Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 36: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes in Unit 36, 8 of them drawn with 1,000 licenses, from September 1 to January 27, 2027 (pages 86, 87 and 94). In the 2026 draw, 5,577 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 1,000 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,751 licenses sold, 1,400 hunters reporting, a 57% success rate, 549 bulls and 429 cows taken on the Unit 36 hunts (Ruidoso Herd Unit (GMU 36)).
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 landMilitary landTribal landUnit 36Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 36 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (8 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 1,000 |
| Season span | September 1 to January 27, 2027 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 5,577 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 978 (549 bulls, 429 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 57% (NMDGF) |
| Population estimate, 2025-26 | 5,400-8,500 elk (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 53.1% (337,435 acres) |
| Residents only | 5 of the 10 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 36 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 36, 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-2-358 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 140 | Any applicant | 140 sold, 35% success, 38 bulls, 8 cows |
| ELK-2-359 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 140 | Any applicant | 140 sold, 37% success, 42 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-3-360 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 140 | Any applicant | 139 sold, 54% success, 67 bulls, 7 cows |
| ELK-1-361 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 140 | Any applicant | 140 sold, 64% success, 70 bulls, 11 cows |
| ELK-1-362 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 140 | Any applicant | 140 sold, 56% success, 60 bulls, 14 cows |
| ELK-1-121 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 80 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 85 sold, 68% success, 1 bull, 55 cows |
| ELK-1-363 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 100 | residents only | 101 sold, 51% success, 0 bulls, 46 cows |
| ELK-1-364 | any legal weapon | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 100 | residents only | 100 sold, 55% success, 0 bulls, 52 cows |
| ELK-1-122 | any legal weapon | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 80 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 80 sold, 68% success, 0 bulls, 50 cows |
| ELK-1-365 | any legal weapon | Jan 23-27 | Antlerless elk | 100 | residents only | 100 sold, 49% success, 1 bull, 41 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 86, 87 and 94. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 36 elk in 2026?
5,577 applicants put one of these 8 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 1,000 licenses; 572 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-2-358 | 140 | 602 | 108 | 17.9% |
| ELK-2-359 | 140 | 833 | 111 | 13.3% |
| ELK-3-360 | 140 | 724 | 98 | 13.5% |
| ELK-1-361 | 140 | 2,297 | 91 | 4% |
| ELK-1-362 | 140 | 659 | 41 | 6.2% |
| ELK-1-363 | 100 | 267 | 48 | 18% |
| ELK-1-364 | 100 | 89 | 28 | 31.5% |
| ELK-1-365 | 100 | 106 | 47 | 44.3% |
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 36?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 36 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 1,751 licenses sold, 1,400 hunters reporting, a 57% success rate, 549 bulls and 429 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,751 | 1,400 | 57% | 549 | 429 | 5,400-8,500 | 66:100:43 |
| 2024-25 | 1,746 | 1,429 | 56% | 529 | 420 | 5,400-8,500 | 66:100:43 |
| 2023-24 | 1,781 | 1,371 | 60% | 530 | 497 | 5,400-8,500 | 66:100:43 |
| 2022-23 | 1,619 | 1,264 | 57% | 550 | 342 | 5,400-8,500 | 66:100:43 |
| 2021-22 | 1,576 | 1,275 | 55% | 504 | 330 | 3,300-6,600 | 71:100:52 |
| 2020-21 | 1,564 | 1,295 | 57% | 518 | 345 | 3,300-6,600 | 71:100:52 |
| 2019-20 | 1,569 | 1,295 | 54% | 534 | 290 | 3,300-6,600 | 71:100:52 |
| 2018 | 1,476 | 1,231 | 52% | 457 | 295 | 3,300-6,600 | 71:100:52 |
| 2017 | 1,496 | 1,230 | 53% | 470 | 318 | 4654-4816 | 58:100:43 |
| 2016 | 1,454 | 1,181 | 50% | 424 | 299 | 4654-4816 | 58:100:43 |
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 36?
53.1% of Unit 36 is public land, 337,435 of 635,140 acres, most of it national forest (150,368 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 36.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 36?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes for Unit 36 with 1,000 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 86, 87 and 94).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 36?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 57% success rate for the Unit 36 elk hunts as a whole: 1,400 hunters reported and 978 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 50% to 60%.
When is elk season in Unit 36 in 2026?
The Unit 36 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to January 27, 2027. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 10 and 7 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 17 and Jan 23 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 86, 87 and 94).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 36?
Yes, for 5 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 36?
NMDGF's 2025-26 elk harvest report estimates 5,400-8,500 elk in the Ruidoso Herd Unit, with a bull to cow to calf ratio of 66:100:43.