DER-1-256: deer hunt in Unit 24 (excluding Fort Bayard Management Area, including Double E and River Ranch WMAs), Nov 21-25
DER-1-256 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered white-tailed deer with any legal weapon in Unit 24, excluding Fort Bayard Management Area, including Double E and River Ranch WMAs, November 21 to 25, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). In the 2026 draw, 115 applicants chose it first and 43 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 90 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 30 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landOther federal (closed)Unit 24Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered white-tailed deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | November 21 to 25 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 24 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 115 (43 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 33% success, 30 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 63.1% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-256?
115 applicants chose DER-1-256 first in the 2026 draw and 43 drew it on that choice, 37.4% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 70 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 | 81 | 109 | 153 | 38 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 25 | 22 | 43 | 3 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 9 | 13 | 23 | 2 | 10 |
| All applicants | 115 | 144 | 219 | 43 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 42 | 99 | 140 | 25 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 25 | 45 | 56 | 3 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 9 | 24 | 3 | 10 |
| All applicants | 70 | 153 | 220 | 31 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-256?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-256, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 33% (2025-26), from 90 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 100 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-256 (3 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 | FAWTD | 11/22-11/26 | 100 | 90 | 33% | 30 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAWTD | Nov 16-20 | 100 | 92 | 24% | 21 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAWTD | Nov 18-22 | 100 | 87 | 22% | 18 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 4 (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-1-256 compare with the other Unit 24 deer hunts?
DER-1-256 is one of 12 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 24 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 12 drawn ones (115). Its 2025-26 success rate, 33%, was the 4th highest of the 12 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 24 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 (610,510 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-256 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for DER-1-256 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-256?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-256 a 33% success rate, from 90 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 22% to 33%.
How many people applied for DER-1-256 in 2026?
478 applicants listed DER-1-256 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 115 chose it first and 43 of those drew it, 37.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 70 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-256?
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).