DER-1-221: deer hunt in Units 21A and 21B, Nov 7-11
DER-1-221 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Units 21A and 21B, November 7 to 11, with 425 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 816 applicants chose it first and 256 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 425 licenses sold, 376 hunters reporting, a 26% success rate, 94 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.
National forestBLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkTribal landUnits 21A and 21BUnit linesLake 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) |
| Units | Unit 21A, Unit 21B |
| Licenses | 425 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 816 (256 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 26% success, 94 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-221?
816 applicants chose DER-1-221 first in the 2026 draw and 256 drew it on that choice, 31.4% of them. 425 of the 425 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 991 first-choice applicants and 290 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 | 702 | 600 | 773 | 211 | 357 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 89 | 69 | 61 | 20 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 25 | 14 | 25 | 25 | 42 |
| All applicants | 816 | 683 | 859 | 256 | 425 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 870 | 622 | 808 | 243 | 361 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 92 | 71 | 73 | 18 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 29 | 3 | 13 | 29 | 38 |
| All applicants | 991 | 696 | 894 | 290 | 425 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-221?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-221, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 26% (2025-26), from 376 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 427 in 2023-24 to 425 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-221 (69 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 | 425 | 376 | 26% | 94 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 69 (22 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 2-6 | 428 | 383 | 23% | 85 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 63 (35 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 4-8 | 427 | 356 | 21% | 74 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 55 (20 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-1-221 compare with the other Units 21A and 21B deer hunts?
DER-1-221 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 21A and 21B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (816). Its 2025-26 success rate, 26%, was the 3rd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Units 21A and 21B deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 67.5% public land (1,304,033 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-221 have?
NMDOW lists 425 licenses for DER-1-221 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 428 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-221?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-221 a 26% success rate, from 376 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 21% to 26%.
How many people applied for DER-1-221 in 2026?
2,358 applicants listed DER-1-221 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 816 chose it first and 256 of those drew it, 31.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 991 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-221?
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).
New Mexico hunting New Mexico deer Units 21A and 21B deer Unit 21A Unit 21B