DER-1-266: deer hunt in Unit 25, Nov 14-18
DER-1-266 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 25, November 14 to 18, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). In the 2026 draw, 40 applicants chose it first and 29 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 87 hunters reporting, a 7% success rate, 6 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.
BLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkMilitary landUnit 25Neighboring 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 25 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 40 (29 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 7% success, 6 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 70.6% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-266?
40 applicants chose DER-1-266 first in the 2026 draw and 29 drew it on that choice, 72.5% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 42 first-choice applicants and 25 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 | 35 | 153 | 82 | 25 | 94 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 40 | 169 | 89 | 29 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 37 | 171 | 95 | 22 | 89 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 22 | 16 | 3 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| All applicants | 42 | 195 | 115 | 25 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-266?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-266, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 7% (2025-26), from 87 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 100 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-266 (1 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 | 100 | 87 | 7% | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2.3 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 9-13 | 100 | 91 | 17% | 13 | 0 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 6 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 11-15 | 100 | 90 | 28% | 23 | 0 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 10 (1 buck, 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-1-266 compare with the other Unit 25 deer hunts?
DER-1-266 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 25 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (40). Its 2025-26 success rate, 7%, was the 4th highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 25 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 70.6% public land (1,436,464 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-266 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for DER-1-266 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-1-266?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-266 a 7% success rate, from 87 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 7% to 28%.
How many people applied for DER-1-266 in 2026?
298 applicants listed DER-1-266 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 40 chose it first and 29 of those drew it, 72.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 42 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-266?
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).