DER-1-166: deer hunt in Unit 9 (including Water Canyon WMA), Nov 21-29
DER-1-166 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 9, including Water Canyon WMA, November 21 to 29, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). In the 2026 draw, 45 applicants chose it first and 5 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 10 hunters reporting, a 43% success rate, 3 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeState parkNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 9Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | November 21 to 29 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 9 |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | youth only |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 45 (5 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 43% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 26.7% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-166?
45 applicants chose DER-1-166 first in the 2026 draw and 5 drew it on that choice, 11.1% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 40 first-choice applicants and 7 drawn on first choice. These are NMDOW's results for those draws, not a forecast.
| Pool, 2026 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 45 | 34 | 28 | 5 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 45 | 36 | 34 | 5 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 37 | 51 | 32 | 6 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 40 | 53 | 35 | 7 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
Where is DER-1-166 held?
DER-1-166 is held on Water Canyon WMA, 2,844 acres of State Wildlife Commission land in Unit 9, 4 miles from Bibo. NMDOW's fact sheet on camping: No camping is allowed except licensed hunters may camp during their hunt. Closures: Water Canyon Wildlife Area is open year-round except during established deer and elk hunts.
How did hunters do on DER-1-166?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-166, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 43% (2025-26), from 10 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 10 in 2023-24 to 10 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-166 (9 in 2025-26); they have their own column and are not counted in the drawn hunt's results.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 | Private-land licenses, same code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAD | 11/22-11/30 | 10 | 10 | 43% | 3 | 0 | 4.4 | 4 | 9 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 23-Dec 1 | 10 | 10 | 60% | 6 | 0 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 2 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 18-26 | 10 | 9 | 63% | 6 | 0 | 5.1 | 2.8 | 4 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
Source: NMDGF 2025-26 deer harvest report, NMDGF 2024-25 deer harvest report and NMDGF 2023-24 deer harvest report and earlier NMDOW deer harvest reports.
How does DER-1-166 compare with the other Unit 9 deer hunts?
DER-1-166 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 9 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (45). Its 2025-26 success rate, 43%, was the 2nd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 9 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 26.7% public land (567,834 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-166 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for DER-1-166 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-166?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-166 a 43% success rate, from 10 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 43% to 63%.
How many people applied for DER-1-166 in 2026?
115 applicants listed DER-1-166 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 45 chose it first and 5 of those drew it, 11.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 40 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-166?
Yes. Nonresidents draw from the 6% of licenses set aside for them, or the 10% for applicants with a registered outfitter (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 18). NMDOW warns that with 10 licenses a nonresident is extremely unlikely to draw it.