DER-1-275: deer hunt in Unit 26, Dec 5-13
DER-1-275 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered white-tailed deer with any legal weapon in Unit 26, December 5 to 13, with 25 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). In the 2026 draw, 24 applicants chose it first and 11 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 25 licenses sold, 24 hunters reporting, a 30% 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 landMilitary landUnit 26Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered white-tailed deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 5 to 13 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 26 |
| Licenses | 25 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 24 (11 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 30% success, 6 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 51.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-275?
24 applicants chose DER-1-275 first in the 2026 draw and 11 drew it on that choice, 45.8% of them. 25 of the 25 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 31 first-choice applicants and 11 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 | 18 | 17 | 25 | 11 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 6 | 12 | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| All applicants | 24 | 32 | 41 | 11 | 25 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 18 | 19 | 28 | 9 | 23 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 13 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 31 | 24 | 36 | 11 | 25 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-275?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-275, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 30% (2025-26), from 24 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 25 in 2023-24 to 25 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-275 (2 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 | 12/6-12/14 | 25 | 24 | 30% | 6 | 0 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 2 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAWTD | Dec 7-15 | 25 | 22 | 29% | 7 | 0 | 3.3 | 2.3 | |
| 2023-24 | FAWTD | Dec 2-10 | 25 | 23 | 23% | 3 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
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-1-275 compare with the other Unit 26 deer hunts?
DER-1-275 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 26 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (24). Its 2025-26 success rate, 30%, was the highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 26 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 51.5% public land (759,055 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-275 have?
NMDOW lists 25 licenses for DER-1-275 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 25 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-275?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-275 a 30% success rate, from 24 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 23% to 30%.
How many people applied for DER-1-275 in 2026?
97 applicants listed DER-1-275 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 24 chose it first and 11 of those drew it, 45.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 31 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-275?
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).