Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 15: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes in Unit 15, 8 of them drawn with 1,820 licenses, from September 1 to December 30, 2026 (pages 80 and 92). In the 2026 draw, 6,514 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 1,820 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 2,422 licenses sold, 2,135 hunters reporting, a 40% success rate, 358 bulls and 386 cows taken on the Unit 15 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 landUnit 15Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 15 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (8 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 1,820 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 30, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 6,514 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 744 (358 bulls, 386 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 40% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 77.6% (810,996 acres) |
| Residents only | 4 of the 10 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 15 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 15, 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-2-264 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 350 | Any applicant | 350 sold, 22% success, 48 bulls, 22 cows |
| ELK-2-265 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 250 | Any applicant | 250 sold, 12% success, 17 bulls, 12 cows |
| ELK-3-266 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 25 | youth only | 25 sold, 70% success, 16 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-3-267 | muzzleloader | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 200 | Any applicant | 200 sold, 27% success, 50 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-268 | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 245 | Any applicant | 245 sold, 24% success, 55 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-269 | muzzleloader | Nov 14-18 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 250 | Any applicant | 250 sold, 22% success, 50 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-108 | muzzleloader | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 75 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 74 sold, 49% success, 0 bulls, 32 cows |
| ELK-3-270 | muzzleloader | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 250 | residents only | 250 sold, 45% success, 1 bull, 98 cows |
| ELK-3-271 | muzzleloader | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 250 | residents only | 250 sold, 44% success, 1 bull, 96 cows |
| ELK-3-109 | muzzleloader | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 75 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 74 sold, 53% success, 0 bulls, 33 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 80 and 92. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 15 elk in 2026?
6,514 applicants put one of these 8 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 1,820 licenses; 960 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-2-264 | 350 | 1,072 | 202 | 18.8% |
| ELK-2-265 | 250 | 2,107 | 196 | 9.3% |
| ELK-3-266 | 25 | 363 | 23 | 6.3% |
| ELK-3-267 | 200 | 1,766 | 162 | 9.2% |
| ELK-3-268 | 245 | 299 | 70 | 23.4% |
| ELK-3-269 | 250 | 304 | 100 | 32.9% |
| ELK-3-270 | 250 | 498 | 154 | 30.9% |
| ELK-3-271 | 250 | 105 | 53 | 50.5% |
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 15?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 15 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 2,422 licenses sold, 2,135 hunters reporting, a 40% success rate, 358 bulls and 386 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,422 | 2,135 | 40% | 358 | 386 | ||
| 2024-25 | 2,391 | 2,155 | 37% | 411 | 291 | ||
| 2023-24 | 2,359 | 2,092 | 35% | 355 | 256 | ||
| 2022-23 | 2,456 | 2,149 | 33% | 449 | 297 | ||
| 2021-22 | 2,474 | 2,190 | 38% | 509 | 370 | ||
| 2020-21 | 2,443 | 2,250 | 34% | 461 | 324 | ||
| 2019-20 | 2,397 | 2,200 | 36% | 489 | 326 | ||
| 2018 | 2,451 | 2,150 | 31% | 370 | 340 | ||
| 2017 | 2,464 | 2,184 | 39% | 544 | 371 | ||
| 2016 | 2,433 | 2,162 | 36% | 492 | 352 |
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 15?
77.6% of Unit 15 is public land, 810,996 of 1,045,580 acres, most of it national forest (599,048 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 15.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 15?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes for Unit 15 with 1,820 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 80 and 92).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 15?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 40% success rate for the Unit 15 elk hunts as a whole: 2,135 hunters reported and 744 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 31% to 40%.
When is elk season in Unit 15 in 2026?
The Unit 15 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 30, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15 and 8 muzzleloader hunts start between Oct 10 and Dec 26 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 80 and 92).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 15?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 4 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).