Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 5B: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes in Unit 5B, 9 of them drawn with 674 licenses, from September 1 to December 23, 2026 (pages 76, 77 and 92). In the 2026 draw, 1,802 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 674 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 754 licenses sold, 656 hunters reporting, a 35% success rate, 127 bulls and 64 cows taken on the Unit 5B 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 landMilitary landTribal landUnit 5BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 5B |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (9 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 674 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 23, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,802 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 191 (127 bulls, 64 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 35% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 81% (214,294 acres) |
| Residents only | 4 of the 10 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 5B for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 5B, 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-2-178 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 76 | Any applicant | 76 sold, 18% success, 8 bulls, 5 cows |
| ELK-2-179 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 75 | Any applicant | 75 sold, 14% success, 9 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-180 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 86 | Any applicant | 86 sold, 25% success, 21 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-181 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Antlerless elk | 59 | residents only | 59 sold, 18% success, 0 bulls, 9 cows |
| ELK-1-182 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 86 | Any applicant | 86 sold, 22% success, 15 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-183 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Antlerless elk | 59 | residents only | 59 sold, 25% success, 1 bull, 13 cows |
| ELK-1-184 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 87 | Any applicant | 87 sold, 17% success, 14 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-185 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Antlerless elk | 59 | residents only | 59 sold, 35% success, 0 bulls, 19 cows |
| ELK-1-100 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 20 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 21 sold, 61% success, 0 bulls, 12 cows |
| ELK-1-186 | any legal weapon | Dec 19-23 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 87 | Any applicant | 87 sold, 48% success, 39 bulls, 0 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 76, 77 and 92. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 5B elk in 2026?
1,802 applicants put one of these 9 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 674 licenses; 377 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-2-178 | 76 | 123 | 39 | 31.7% |
| ELK-2-179 | 75 | 181 | 43 | 23.8% |
| ELK-1-180 | 86 | 493 | 56 | 11.4% |
| ELK-1-181 | 59 | 182 | 39 | 21.4% |
| ELK-1-182 | 86 | 180 | 49 | 27.2% |
| ELK-1-183 | 59 | 57 | 20 | 35.1% |
| ELK-1-184 | 87 | 134 | 41 | 30.6% |
| ELK-1-185 | 59 | 67 | 27 | 40.3% |
| ELK-1-186 | 87 | 385 | 63 | 16.4% |
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 5B?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 5B elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 754 licenses sold, 656 hunters reporting, a 35% success rate, 127 bulls and 64 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 754 | 656 | 35% | 127 | 64 | ||
| 2024-25 | 745 | 663 | 30% | 105 | 55 | ||
| 2023-24 | 738 | 645 | 29% | 110 | 62 | ||
| 2022-23 | 732 | 651 | 29% | 143 | 51 | ||
| 2021-22 | 735 | 641 | 28% | 141 | 53 | ||
| 2020-21 | 727 | 669 | 29% | 139 | 56 | ||
| 2019-20 | 732 | 655 | 27% | 124 | 60 | ||
| 2018 | 734 | 654 | 24% | 100 | 60 | ||
| 2017 | 729 | 673 | 27% | 137 | 48 | ||
| 2016 | 729 | 658 | 28% | 123 | 73 |
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 5B?
81% of Unit 5B is public land, 214,294 of 264,652 acres, most of it national forest (205,516 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 5B.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 5B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk hunt codes for Unit 5B with 674 draw licenses; 1 more is not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 76, 77 and 92).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 5B?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 35% success rate for the Unit 5B elk hunts as a whole: 656 hunters reported and 191 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 24% to 35%.
When is elk season in Unit 5B in 2026?
The Unit 5B elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 23, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15 and 8 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 10 and Dec 19 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 76, 77 and 92).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 5B?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 4 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).