Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 21A: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes in Unit 21A, 7 of them drawn with 250 licenses, from September 1 to December 23, 2026 (page 84). In the 2026 draw, 817 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 250 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 256 licenses sold, 234 hunters reporting, a 25% success rate, 37 bulls and 11 cows taken on the Unit 21A 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 21ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 21A |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (7 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 250 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 23, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 817 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 48 (37 bulls, 11 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 25% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 97.9% (292,681 acres) |
| Residents only | 1 of the 7 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 21A for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 21A, 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-2-314 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 5% success, 2 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-2-315 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 16% success, 8 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-316 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 46% success, 7 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-317 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 35 | Any applicant | 35 sold, 25% success, 7 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-1-318 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 55 | Any applicant | 55 sold, 24% success, 11 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-319 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 30 | residents only | 30 sold, 37% success, 0 bulls, 10 cows |
| ELK-2-320 | bow | Dec 19-23 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 0% success, 0 bulls, 0 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 21A elk in 2026?
817 applicants put one of these 7 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 250 licenses; 126 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-2-314 | 50 | 88 | 27 | 30.7% |
| ELK-2-315 | 50 | 177 | 28 | 15.8% |
| ELK-1-316 | 15 | 273 | 11 | 4% |
| ELK-1-317 | 35 | 102 | 16 | 15.7% |
| ELK-1-318 | 55 | 89 | 20 | 22.5% |
| ELK-1-319 | 30 | 80 | 20 | 25% |
| ELK-2-320 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 50% |
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 21A?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 21A elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 256 licenses sold, 234 hunters reporting, a 25% success rate, 37 bulls and 11 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 256 | 234 | 25% | 37 | 11 | ||
| 2024-25 | 257 | 229 | 42% | 49 | 19 | ||
| 2023-24 | 254 | 230 | 31% | 40 | 11 | ||
| 2022-23 | 255 | 242 | 24% | 45 | 9 | ||
| 2021-22 | 254 | 222 | 24% | 37 | 13 | ||
| 2020-21 | 254 | 236 | 22% | 43 | 6 | ||
| 2019-20 | 257 | 240 | 25% | 50 | 10 | ||
| 2018 | 235 | 214 | 34% | 61 | 14 | ||
| 2017 | 234 | 219 | 28% | 47 | 14 | ||
| 2016 | 234 | 218 | 32% | 57 | 13 |
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 21A?
97.9% of Unit 21A is public land, 292,681 of 298,976 acres, most of it national forest (292,669 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 21A.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 21A?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes for Unit 21A with 250 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 21A?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 25% success rate for the Unit 21A elk hunts as a whole: 234 hunters reported and 48 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 22% to 42%.
When is elk season in Unit 21A in 2026?
The Unit 21A elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 23, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Sep 15 and Dec 19 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 10, Oct 17, Oct 24 and Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 21A?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 1 is 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).