Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 48: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes in Unit 48, 7 of them drawn with 463 licenses, from September 1 to December 9, 2026 (pages 87 and 88). In the 2026 draw, 779 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 463 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 701 licenses sold, 532 hunters reporting, a 34% success rate, 137 bulls and 82 cows taken on the Unit 48 hunts (Whites Peak Herd Unit (GMU 48)).
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.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landUnit 48Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 48 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (7 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 463 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 9, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 779 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 219 (137 bulls, 82 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 34% (NMDGF) |
| Population estimate, 2025-26 | 1,200-2000 elk (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 29.1% (70,473 acres) |
| Residents only | 2 of the 7 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 48 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 48, 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-2-372 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 18% success, 8 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-2-373 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 80 | Any applicant | 80 sold, 10% success, 7 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-374 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 60 | Any applicant | 60 sold, 27% success, 14 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-375 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 27% success, 20 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-376 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 64 | Any applicant | 64 sold, 28% success, 15 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-377 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Antlerless elk | 50 | residents only | 50 sold, 37% success, 0 bulls, 17 cows |
| ELK-1-378 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 54 | residents only | 54 sold, 50% success, 0 bulls, 25 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 87 and 88. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 48 elk in 2026?
779 applicants put one of these 7 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 463 licenses; 255 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-2-372 | 80 | 99 | 46 | 46.5% |
| ELK-2-373 | 80 | 101 | 45 | 44.6% |
| ELK-3-374 | 60 | 76 | 27 | 35.5% |
| ELK-1-375 | 75 | 238 | 48 | 20.2% |
| ELK-1-376 | 64 | 83 | 25 | 30.1% |
| ELK-1-377 | 50 | 94 | 36 | 38.3% |
| ELK-1-378 | 54 | 88 | 28 | 31.8% |
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 48?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 48 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 701 licenses sold, 532 hunters reporting, a 34% success rate, 137 bulls and 82 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 701 | 532 | 34% | 137 | 82 | 1,200-2000 | 35:100:32 |
| 2024-25 | 705 | 542 | 37% | 128 | 102 | 1,200-2000 | 35:100:32 |
| 2023-24 | 679 | 550 | 36% | 126 | 94 | 1,200-2000 | 35:100:32 |
| 2022-23 | 702 | 499 | 36% | 141 | 104 | 1,200-2000 | 35:100:32 |
| 2021-22 | 716 | 546 | 32% | 137 | 86 | 1,000-1,900 | 32:100:44 |
| 2020-21 | 703 | 567 | 36% | 124 | 88 | 1,000-1,900 | 32:100:44 |
| 2019-20 | 688 | 555 | 33% | 124 | 88 | 1,000-1,900 | 32:100:44 |
| 2018 | 698 | 540 | 41% | 150 | 126 | 1,000-1,900 | 32:100:44 |
| 2017 | 661 | 513 | 33% | 141 | 78 | 998-1790 | 32:100:44 |
| 2016 | 671 | 524 | 32% | 118 | 97 | 998-1790 | 32:100:44 |
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 48?
29.1% of Unit 48 is public land, 70,473 of 242,197 acres, most of it state trust land (66,756 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 48.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 48?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes for Unit 48 with 463 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 87 and 88).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 48?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 34% success rate for the Unit 48 elk hunts as a whole: 532 hunters reported and 219 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 32% to 41%.
When is elk season in Unit 48 in 2026?
The Unit 48 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 9, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 10 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 17, Oct 24, Nov 14 and Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 87 and 88).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 48?
Yes, for 5 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).
How many elk are in Unit 48?
NMDGF's 2025-26 elk harvest report estimates 1,200-2000 elk in the Whites Peak Herd Unit, with a bull to cow to calf ratio of 35:100:32.