DER-1-238: deer hunt in Unit 23 (excluding Burro Mountain Area), Nov 21-29
DER-1-238 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 23, excluding Burro Mountain Area, November 21 to 29, with 75 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). In the 2026 draw, 65 applicants chose it first and 30 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 75 licenses sold, 70 hunters reporting, a 50% success rate, 33 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landMilitary landUnit 23Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | November 21 to 29 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 23 |
| Licenses | 75 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | youth only |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 65 (30 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 50% success, 33 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 63.1% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-238?
65 applicants chose DER-1-238 first in the 2026 draw and 30 drew it on that choice, 46.2% of them. 75 of the 75 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 72 first-choice applicants and 31 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 | 49 | 59 | 102 | 28 | 63 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 15 | 17 | 12 | 1 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| All applicants | 65 | 79 | 122 | 30 | 75 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 56 | 63 | 101 | 27 | 63 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 14 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 7 |
| All applicants | 72 | 92 | 128 | 31 | 75 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-238?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-238, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 50% (2025-26), from 70 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 35 in 2019-20 to 75 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-238 (9 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 | 11/22-11/30 | 75 | 70 | 50% | 33 | 0 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 9 (8 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 23-Dec 1 | 75 | 71 | 62% | 43 | 0 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 9 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 18-26 | 75 | 68 | 44% | 30 | 1 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 8 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2022-23 | FAMD | Nov 5-13 | 35 | 33 | 35% | 12 | 0 | 4.6 | 3.4 | 3 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2021-22 | FAMD | Nov 6-14 | 35 | 33 | 33% | 11 | 0 | 5 | 2.6 | 3 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2020-21 | FAMD | Nov 7-15 | 35 | 30 | 38% | 11 | 0 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 2 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2019-20 | FAMD | Nov 2-10 | 35 | 33 | 50% | 16 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 6 (4 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-1-238 compare with the other Unit 23 deer hunts?
DER-1-238 is one of 19 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 23 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 11th most first-choice applicants of the 19 drawn ones (65). Its 2025-26 success rate, 50%, was the highest of the 13 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 23 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 63.1% public land (1,183,461 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-238 have?
NMDOW lists 75 licenses for DER-1-238 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 75 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-238?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-238 a 50% success rate, from 70 hunters reporting. Over the 7 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 62%.
How many people applied for DER-1-238 in 2026?
266 applicants listed DER-1-238 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 65 chose it first and 30 of those drew it, 46.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 72 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-238?
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).