DER-1-208: deer hunt in Unit 18, Nov 14-18
DER-1-208 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 18, November 14 to 18, with 70 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). In the 2026 draw, 80 applicants chose it first and 20 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 70 licenses sold, 58 hunters reporting, a 24% success rate, 13 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.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationNational Park ServiceMilitary landUnit 18Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | November 14 to 18 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 18 |
| Licenses | 70 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 80 (20 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 24% success, 13 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 65.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-208?
80 applicants chose DER-1-208 first in the 2026 draw and 20 drew it on that choice, 25% of them. 70 of the 70 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 79 first-choice applicants and 12 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 | 68 | 245 | 189 | 19 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 11 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 7 |
| All applicants | 80 | 264 | 209 | 20 | 70 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 70 | 236 | 223 | 11 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 8 | 20 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 3 | 13 | 1 | 7 |
| All applicants | 79 | 259 | 244 | 12 | 70 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-208?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-208, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 24% (2025-26), from 58 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 70 in 2023-24 to 70 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-208 (43 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 | 11/15-11/19 | 70 | 58 | 24% | 13 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 43 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 9-13 | 70 | 62 | 23% | 12 | 0 | 3.7 | 3 | 54 (5 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 11-15 | 70 | 58 | 31% | 19 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 46 (16 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-1-208 compare with the other Unit 18 deer hunts?
DER-1-208 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 18 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (80). Its 2025-26 success rate, 24%, was the 2nd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 18 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 65.9% public land (1,031,695 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-208 have?
NMDOW lists 70 licenses for DER-1-208 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 70 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-208?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-208 a 24% success rate, from 58 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 23% to 31%.
How many people applied for DER-1-208 in 2026?
553 applicants listed DER-1-208 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 80 chose it first and 20 of those drew it, 25% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 79 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-208?
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).