,800 | 35:100:32 |
| 2021-22 | 966 | 802 | 21% | 114 | 76 | 900-1,900 | 37:100:46 |
| 2020-21 | 940 | 810 | 20% | 105 | 76 | 900-1,900 | 37:100:46 |
| 2019-20 | 937 | 821 | 24% | 114 | 93 | 900-1,900 | 37:100:46 |
| 2018 | 923 | 797 | 22% | 104 | 96 | 900-1,900 | 37:100:46 |
| 2017 | 924 | 785 | 25% | 148 | 86 | 1008-1758 | 27:100:38 |
| 2016 | 952 | 818 | 24% | 104 | 113 | 1008-1758 | 27:100:38 |
Source: NMDOW elk 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 10?
31.2% of Unit 10 is public land, 447,239 of 1,434,977 acres, most of it national forest (332,147 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 10.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 10?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes for Unit 10 with 610 draw licenses; 1 more is not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 79 and 92).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 10?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 31% success rate for the Unit 10 elk hunts as a whole: 790 hunters reported and 231 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 19% to 31%.
When is elk season in Unit 10 in 2026?
The Unit 10 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 9, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 10 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 17, Nov 14, Nov 28 and Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 79 and 92).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 10?
Yes, for 4 of the drawn codes. 3 are for residents only. 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).
How many elk are in Unit 10?
NMDGF's 2025-26 elk harvest report estimates 1,500-1,800 elk in the Zuni Herd Unit, with a bull to cow to calf ratio of 35:100:32.