DER-1-280: deer hunt in Unit 27, Dec 5-13
DER-1-280 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered white-tailed deer with any legal weapon in Unit 27, December 5 to 13, with 25 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 246 applicants chose it first and 19 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 25 licenses sold, 25 hunters reporting, a 22% success rate, 5 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landMilitary landUnit 27Neighboring 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 27 |
| Licenses | 25 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality, high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 246 (19 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 22% success, 5 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-280?
246 applicants chose DER-1-280 first in the 2026 draw and 19 drew it on that choice, 7.7% of them. 25 of the 25 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 243 first-choice applicants and 16 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 | 113 | 125 | 59 | 16 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 102 | 121 | 93 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 31 | 34 | 33 | 1 | 2 |
| All applicants | 246 | 280 | 185 | 19 | 25 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 92 | 108 | 88 | 16 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 120 | 112 | 88 | 0 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 31 | 38 | 40 | 0 | 2 |
| All applicants | 243 | 258 | 216 | 16 | 25 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-280?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-280, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 22% (2025-26), from 25 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 25 in 2023-24 to 25 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-280 (11 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 | 25 | 22% | 5 | 0 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 11 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAWTD | Dec 7-15 | 25 | 22 | 35% | 8 | 0 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 9 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAWTD | Dec 2-10 | 25 | 25 | 39% | 7 | 0 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 9 (2 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-1-280 compare with the other Unit 27 deer hunts?
DER-1-280 is one of 11 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 27 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 11 drawn ones (246). Its 2025-26 success rate, 22%, was the 3rd highest of the 11 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 27 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 (447,402 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-280 have?
NMDOW lists 25 licenses for DER-1-280 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 25 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-280?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-280 a 22% success rate, from 25 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 22% to 39%.
How many people applied for DER-1-280 in 2026?
711 applicants listed DER-1-280 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 246 chose it first and 19 of those drew it, 7.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 243 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-280?
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).