DER-1-300: deer hunt in Unit 31 (including Prairie Chicken WMAs), Nov 7-11
DER-1-300 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 31, including Prairie Chicken WMAs, November 7 to 11, with 440 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 1,703 applicants chose it first and 378 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 440 licenses sold, 389 hunters reporting, a 35% success rate, 135 bucks and 1 doe 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.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationState parkMilitary landOther federal (closed)Unit 31Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | November 7 to 11 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 31 |
| Licenses | 440 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 1,703 (378 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 35% success, 135 bucks, 1 doe |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 48.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-300?
1,703 applicants chose DER-1-300 first in the 2026 draw and 378 drew it on that choice, 22.2% of them. 440 of the 440 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 1,706 first-choice applicants and 395 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 | 1,475 | 839 | 880 | 335 | 370 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 169 | 131 | 126 | 17 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 59 | 45 | 57 | 26 | 44 |
| All applicants | 1,703 | 1,015 | 1,063 | 378 | 440 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,496 | 937 | 876 | 343 | 370 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 168 | 127 | 103 | 23 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 42 | 37 | 20 | 29 | 44 |
| All applicants | 1,706 | 1,101 | 999 | 395 | 440 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
Where is DER-1-300 held?
DER-1-300 is held on Prairie Chicken WMA, 36,633 acres of State Wildlife Commission land in Units 31, 32 and 33, 9 miles from Tatum. NMDOW's fact sheet on camping: Not allowed at any of the Prairie Chicken Wildlife Areas. Closures: The Prairie Chicken Areas are closed to all access from February 16-June 29.
How did hunters do on DER-1-300?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-300, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 35% (2025-26), from 389 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 441 in 2023-24 to 440 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-300 (104 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 | 11/1-11/5 | 440 | 389 | 35% | 135 | 1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 104 (59 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 2-6 | 440 | 378 | 45% | 177 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 123 (67 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 4-8 | 441 | 382 | 39% | 149 | 2 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 125 (83 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-1-300 compare with the other Unit 31 deer hunts?
DER-1-300 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 31 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (1,703). Its 2025-26 success rate, 35%, was the highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 31 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 48.4% public land (2,587,901 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-300 have?
NMDOW lists 440 licenses for DER-1-300 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 440 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-300?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-300 a 35% success rate, from 389 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 35% to 45%.
How many people applied for DER-1-300 in 2026?
3,781 applicants listed DER-1-300 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 1,703 chose it first and 378 of those drew it, 22.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 1,706 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-300?
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).