DER-1-222: deer hunt in Units 21A and 21B, Nov 14-18
DER-1-222 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Units 21A and 21B, November 14 to 18, with 425 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 261 applicants chose it first and 147 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 425 licenses sold, 381 hunters reporting, a 17% success rate, 61 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 14 to 18 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 21A, Unit 21B |
| Licenses | 425 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 261 (147 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 17% success, 61 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-222?
261 applicants chose DER-1-222 first in the 2026 draw and 147 drew it on that choice, 56.3% of them. 425 of the 425 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 255 first-choice applicants and 116 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 | 214 | 600 | 498 | 114 | 365 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 24 | 105 | 69 | 10 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 23 | 20 | 10 | 23 | 34 |
| All applicants | 261 | 725 | 577 | 147 | 425 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 195 | 649 | 519 | 94 | 379 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 52 | 84 | 77 | 14 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 8 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 20 |
| All applicants | 255 | 756 | 607 | 116 | 425 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-222?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-222, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 17% (2025-26), from 381 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 427 in 2023-24 to 425 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-222 (44 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 | 425 | 381 | 17% | 61 | 0 | 3.5 | 3 | 44 (13 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 9-13 | 426 | 382 | 28% | 105 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 54 (23 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 11-15 | 427 | 365 | 20% | 75 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 54 (19 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-1-222 compare with the other Units 21A and 21B deer hunts?
DER-1-222 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 21A and 21B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (261). Its 2025-26 success rate, 17%, was the 4th 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-1-222 have?
NMDOW lists 425 licenses for DER-1-222 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 426 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-222?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-222 a 17% success rate, from 381 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 17% to 28%.
How many people applied for DER-1-222 in 2026?
1,563 applicants listed DER-1-222 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 261 chose it first and 147 of those drew it, 56.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 255 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-222?
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