Elk hunting in New Mexico Unit 6C: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk hunt codes in Unit 6C, 7 of them drawn with 840 licenses, from September 1 to December 30, 2026 (pages 78 and 92). In the 2026 draw, 2,163 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 840 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 1,085 licenses sold, 958 hunters reporting, a 37% success rate, 192 bulls and 129 cows taken on the Unit 6C 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 landNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landOther federal (closed)Unit 6CNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 6C |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 9 (7 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 840 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 30, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 2,163 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 321 (192 bulls, 129 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 37% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 53.4% (415,553 acres) |
| Residents only | 4 of the 9 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Unit 6C for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 6C, 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-2-234 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 150 | Any applicant | 150 sold, 14% success, 18 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-2-235 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 105 | Any applicant | 105 sold, 12% success, 10 bulls, 1 cow |
| ELK-3-236 | muzzleloader | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 155 | Any applicant | 155 sold, 23% success, 34 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-237 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 105 | Any applicant | 105 sold, 41% success, 38 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-238 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 105 | Any applicant | 105 sold, 33% success, 33 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-239 | any legal weapon | Oct 31-Nov 4 | Antlerless elk | 110 | residents only | 110 sold, 30% success, 0 bulls, 31 cows |
| ELK-1-240 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 110 | residents only | 110 sold, 29% success, 0 bulls, 29 cows |
| ELK-1-103 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 50 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 50 sold, 47% success, 0 bulls, 20 cows |
| ELK-1-104 | any legal weapon | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 50 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 50 sold, 58% success, 0 bulls, 28 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 78 and 92. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 6C elk in 2026?
2,163 applicants put one of these 7 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 840 licenses; 431 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-2-234 | 150 | 221 | 73 | 33% |
| ELK-2-235 | 105 | 329 | 67 | 20.4% |
| ELK-3-236 | 155 | 299 | 64 | 21.4% |
| ELK-1-237 | 105 | 665 | 51 | 7.7% |
| ELK-1-238 | 105 | 274 | 56 | 20.4% |
| ELK-1-239 | 110 | 171 | 65 | 38% |
| ELK-1-240 | 110 | 204 | 55 | 27% |
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 6C?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 6C elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 1,085 licenses sold, 958 hunters reporting, a 37% success rate, 192 bulls and 129 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 1,085 | 958 | 37% | 192 | 129 | ||
| 2024-25 | 1,089 | 934 | 38% | 191 | 143 | ||
| 2023-24 | 1,087 | 973 | 35% | 210 | 149 | ||
| 2022-23 | 1,087 | 973 | 33% | 222 | 103 | ||
| 2021-22 | 1,089 | 968 | 34% | 229 | 121 | ||
| 2020-21 | 1,078 | 994 | 31% | 194 | 117 | ||
| 2019-20 | 1,077 | 993 | 34% | 218 | 121 | ||
| 2018 | 1,082 | 962 | 27% | 172 | 103 | ||
| 2017 | 1,090 | 975 | 31% | 207 | 108 | ||
| 2016 | 1,085 | 984 | 27% | 176 | 98 |
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 6C?
53.4% of Unit 6C is public land, 415,553 of 777,774 acres, most of it national forest (350,626 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 6C.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Unit 6C?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk hunt codes for Unit 6C with 840 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 78 and 92).
What is the elk success rate in Unit 6C?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 37% success rate for the Unit 6C elk hunts as a whole: 958 hunters reported and 321 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 27% to 38%.
When is elk season in Unit 6C in 2026?
The Unit 6C 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 6 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 17 and Dec 26 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 78 and 92).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Unit 6C?
Yes, for 5 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).