Elk hunting in New Mexico Units 57 and 58: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes in Units 57 and 58, 7 of them drawn with 40 licenses, from September 1 to December 16, 2026 (page 91). In the 2026 draw, 179 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 40 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 738 licenses sold, 333 hunters reporting, a 50% success rate, 230 bulls and 239 cows taken on the Units 57 and 58 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 ServiceUnits 57 and 58Unit linesLake or riverHighway
| Units | Unit 57, Unit 58 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (7 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 40 |
| Season span | September 1 to December 16, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 179 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 469 (230 bulls, 239 cows) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 50% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 19.6% (246,026 acres) |
| Residents only | 1 of the 7 codes |
Which elk hunts are in Units 57 and 58 for 2026-27?
Every elk hunt code NMDOW lists for Units 57 and 58, with the code's own 2025-26 result where NMDGF reported one under the same code and units.
| Hunt code | Where | Weapon | Dates, 2026-27 | Bag limit | Licenses | Who may apply | 2025-26 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-2-418 | Unit 57, Sugarite Canyon State Park only | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 3 | Any applicant | 3 sold, 0% success, 0 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-2-420 | Units 57 and 58, excluding Sugarite Canyon State Park | bow | Sep 1-14 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 5 | Any applicant | 5 sold, 0% success, 0 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-2-419 | Unit 57, Sugarite Canyon State Park only | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 2 | Any applicant | 2 sold, 0% success, 0 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-2-421 | Units 57 and 58, excluding Sugarite Canyon State Park | bow | Sep 15-24 | Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) | 5 | Any applicant | 5 sold, 40% success, 2 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-422 | Units 57 and 58, excluding Sugarite Canyon State Park | any legal weapon | Oct 1-5 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 5 | Any applicant | 5 sold, 100% success, 5 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-423 | Units 57 and 58, excluding Sugarite Canyon State Park | any legal weapon | Oct 17-21 | Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 67% success, 7 bulls, 0 cows |
| ELK-1-424 | Units 57 and 58, excluding Sugarite Canyon State Park | any legal weapon | Dec 12-16 | Antlerless elk | 10 | residents only | 10 sold, 67% success, 0 bulls, 7 cows |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 91. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Units 57 and 58 elk in 2026?
179 applicants put one of these 7 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 40 licenses; 25 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-2-418 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 30% |
| ELK-2-420 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 50% |
| ELK-2-419 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 12.5% |
| ELK-2-421 | 5 | 17 | 5 | 29.4% |
| ELK-1-422 | 5 | 83 | 4 | 4.8% |
| ELK-1-423 | 10 | 43 | 4 | 9.3% |
| ELK-1-424 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 42.9% |
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 57 and 58?
NMDGF's totals for the Units 57 and 58 elk hunts, season by season, with its herd estimates where the report prints them. The newest, 2025-26: 738 licenses sold, 333 hunters reporting, a 50% success rate, 230 bulls and 239 cows taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Population estimate | Bulls : cows : calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 738 | 333 | 50% | 230 | 239 | ||
| 2024-25 | 650 | 312 | 49% | 245 | 211 | ||
| 2023-24 | 620 | 251 | 58% | 246 | 153 | ||
| 2022-23 | 553 | 235 | 62% | 206 | 154 | ||
| 2021-22 | 537 | 283 | 56% | 213 | 107 | ||
| 2020-21 | 511 | 265 | 53% | 172 | 105 | ||
| 2019-20 | 522 | 274 | 54% | 176 | 87 | ||
| 2018 | 541 | 246 | 49% | 153 | 106 | ||
| 2017 | 531 | 255 | 50% | 165 | 106 | ||
| 2016 | 587 | 273 | 62% | 214 | 146 |
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 57 and 58?
19.6% of Units 57 and 58 is public land, 246,026 of 1,254,259 acres, most of it state trust land (216,095 acres), measured from the BLM New Mexico surface management agency map (read 2026-10). By unit: Unit 57 15.5% and Unit 58 20.8%.
Questions hunters ask
How many elk licenses are there in Units 57 and 58?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk hunt codes for Units 57 and 58 with 40 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 91).
What is the elk success rate in Units 57 and 58?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 50% success rate for the Units 57 and 58 elk hunts as a whole: 333 hunters reported and 469 elk were taken. Across the 10 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 49% to 62%.
When is elk season in Units 57 and 58 in 2026?
The Units 57 and 58 elk hunts run from September 1, 2026 to December 16, 2026. Bow hunts start Sep 1 and Sep 15 and any legal weapon hunts start Oct 1, Oct 17 and Dec 12 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 91).
Can nonresidents hunt elk in Units 57 and 58?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. 1 is 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).