Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 16A: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk hunt codes in Unit 16A, 7 of them drawn with 750 licenses, from September 1 to December 30, 2026 (pages 80, 92 and 93). In the 2026 draw, 10,089 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 750 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 926 licenses sold, 858 hunters reporting, a 48% success rate, 146 bulls and 158 cows taken on the Unit 16A 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 forestState trust landUnit 16ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 16A |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 9 (7 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 750 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 30, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 10,089 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 304 (146 bulls, 158 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 48% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 97% (399,885 acres) |
| Residents only | 4 of the 9 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 16A for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 16A, 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-2-272 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 250 | Any applicant | 250 sold, 17% success, 33 bulls, 8 cows |
| ELK-2-273 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 11% success, 12 bulls, 3 cows |
| ELK-1-274 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 25 | mobility impaired only | 25 sold, 67% success, 15 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-275 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 54% success, 38 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-276 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 44% success, 43 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-110 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 75 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 78 sold, 65% success, 0 bulls, 47 cows |
| ELK-1-277 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 75 | residents only | 76 sold, 48% success, 0 bulls, 33 cows |
| ELK-1-278 | any legal weapon | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 75 | residents only | 75 sold, 40% success, 0 bulls, 26 cows |
| ELK-1-111 | any legal weapon | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 75 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 75 sold, 53% success, 0 bulls, 36 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 80, 92 and 93. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 16A elk in 2026?
10,089 applicants put one of these 7 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 750 licenses; 509 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-2-272 | 250 | 1,089 | 150 | 13.8% |
| ELK-2-273 | 150 | 2,600 | 119 | 4.6% |
| ELK-1-274 | 25 | 303 | 23 | 7.6% |
| ELK-1-275 | 75 | 4,658 | 69 | 1.5% |
| ELK-1-276 | 100 | 862 | 56 | 6.5% |
| ELK-1-277 | 75 | 452 | 59 | 13.1% |
| ELK-1-278 | 75 | 125 | 33 | 26.4% |
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 16A?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 16A elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 926 licenses sold, 858 hunters reporting, a 48% success rate, 146 bulls and 158 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 926 | 858 | 48% | 146 | 158 | ||
| 2024-25 | 925 | 851 | 49% | 184 | 178 | ||
| 2023-24 | 930 | 846 | 55% | 163 | 158 | ||
| 2022-23 | 947 | 878 | 29% | 149 | 101 | ||
| 2021-22 | 945 | 872 | 40% | 205 | 145 | ||
| 2020-21 | 949 | 889 | 46% | 199 | 207 | ||
| 2019-20 | 954 | 895 | 41% | 225 | 140 | ||
| 2018 | 951 | 896 | 42% | 188 | 178 | ||
| 2017 | 950 | 891 | 51% | 244 | 212 | ||
| 2016 | 951 | 903 | 47% | 228 | 188 |
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 16A?
97% of Unit 16A is public land, 399,885 of 412,289 acres, most of it national forest (396,974 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 16A.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 16A?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk hunt codes for Unit 16A with 750 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 80, 92 and 93).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 16A?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 48% success rate for the Unit 16A elk hunts as a whole: 858 hunters reported and 304 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 29% to 55%.
When is elk season in Unit 16A in 2026?
The Unit 16A elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 30, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15 and 7 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 10 and Dec 26 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 80, 92 and 93).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 16A?
Yes, for 5 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).