Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 21B: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes in Unit 21B, 10 of them drawn with 180 licenses, from September 1 to December 23, 2026 (pages 84 and 85). In the 2026 draw, 285 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 180 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 374 licenses sold, 281 hunters reporting, a 39% success rate, 100 bulls and 50 cows taken on the Unit 21B 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 landBureau of ReclamationState parkTribal landUnit 21BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 21B |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (10 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 180 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 23, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 285 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 150 (100 bulls, 50 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 39% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 62% (1,011,352 acres) |
| Residents only | 4 of the 10 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 21B for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 21B, 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-2-321 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 18% success, 3 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-2-322 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 32% success, 6 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-1-323 | any legal weapon | Oct 1-5 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 80% success, 8 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-324 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 27% success, 3 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-325 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 25 | Any applicant | 25 sold, 29% success, 7 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-326 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 15 | residents only | 15 sold, 43% success, 0 bulls, 4 cows |
| ELK-1-327 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 15 | residents only | 15 sold, 27% success, 0 bulls, 4 cows |
| ELK-1-328 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 15 | residents only | 15 sold, 36% success, 0 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-1-329 | any legal weapon | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 20 | residents only | 20 sold, 23% success, 0 bulls, 3 cows |
| ELK-2-330 | bow | Dec 19-23 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 13% success, 1 bull, 0 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 84 and 85. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 21B elk in 2026?
285 applicants put one of these 10 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 180 licenses; 64 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-2-321 | 25 | 23 | 9 | 39.1% |
| ELK-2-322 | 25 | 31 | 5 | 16.1% |
| ELK-1-323 | 10 | 118 | 8 | 6.8% |
| ELK-1-324 | 15 | 22 | 3 | 13.6% |
| ELK-1-325 | 25 | 16 | 5 | 31.3% |
| ELK-1-326 | 15 | 17 | 5 | 29.4% |
| ELK-1-327 | 15 | 21 | 13 | 61.9% |
| ELK-1-328 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 50% |
| ELK-1-329 | 20 | 10 | 5 | 50% |
| ELK-2-330 | 15 | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
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 21B?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 21B elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 374 licenses sold, 281 hunters reporting, a 39% success rate, 100 bulls and 50 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 374 | 281 | 39% | 100 | 50 | ||
| 2024-25 | 378 | 285 | 38% | 104 | 50 | ||
| 2023-24 | 371 | 275 | 42% | 106 | 54 | ||
| 2022-23 | 377 | 273 | 44% | 113 | 48 | ||
| 2021-22 | 371 | 268 | 39% | 86 | 61 | ||
| 2020-21 | 387 | 287 | 48% | 105 | 76 | ||
| 2019-20 | 348 | 264 | 41% | 90 | 46 | ||
| 2018 | 373 | 289 | 52% | 107 | 83 | ||
| 2017 | 361 | 275 | 46% | 88 | 74 | ||
| 2016 | 363 | 286 | 48% | 81 | 82 |
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 21B?
62% of Unit 21B is public land, 1,011,352 of 1,632,258 acres, most of it BLM (655,145 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 21B.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 21B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes for Unit 21B with 180 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 84 and 85).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 21B?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 39% success rate for the Unit 21B elk hunts as a whole: 281 hunters reported and 150 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 38% to 52%.
When is elk season in Unit 21B in 2026?
The Unit 21B elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 23, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Sep 15 and Dec 19 and 7 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 1 and Dec 12 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 84 and 85).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 21B?
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).