Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 6A: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 8 elk hunt codes in Unit 6A, 6 of them drawn with 658 licenses, from September 1 to December 30, 2026 (pages 77 and 92). In the 2026 draw, 4,998 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 658 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 877 licenses sold, 786 hunters reporting, a 50% success rate, 243 bulls and 129 cows taken on the Unit 6A 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 landState parkNational Park ServiceTribal landOther federal (closed)Unit 6ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 6A |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 8 (6 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 658 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 30, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 4,998 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 372 (243 bulls, 129 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 50% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 47.8% (404,621 acres) |
| Residents only | 3 of the 8 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 6A for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 6A, 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-2-213 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 34% success, 38 bulls, 10 cows |
| ELK-2-214 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 102 | Any applicant | 102 sold, 39% success, 33 bulls, 4 cows |
| ELK-3-215 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 104 | Any applicant | 105 sold, 39% success, 37 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-216 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 100 | Any applicant | 100 sold, 51% success, 45 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-217 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 103 | Any applicant | 104 sold, 33% success, 29 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-218 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Antlerless elk | 99 | residents only | 99 sold, 49% success, 1 bull, 45 cows |
| ELK-1-101 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 50 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 50 sold, 52% success, 0 bulls, 24 cows |
| ELK-1-102 | any legal weapon | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 50 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 51 sold, 74% success, 0 bulls, 35 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 77 and 92. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 6A elk in 2026?
4,998 applicants put one of these 6 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 658 licenses; 452 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-2-213 | 150 | 616 | 100 | 16.2% |
| ELK-2-214 | 102 | 1,145 | 93 | 8.1% |
| ELK-3-215 | 104 | 744 | 69 | 9.3% |
| ELK-1-216 | 100 | 1,495 | 77 | 5.2% |
| ELK-1-217 | 103 | 513 | 44 | 8.6% |
| ELK-1-218 | 99 | 485 | 69 | 14.2% |
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 6A?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 6A elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 877 licenses sold, 786 hunters reporting, a 50% success rate, 243 bulls and 129 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 877 | 786 | 50% | 243 | 129 | ||
| 2024-25 | 889 | 781 | 50% | 276 | 112 | ||
| 2023-24 | 870 | 777 | 47% | 219 | 117 | ||
| 2022-23 | 867 | 756 | 43% | 245 | 111 | ||
| 2021-22 | 869 | 791 | 39% | 234 | 90 | ||
| 2020-21 | 864 | 802 | 41% | 207 | 129 | ||
| 2019-20 | 858 | 777 | 46% | 257 | 112 | ||
| 2018 | 866 | 781 | 38% | 212 | 106 | ||
| 2017 | 862 | 787 | 32% | 186 | 73 | ||
| 2016 | 857 | 782 | 36% | 207 | 89 |
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 6A?
47.8% of Unit 6A is public land, 404,621 of 845,619 acres, most of it national forest (365,929 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 6A.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 6A?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 8 elk hunt codes for Unit 6A with 658 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 77 and 92).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 6A?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 50% success rate for the Unit 6A elk hunts as a whole: 786 hunters reported and 372 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 32% to 50%.
When is elk season in Unit 6A in 2026?
The Unit 6A elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 30, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15, muzzleloader hunts start Oct 10 and 5 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 17 and Dec 26 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 77 and 92).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 6A?
Yes, for 5 of the drawn codes. 3 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).