Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 12: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes in Unit 12, 10 of them drawn with 535 licenses, from September 1 to December 16, 2026 (page 79). In the 2026 draw, 1,686 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 535 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,236 licenses sold, 852 hunters reporting, a 41% success rate, 271 bulls and 271 cows taken on the Unit 12 hunts (Fence Lake Herd Unit (GMU 12)).
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 landNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 12Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 12 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (10 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 535 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 16, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,686 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 542 (271 bulls, 271 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 41% (NMDGF) |
| Population estimate, 2025-26 | 4,000-5,900 elk (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 38.8% (642,998 acres) |
| Residents only | 3 of the 10 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 12 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 12, 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-2-246 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 36 | Any applicant | 36 sold, 15% success, 4 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-2-247 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 35 | Any applicant | 35 sold, 27% success, 6 bulls, 3 cows |
| ELK-1-248 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 35 | Any applicant | 35 sold, 58% success, 19 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-249 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 60 | Any applicant | 60 sold, 44% success, 25 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-250 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 40% success, 29 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-251 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 32% success, 23 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-252 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 60 | residents only | 60 sold, 37% success, 0 bulls, 21 cows |
| ELK-1-253 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 60 | residents only | 60 sold, 60% success, 0 bulls, 31 cows |
| ELK-1-254 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 64 | residents only | 64 sold, 58% success, 1 bull, 31 cows |
| ELK-2-255 | bow | Dec 12-16 | Antler-point-restricted elk (six or more points on at least one antler) | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 15% success, 2 bulls, 0 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 12 elk in 2026?
1,686 applicants put one of these 10 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 535 licenses; 276 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-2-246 | 36 | 102 | 32 | 31.4% |
| ELK-2-247 | 35 | 180 | 27 | 15% |
| ELK-1-248 | 35 | 667 | 33 | 4.9% |
| ELK-1-249 | 60 | 187 | 16 | 8.6% |
| ELK-1-250 | 80 | 145 | 32 | 22.1% |
| ELK-1-251 | 80 | 115 | 26 | 22.6% |
| ELK-1-252 | 60 | 145 | 43 | 29.7% |
| ELK-1-253 | 60 | 46 | 26 | 56.5% |
| ELK-1-254 | 64 | 92 | 37 | 40.2% |
| ELK-2-255 | 25 | 7 | 4 | 57.1% |
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 elk are taken in Unit 12?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 12 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 1,236 licenses sold, 852 hunters reporting, a 41% success rate, 271 bulls and 271 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,236 | 852 | 41% | 271 | 271 | 4,000-5,900 | 41:100:46 |
| 2024-25 | 1,311 | 985 | 42% | 378 | 282 | 4,000-5,900 | 41:100:46 |
| 2023-24 | 1,336 | 835 | 42% | 354 | 312 | 4,000-5,900 | 41:100:46 |
| 2022-23 | 1,320 | 1,041 | 57% | 371 | 355 | 4,000-5,900 | 41:100:46 |
| 2021-22 | 1,315 | 919 | 51% | 351 | 309 | 3,400-6,000 | 33:100:47 |
| 2020-21 | 1,173 | 856 | 45% | 302 | 232 | 3,400-6,000 | 33:100:47 |
| 2019-20 | 1,088 | 790 | 50% | 336 | 198 | 3,400-6,000 | 33:100:47 |
| 2018 | 1,084 | 635 | 49% | 317 | 216 | ||
| 2017 | 1,069 | 671 | 52% | 345 | 202 | ||
| 2016 | 1,014 | 642 | 47% | 293 | 201 |
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 12?
38.8% of Unit 12 is public land, 642,998 of 1,657,794 acres, most of it BLM (350,733 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 12.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 12?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes for Unit 12 with 535 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 12?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 41% success rate for the Unit 12 elk hunts as a whole: 852 hunters reported and 542 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 41% to 57%.
When is elk season in Unit 12 in 2026?
The Unit 12 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 16, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Sep 15 and Dec 12 and 7 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 10 and Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 12?
Yes, for 7 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 12?
NMDGF's 2025-26 elk harvest report estimates 4,000-5,900 elk in the Fence Lake Herd Unit, with a bull to cow to calf ratio of 41:100:46.