DER-1-216: deer hunt in Unit 20, Nov 7-11
DER-1-216 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 20, November 7 to 11, with 90 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 428 applicants chose it first and 69 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 90 licenses sold, 77 hunters reporting, a 35% success rate, 29 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
BLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationState parkMilitary landOther federal (closed)Unit 20Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | November 7 to 11 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 20 |
| Licenses | 90 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 428 (69 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 35% success, 29 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 62.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-216?
428 applicants chose DER-1-216 first in the 2026 draw and 69 drew it on that choice, 16.1% of them. 90 of the 90 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 497 first-choice applicants and 68 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 | 409 | 331 | 312 | 64 | 76 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 17 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| All applicants | 428 | 352 | 329 | 69 | 90 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 458 | 340 | 366 | 62 | 76 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 34 | 19 | 27 | 4 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 13 | 1 | 2 | 9 |
| All applicants | 497 | 372 | 394 | 68 | 90 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-216?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-216, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 35% (2025-26), from 77 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 90 in 2023-24 to 90 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-216 (14 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 | 11/8-11/12 | 90 | 77 | 35% | 29 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 14 (4 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 2-6 | 92 | 81 | 36% | 28 | 0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 4-8 | 90 | 79 | 32% | 25 | 0 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 15 (0 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-1-216 compare with the other Unit 20 deer hunts?
DER-1-216 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 20 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (428). Its 2025-26 success rate, 35%, was the 2nd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 20 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 62.9% public land (1,026,204 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-216 have?
NMDOW lists 90 licenses for DER-1-216 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 92 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-216?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-216 a 35% success rate, from 77 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 32% to 36%.
How many people applied for DER-1-216 in 2026?
1,109 applicants listed DER-1-216 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 428 chose it first and 69 of those drew it, 16.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 497 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-216?
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).