DER-1-294: deer hunt in Unit 30, Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-1-294 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 30, October 31 to November 4, with 720 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 1,497 applicants chose it first and 563 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 720 licenses sold, 645 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 125 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 landBureau of ReclamationState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landUnit 30Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 31 to November 4 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 30 |
| Licenses | 720 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 1,497 (563 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 20% success, 125 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 75.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-294?
1,497 applicants chose DER-1-294 first in the 2026 draw and 563 drew it on that choice, 37.6% of them. 720 of the 720 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 1,706 first-choice applicants and 614 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 | 1,296 | 689 | 661 | 514 | 657 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 189 | 80 | 86 | 38 | 43 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 12 | 3 | 11 | 11 | 20 |
| All applicants | 1,497 | 772 | 758 | 563 | 720 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,494 | 692 | 705 | 567 | 661 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 201 | 80 | 98 | 36 | 43 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 11 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 16 |
| All applicants | 1,706 | 774 | 811 | 614 | 720 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-294?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-294, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 20% (2025-26), from 645 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 721 in 2023-24 to 720 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-294 (30 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 | 10/25-10/29 | 720 | 645 | 20% | 125 | 0 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 30 (8 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 721 | 647 | 23% | 142 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 21 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 721 | 620 | 30% | 191 | 1 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 26 (8 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-1-294 compare with the other Unit 30 deer hunts?
DER-1-294 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 30 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (1,497). Its 2025-26 success rate, 20%, was the 4th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 30 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 75.4% public land (1,420,629 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-294 have?
NMDOW lists 720 licenses for DER-1-294 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 721 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-294?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-294 a 20% success rate, from 645 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 20% to 30%.
How many people applied for DER-1-294 in 2026?
3,027 applicants listed DER-1-294 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 1,497 chose it first and 563 of those drew it, 37.6% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 1,706 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-294?
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).