DER-1-203: deer hunt in Unit 17, Nov 21-29
DER-1-203 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 17, November 21 to 29, with 80 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). In the 2026 draw, 246 applicants chose it first and 43 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 80 licenses sold, 76 hunters reporting, a 62% success rate, 44 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeUnit 17Neighboring 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 17 |
| Licenses | 80 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | youth only |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 246 (43 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 62% success, 44 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 73.8% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-203?
246 applicants chose DER-1-203 first in the 2026 draw and 43 drew it on that choice, 17.5% of them. 80 of the 80 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 244 first-choice applicants and 43 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 | 222 | 225 | 194 | 40 | 68 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 15 | 28 | 31 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 9 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 8 |
| All applicants | 246 | 262 | 236 | 43 | 80 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 217 | 199 | 200 | 40 | 68 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 20 | 29 | 51 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 7 | 20 | 19 | 1 | 8 |
| All applicants | 244 | 248 | 270 | 43 | 80 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-203?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-203, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 62% (2025-26), from 76 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 80 in 2023-24 to 80 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-203 (6 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 | 80 | 76 | 62% | 44 | 0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 6 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 23-Dec 1 | 80 | 78 | 58% | 43 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 10 (6 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 18-26 | 80 | 74 | 53% | 39 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 7 (7 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-1-203 compare with the other Unit 17 deer hunts?
DER-1-203 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 17 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (246). Its 2025-26 success rate, 62%, was the highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 17 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 73.8% public land (778,238 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-203 have?
NMDOW lists 80 licenses for DER-1-203 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 80 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-203?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-203 a 62% success rate, from 76 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 53% to 62%.
How many people applied for DER-1-203 in 2026?
744 applicants listed DER-1-203 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 246 chose it first and 43 of those drew it, 17.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 244 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-203?
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).