Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 17: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 elk hunt codes in Unit 17, 9 of them drawn with 675 licenses, from September 1 to December 30, 2026 (pages 81, 84 and 93). In the 2026 draw, 1,588 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 675 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 878 licenses sold, 783 hunters reporting, a 28% success rate, 133 bulls and 54 cows taken on the Unit 17 hunts (San Mateo Herd Unit (GMU 17)).
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 wildlife refugeUnit 17Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 17 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 11 (9 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 675 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 30, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,588 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 187 (133 bulls, 54 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 28% (NMDGF) |
| Population estimate, 2025-26 | 1,600-2,400 elk (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 73.8% (778,238 acres) |
| Residents only | 5 of the 11 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 17 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 17, 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-2-305 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 125 | Any applicant | 125 sold, 14% success, 15 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-2-306 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 21% success, 14 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-307 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 25 | youth only | 25 sold, 63% success, 14 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-308 | muzzleloader | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 29% success, 27 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-309 | muzzleloader | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 22% success, 21 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-310 | muzzleloader | Nov 21-25 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 26% success, 6 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-311 | muzzleloader | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 25 | residents only | 25 sold, 13% success, 0 bulls, 2 cows |
| ELK-3-118 | muzzleloader | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 60 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 51 sold, 16% success, 0 bulls, 7 cows |
| ELK-3-312 | muzzleloader | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 100 | residents only | 99 sold, 14% success, 0 bulls, 12 cows |
| ELK-3-313 | muzzleloader | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 100 | residents only | 100 sold, 16% success, 0 bulls, 12 cows |
| ELK-3-119 | muzzleloader | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 60 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 33 sold, 36% success, 0 bulls, 9 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 81, 84 and 93. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 17 elk in 2026?
1,588 applicants put one of these 9 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 675 licenses; 297 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-2-305 | 125 | 263 | 72 | 27.4% |
| ELK-2-306 | 75 | 525 | 56 | 10.7% |
| ELK-3-307 | 25 | 108 | 16 | 14.8% |
| ELK-3-308 | 100 | 333 | 48 | 14.4% |
| ELK-3-309 | 100 | 99 | 27 | 27.3% |
| ELK-3-310 | 25 | 146 | 12 | 8.2% |
| ELK-3-311 | 25 | 44 | 17 | 38.6% |
| ELK-3-312 | 100 | 44 | 27 | 61.4% |
| ELK-3-313 | 100 | 26 | 22 | 84.6% |
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 17?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 17 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 878 licenses sold, 783 hunters reporting, a 28% success rate, 133 bulls and 54 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 878 | 783 | 28% | 133 | 54 | 1,600-2,400 | 51:100:38 |
| 2024-25 | 854 | 792 | 25% | 119 | 49 | 1,600-2,400 | 51:100:38 |
| 2023-24 | 850 | 771 | 21% | 99 | 54 | 1,600-2,400 | 51:100:38 |
| 2022-23 | 910 | 818 | 29% | 146 | 94 | 1,600-2,400 | 51:100:38 |
| 2021-22 | 907 | 805 | 24% | 134 | 73 | 2,000-2,600 | 49:100:41 |
| 2020-21 | 863 | 785 | 28% | 142 | 80 | 2,000-2,600 | 49:100:41 |
| 2019-20 | 861 | 761 | 25% | 154 | 60 | 2,000-2,600 | 49:100:41 |
| 2018 | 845 | 770 | 26% | 143 | 56 | 2,000-2,600 | 49:100:41 |
| 2017 | 850 | 782 | 28% | 161 | 58 | 2066-2155 | 48:100:40 |
| 2016 | 835 | 756 | 30% | 152 | 81 | 2066-2155 | 48:100:40 |
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 17?
73.8% of Unit 17 is public land, 778,238 of 1,054,864 acres, most of it national forest (483,762 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 17.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 17?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 elk hunt codes for Unit 17 with 675 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 81, 84 and 93).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 17?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 28% success rate for the Unit 17 elk hunts as a whole: 783 hunters reported and 187 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 21% to 30%.
When is elk season in Unit 17 in 2026?
The Unit 17 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 30, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15 and 9 muzzleloader hunts start between Oct 10 and Dec 26 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 81, 84 and 93).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 17?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 5 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 17?
NMDGF's 2025-26 elk harvest report estimates 1,600-2,400 elk in the San Mateo Herd Unit, with a bull to cow to calf ratio of 51:100:38.