Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 37: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 elk hunt codes in Unit 37, 6 of them drawn with 225 licenses, from September 1 to December 9, 2026 (page 87). In the 2026 draw, 1,610 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 225 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 521 licenses sold, 384 hunters reporting, a 52% success rate, 183 bulls and 90 cows taken on the Unit 37 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 37Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 37 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (6 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 225 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 9, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,610 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 273 (183 bulls, 90 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 52% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 38.8% (409,272 acres) |
| Residents only | 1 of the 6 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 37 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 37, 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-2-402 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 29% success, 11 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-2-403 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 44% success, 12 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-1-404 | any legal weapon | Oct 1-5 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 63% success, 19 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-405 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 75% success, 22 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-406 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 45 | residents only | 45 sold, 67% success, 0 bulls, 23 cows |
| ELK-2-407 | bow | Dec 5-9 | Antler-point-restricted elk (six or more points on at least one antler) | 50 | Any applicant | 50 sold, 8% success, 3 bulls, 0 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 37 elk in 2026?
1,610 applicants put one of these 6 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 225 licenses; 102 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-2-402 | 40 | 122 | 23 | 18.9% |
| ELK-2-403 | 30 | 227 | 21 | 9.3% |
| ELK-1-404 | 30 | 1,014 | 25 | 2.5% |
| ELK-1-405 | 30 | 166 | 10 | 6% |
| ELK-1-406 | 45 | 70 | 17 | 24.3% |
| ELK-2-407 | 50 | 11 | 6 | 54.5% |
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 37?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 37 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 521 licenses sold, 384 hunters reporting, a 52% success rate, 183 bulls and 90 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 521 | 384 | 52% | 183 | 90 | ||
| 2024-25 | 552 | 437 | 44% | 168 | 83 | ||
| 2023-24 | 506 | 360 | 40% | 147 | 78 | ||
| 2022-23 | 487 | 370 | 41% | 146 | 52 | ||
| 2021-22 | 475 | 370 | 40% | 133 | 50 | ||
| 2020-21 | 472 | 396 | 36% | 98 | 61 | ||
| 2019-20 | 430 | 347 | 37% | 106 | 50 | ||
| 2018 | 439 | 347 | 37% | 116 | 47 | ||
| 2017 | 438 | 348 | 35% | 94 | 58 | ||
| 2016 | 429 | 356 | 36% | 95 | 57 |
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 37?
38.8% of Unit 37 is public land, 409,272 of 1,054,257 acres, most of it national forest (211,013 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 37.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 37?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 elk hunt codes for Unit 37 with 225 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 37?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 52% success rate for the Unit 37 elk hunts as a whole: 384 hunters reported and 273 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 35% to 52%.
When is elk season in Unit 37 in 2026?
The Unit 37 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 9, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1, Sep 15 and Dec 5 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 1, Oct 17 and Nov 28 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 37?
Yes, for 5 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).