DER-1-217: deer hunt in Unit 20, Nov 14-18
DER-1-217 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 20, November 14 to 18, with 90 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 86 applicants chose it first and 26 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 90 licenses sold, 77 hunters reporting, a 21% success rate, 16 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 14 to 18 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 20 |
| Licenses | 90 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 86 (26 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 21% success, 16 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 62.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-217?
86 applicants chose DER-1-217 first in the 2026 draw and 26 drew it on that choice, 30.2% of them. 90 of the 90 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 100 first-choice applicants and 21 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 | 73 | 288 | 278 | 22 | 77 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 12 | 18 | 11 | 3 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 8 |
| All applicants | 86 | 314 | 298 | 26 | 90 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 81 | 345 | 268 | 17 | 76 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 15 | 27 | 19 | 0 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 4 | 10 | 9 | 4 | 9 |
| All applicants | 100 | 382 | 296 | 21 | 90 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-217?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-217, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 21% (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-1-217 (8 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 | 90 | 77 | 21% | 16 | 0 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 8 (4 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 9-13 | 90 | 80 | 34% | 28 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 9 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 11-15 | 90 | 82 | 37% | 26 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3 (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-1-217 compare with the other Unit 20 deer hunts?
DER-1-217 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 20 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (86). Its 2025-26 success rate, 21%, was the 3rd 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-1-217 have?
NMDOW lists 90 licenses for DER-1-217 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 90 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-217?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-217 a 21% success rate, from 77 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 21% to 37%.
How many people applied for DER-1-217 in 2026?
698 applicants listed DER-1-217 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 86 chose it first and 26 of those drew it, 30.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 100 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-217?
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).