Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 23: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 8 elk hunt codes in Unit 23, 8 of them drawn with 430 licenses, from September 1 to December 27, 2026 (page 85). In the 2026 draw, 888 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 430 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 462 licenses sold, 409 hunters reporting, a 23% success rate, 52 bulls and 14 cows taken on the Unit 23 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 landWildlife Commission landMilitary landUnit 23Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 23 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 8 (8 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 430 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 27, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 888 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 66 (52 bulls, 14 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 23% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 63.1% (1,183,461 acres) |
| Residents only | 2 of the 8 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 23 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 23, with the code's own 2025-26 result where NMDGF reported one under the same code and units.
| Hunt code | Where | Weapon | Dates, 2026-27 | Bag limit | Licenses | Who may apply | 2025-26 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-2-331 | Whole unit | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 125 | Any applicant | 125 sold, 9% success, 4 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-2-332 | Whole unit | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 8% success, 3 bulls, 2 cows |
| ELK-1-333 | Whole unit | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 25 | youth only | 25 sold, 65% success, 14 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-3-334 | Whole unit | muzzleloader | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 15% success, 10 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-335 | Whole unit | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 14% success, 9 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-336 | Whole unit | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 20 | residents only | 20 sold, 31% success, 0 bulls, 4 cows |
| ELK-1-338 | South of NM 78 | any legal weapon | Dec 19-27 | Antlerless elk | 20 | residents only | 20 sold, 8% success, 0 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-2-337 | Whole unit | bow | Dec 19-23 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 8% success, 1 bull, 0 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 85. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 23 elk in 2026?
888 applicants put one of these 8 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 430 licenses; 143 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-2-331 | 125 | 130 | 39 | 30% |
| ELK-2-332 | 75 | 148 | 26 | 17.6% |
| ELK-1-333 | 25 | 187 | 12 | 6.4% |
| ELK-3-334 | 75 | 72 | 19 | 26.4% |
| ELK-1-335 | 75 | 256 | 26 | 10.2% |
| ELK-1-336 | 20 | 70 | 13 | 18.6% |
| ELK-1-338 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 33.3% |
| ELK-2-337 | 15 | 10 | 3 | 30% |
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 23?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 23 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 462 licenses sold, 409 hunters reporting, a 23% success rate, 52 bulls and 14 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 462 | 409 | 23% | 52 | 14 | ||
| 2024-25 | 473 | 418 | 35% | 97 | 32 | ||
| 2023-24 | 474 | 423 | 44% | 83 | 39 | ||
| 2022-23 | 443 | 400 | 29% | 103 | 20 | ||
| 2021-22 | 443 | 395 | 24% | 82 | 18 | ||
| 2020-21 | 445 | 405 | 28% | 89 | 26 | ||
| 2019-20 | 448 | 408 | 26% | 86 | 21 | ||
| 2018 | 437 | 387 | 23% | 76 | 18 | ||
| 2017 | 424 | 389 | 26% | 97 | 9 | ||
| 2016 | 432 | 390 | 24% | 76 | 18 |
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 23?
63.1% of Unit 23 is public land, 1,183,461 of 1,874,142 acres, most of it national forest (442,123 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 23.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 23?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 8 elk hunt codes for Unit 23 with 430 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 85).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 23?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 23% success rate for the Unit 23 elk hunts as a whole: 409 hunters reported and 66 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 23% to 44%.
When is elk season in Unit 23 in 2026?
The Unit 23 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 27, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Sep 15 and Dec 19, any legal weapon hunts start Oct 10, Oct 24, Dec 5 and Dec 19 and muzzleloader hunts start Oct 17 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 85).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 23?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 2 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).