Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 34: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 14 elk hunt codes in Unit 34, 13 of them drawn with 2,695 licenses, from September 1 to February 10, 2027 (pages 86 and 94). In the 2026 draw, 16,432 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 2,695 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 3,734 licenses sold, 3,176 hunters reporting, a 51% success rate, 681 bulls and 1,044 cows taken on the Unit 34 hunts (Sacramento Herd Unit (GMU 34)).
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 landState parkMilitary landTribal landUnit 34Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 34 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 14 (13 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 2,695 |
| Season span | September 1 to February 10, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 16,432 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 1,725 (681 bulls, 1,044 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 51% (NMDGF) |
| Population estimate, 2025-26 | sustainable harvest elk (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 67.5% (732,620 acres) |
| Residents only | 7 of the 14 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 34 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 34, 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-2-345 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 200 | Any applicant | 200 sold, 38% success, 66 bulls, 3 cows |
| ELK-2-346 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 200 | Any applicant | 200 sold, 41% success, 73 bulls, 4 cows |
| ELK-1-347 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 75 | youth only | 75 sold, 76% success, 50 bulls, 7 cows |
| ELK-1-348 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Antlerless elk | 120 | residents only / youth only | 120 sold, 56% success, 1 bull, 58 cows |
| ELK-1-349 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 50 | mobility impaired only | 50 sold, 73% success, 31 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-3-350 | muzzleloader | Oct 17-21 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 250 | Any applicant | 251 sold, 47% success, 90 bulls, 20 cows |
| ELK-1-351 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 61% success, 71 bulls, 14 cows |
| ELK-1-352 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 350 | residents only | 350 sold, 48% success, 1 bull, 147 cows |
| ELK-1-353 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 350 | residents only | 350 sold, 35% success, 0 bulls, 112 cows |
| ELK-1-354 | any legal weapon | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 350 | residents only | 350 sold, 49% success, 2 bulls, 159 cows |
| ELK-2-355 | bow | Dec 19-23 | Antler-point-restricted elk (six or more points on at least one antler) or antlerless | 200 | Any applicant | 200 sold, 20% success, 19 bulls, 14 cows |
| ELK-1-120 | any legal weapon | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 125 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 128 sold, 47% success, 2 bulls, 54 cows |
| ELK-1-356 | any legal weapon | Jan 23-27 | Antlerless elk | 200 | residents only | 200 sold, 49% success, 1 bull, 75 cows |
| ELK-1-357 | any legal weapon | Feb 6-10 | Antlerless elk | 200 | residents only | 200 sold, 44% success, 4 bulls, 76 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 86 and 94. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 34 elk in 2026?
16,432 applicants put one of these 13 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 2,695 licenses; 1,281 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-2-345 | 200 | 1,354 | 135 | 10% |
| ELK-2-346 | 200 | 2,972 | 181 | 6.1% |
| ELK-1-347 | 75 | 2,102 | 74 | 3.5% |
| ELK-1-348 | 120 | 116 | 25 | 21.6% |
| ELK-1-349 | 50 | 403 | 45 | 11.2% |
| ELK-3-350 | 250 | 1,484 | 177 | 11.9% |
| ELK-1-351 | 150 | 5,775 | 143 | 2.5% |
| ELK-1-352 | 350 | 968 | 135 | 13.9% |
| ELK-1-353 | 350 | 489 | 116 | 23.7% |
| ELK-1-354 | 350 | 295 | 97 | 32.9% |
| ELK-2-355 | 200 | 158 | 52 | 32.9% |
| ELK-1-356 | 200 | 175 | 58 | 33.1% |
| ELK-1-357 | 200 | 141 | 43 | 30.5% |
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 34?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 34 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 3,734 licenses sold, 3,176 hunters reporting, a 51% success rate, 681 bulls and 1,044 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 3,734 | 3,176 | 51% | 681 | 1,044 | sustainable harvest | sustainable harvest |
| 2024-25 | 3,721 | 3,212 | 48% | 723 | 1,031 | 7,400-8,600 | 52:100:39 |
| 2023-24 | 3,695 | 3,082 | 54% | 731 | 1,004 | 7,400-8,600 | 52:100:39 |
| 2022-23 | 3,198 | 2,667 | 50% | 742 | 782 | 7,400-8,600 | 52:100:39 |
| 2021-22 | 3,170 | 2,717 | 52% | 749 | 829 | 6,000-7,000 | 49:100:49 |
| 2020-21 | 3,138 | 2,750 | 56% | 690 | 980 | 6,000-7,000 | 49:100:49 |
| 2019-20 | 3,104 | 2,695 | 56% | 717 | 915 | 6,000-7,000 | 49:100:49 |
| 2018 | 2,873 | 2,455 | 48% | 604 | 716 | 6,000-7,000 | 49:100:49 |
| 2017 | 3,136 | 2,754 | 47% | 623 | 781 | 6010-6262 | 49:100:46 |
| 2016 | 2,601 | 2,247 | 49% | 663 | 556 | 6010-6262 | 49:100:46 |
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 34?
67.5% of Unit 34 is public land, 732,620 of 1,085,441 acres, most of it national forest (449,828 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 34.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 34?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 14 elk hunt codes for Unit 34 with 2,695 draw licenses; 1 more is not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 86 and 94).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 34?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 51% success rate for the Unit 34 elk hunts as a whole: 3,176 hunters reported and 1,725 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 47% to 56%.
When is elk season in Unit 34 in 2026?
The Unit 34 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to February 10, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Sep 15 and Dec 19, 10 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 10 and Feb 6 and muzzleloader hunts start Oct 17 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 86 and 94).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 34?
Yes, for 7 of the drawn codes. 7 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 34?
NMDGF's 2025-26 elk harvest report estimates sustainable harvest elk in the Sacramento Herd Unit, with a bull to cow to calf ratio of sustainable harvest.