Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 52: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 12 elk hunt codes in Unit 52, 11 of them drawn with 1,464 licenses, from September 1 to December 9, 2026 (pages 89 and 94). In the 2026 draw, 3,997 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 1,464 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,644 licenses sold, 1,458 hunters reporting, a 40% success rate, 281 bulls and 207 cows taken on the Unit 52 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 landTribal landUnit 52Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 52 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 12 (11 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 1,464 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 9, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 3,997 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 488 (281 bulls, 207 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 40% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 92.1% (247,713 acres) |
| Residents only | 6 of the 12 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 52 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 52, 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-2-202 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 230 | Any applicant | 230 sold, 18% success, 27 bulls, 9 cows |
| ELK-2-203 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 230 | Any applicant | 230 sold, 15% success, 28 bulls, 4 cows |
| ELK-3-204 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 50 | mobility impaired only | 50 sold, 27% success, 13 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-205 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 120 | Any applicant | 119 sold, 20% success, 22 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-3-206 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Antlerless elk | 50 | residents only | 50 sold, 13% success, 0 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-1-207 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 230 | Any applicant | 231 sold, 34% success, 71 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-208 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 230 | Any applicant | 230 sold, 28% success, 55 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-209 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Antlerless elk | 80 | residents only / youth only | 80 sold, 25% success, 0 bulls, 19 cows |
| ELK-1-210 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 56 | residents only / mobility impaired only | 55 sold, 56% success, 0 bulls, 27 cows |
| ELK-1-211 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 73 | residents only | 73 sold, 35% success, 0 bulls, 23 cows |
| ELK-1-126 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 50 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 53 sold, 57% success, 2 bulls, 27 cows |
| ELK-1-212 | any legal weapon | Dec 5-9 | Antlerless elk | 115 | residents only | 115 sold, 61% success, 1 bull, 64 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 89 and 94. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 52 elk in 2026?
3,997 applicants put one of these 11 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 1,464 licenses; 878 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-2-202 | 230 | 388 | 138 | 35.6% |
| ELK-2-203 | 230 | 585 | 144 | 24.6% |
| ELK-3-204 | 50 | 34 | 23 | 67.6% |
| ELK-3-205 | 120 | 370 | 87 | 23.5% |
| ELK-3-206 | 50 | 69 | 29 | 42% |
| ELK-1-207 | 230 | 1,286 | 161 | 12.5% |
| ELK-1-208 | 230 | 418 | 86 | 20.6% |
| ELK-1-209 | 80 | 105 | 44 | 41.9% |
| ELK-1-210 | 56 | 46 | 31 | 67.4% |
| ELK-1-211 | 73 | 317 | 50 | 15.8% |
| ELK-1-212 | 115 | 379 | 85 | 22.4% |
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 52?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 52 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 1,644 licenses sold, 1,458 hunters reporting, a 40% success rate, 281 bulls and 207 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,644 | 1,458 | 40% | 281 | 207 | ||
| 2024-25 | 1,646 | 1,498 | 41% | 283 | 232 | ||
| 2023-24 | 1,648 | 1,449 | 34% | 237 | 188 | ||
| 2022-23 | 1,641 | 1,426 | 32% | 248 | 227 | ||
| 2021-22 | 1,637 | 1,453 | 24% | 243 | 119 | ||
| 2020-21 | 1,637 | 1,493 | 33% | 240 | 248 | ||
| 2019-20 | 1,644 | 1,437 | 26% | 222 | 170 | ||
| 2018 | 1,640 | 1,506 | 33% | 289 | 208 | ||
| 2017 | 1,640 | 1,488 | 28% | 270 | 161 | ||
| 2016 | 1,630 | 1,505 | 32% | 258 | 221 |
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 52?
92.1% of Unit 52 is public land, 247,713 of 268,854 acres, most of it national forest (203,355 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 52.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 52?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 12 elk hunt codes for Unit 52 with 1,464 draw licenses; 1 more is not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 89 and 94).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 52?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 40% success rate for the Unit 52 elk hunts as a whole: 1,458 hunters reported and 488 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 24% to 41%.
When is elk season in Unit 52 in 2026?
The Unit 52 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 7 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 17 and Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 89 and 94).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 52?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 6 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).