DER-1-296: deer hunt in Unit 30, Nov 21-29
DER-1-296 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 30, November 21 to 29, with 250 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 253 applicants chose it first and 163 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 250 licenses sold, 227 hunters reporting, a 26% success rate, 59 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 | November 21 to 29 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 30 |
| Licenses | 250 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | youth only |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 253 (163 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 26% success, 59 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 75.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-296?
253 applicants chose DER-1-296 first in the 2026 draw and 163 drew it on that choice, 64.4% of them. 250 of the 250 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 287 first-choice applicants and 184 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 | 233 | 70 | 150 | 153 | 228 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 19 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 15 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| All applicants | 253 | 83 | 170 | 163 | 250 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 264 | 80 | 137 | 171 | 229 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 18 | 15 | 26 | 8 | 15 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 6 |
| All applicants | 287 | 95 | 166 | 184 | 250 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-296?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-296, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 26% (2025-26), from 227 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 250 in 2023-24 to 250 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-296 (5 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 | 11/22-11/30 | 250 | 227 | 26% | 59 | 0 | 4.7 | 2.8 | 5 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 23-Dec 1 | 250 | 227 | 45% | 105 | 0 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 8 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 18-26 | 250 | 235 | 50% | 115 | 1 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 1 (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-1-296 compare with the other Unit 30 deer hunts?
DER-1-296 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 30 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (253). Its 2025-26 success rate, 26%, was the 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-1-296 have?
NMDOW lists 250 licenses for DER-1-296 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 250 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-296?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-296 a 26% success rate, from 227 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 26% to 50%.
How many people applied for DER-1-296 in 2026?
506 applicants listed DER-1-296 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 253 chose it first and 163 of those drew it, 64.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 287 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-296?
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).