Elk hunting in New Mexico Units 51A and 51B: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 elk hunt codes in Units 51A and 51B, 9 of them drawn with 1,919 licenses, from September 1 to December 30, 2026 (pages 88, 89 and 94). In the 2026 draw, 4,823 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 1,919 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 2,531 licenses sold, 2,227 hunters reporting, a 39% success rate, 436 bulls and 421 cows taken on the Units 51A and 51B 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 landUnits 51A and 51BUnit linesLake or riverHighway
| Units | Unit 51A, Unit 51B |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 11 (9 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 1,919 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 30, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 4,823 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 857 (436 bulls, 421 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 39% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 82.3% (522,891 acres) |
| Residents only | 5 of the 11 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Units 51A and 51B for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Units 51A and 51B, 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-2-193 | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 180 | Any applicant | 180 sold, 24% success, 29 bulls, 11 cows |
| ELK-2-194 | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 180 | Any applicant | 180 sold, 18% success, 23 bulls, 9 cows |
| ELK-1-195 | any legal weapon | Oct 10-14 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 220 | Any applicant | 220 sold, 45% success, 88 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-196 | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 220 | Any applicant | 220 sold, 35% success, 68 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-197 | any legal weapon | Oct 24-28 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 220 | Any applicant | 220 sold, 28% success, 58 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-198 | any legal weapon | Nov 7-11 | Antlerless elk | 251 | residents only | 251 sold, 27% success, 2 bulls, 58 cows |
| ELK-1-199 | any legal weapon | Nov 14-18 | Antlerless elk | 251 | residents only | 251 sold, 26% success, 0 bulls, 57 cows |
| ELK-1-200 | any legal weapon | Nov 21-25 | Antlerless elk | 252 | residents only | 251 sold, 37% success, 1 bull, 83 cows |
| ELK-1-124 | any legal weapon | Nov 28-Dec 2 | Antlerless elk | 105 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 103 sold, 41% success, 0 bulls, 38 cows |
| ELK-3-201 | muzzleloader | Dec 5-9 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 145 | Any applicant | 145 sold, 39% success, 24 bulls, 27 cows |
| ELK-1-125 | any legal weapon | Dec 26-30 | Antlerless elk | 105 (not drawn) | Youth encouragement (online purchase only) / youth only | 105 sold, 44% success, 1 bull, 41 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 88, 89 and 94. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Units 51A and 51B elk in 2026?
4,823 applicants put one of these 9 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 1,919 licenses; 997 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-2-193 | 180 | 356 | 118 | 33.1% |
| ELK-2-194 | 180 | 593 | 104 | 17.5% |
| ELK-1-195 | 220 | 1,995 | 183 | 9.2% |
| ELK-1-196 | 220 | 335 | 76 | 22.7% |
| ELK-1-197 | 220 | 322 | 83 | 25.8% |
| ELK-1-198 | 251 | 607 | 175 | 28.8% |
| ELK-1-199 | 251 | 208 | 80 | 38.5% |
| ELK-1-200 | 252 | 226 | 110 | 48.7% |
| ELK-3-201 | 145 | 181 | 68 | 37.6% |
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 Units 51A and 51B?
NMDGF's totals for the Units 51A and 51B elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 2,531 licenses sold, 2,227 hunters reporting, a 39% success rate, 436 bulls and 421 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 2,531 | 2,227 | 39% | 436 | 421 | ||
| 2024-25 | 2,523 | 2,190 | 35% | 374 | 405 | ||
| 2023-24 | 2,540 | 2,180 | 36% | 404 | 390 | ||
| 2022-23 | 2,480 | 2,126 | 33% | 398 | 380 | ||
| 2021-22 | 2,466 | 2,145 | 32% | 395 | 353 | ||
| 2020-21 | 2,481 | 2,213 | 37% | 410 | 449 | ||
| 2019-20 | 2,449 | 2,162 | 31% | 375 | 344 | ||
| 2018 | 2,459 | 2,180 | 38% | 423 | 463 | ||
| 2017 | 2,474 | 2,172 | 30% | 376 | 343 | ||
| 2016 | 2,464 | 2,168 | 36% | 396 | 433 |
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 Units 51A and 51B?
82.3% of Units 51A and 51B is public land, 522,891 of 635,022 acres, most of it national forest (479,029 acres), measured from the BLM New Mexico surface management agency map (read 2026-10). By unit: Unit 51A 86.4% and Unit 51B 66%.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Units 51A and 51B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 elk hunt codes for Units 51A and 51B with 1,919 draw licenses; 2 more are not drawn (private land, youth encouragement or over the counter) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 88, 89 and 94).
What is the elk success rate in Units 51A and 51B?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 39% success rate for the Units 51A and 51B elk hunts as a whole: 2,227 hunters reported and 857 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 30% to 39%.
When is elk season in Units 51A and 51B in 2026?
The Units 51A and 51B elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 30, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15, 8 any legal weapon hunts start between Oct 10 and Dec 26 and muzzleloader hunts start Dec 5 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 88, 89 and 94).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Units 51A and 51B?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 5 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).