DER-1-301: deer hunt in Unit 31 (including Prairie Chicken WMAs), Nov 21-25
DER-1-301 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 21 to 25, with 435 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 543 applicants chose it first and 197 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 435 licenses sold, 374 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 127 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.
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 21 to 25 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 31 |
| Licenses | 435 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 543 (197 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 33% success, 127 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 48.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-301?
543 applicants chose DER-1-301 first in the 2026 draw and 197 drew it on that choice, 36.3% of them. 435 of the 435 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 686 first-choice applicants and 212 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 | 428 | 1,156 | 684 | 158 | 366 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 70 | 151 | 83 | 14 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 45 | 54 | 16 | 25 | 43 |
| All applicants | 543 | 1,361 | 783 | 197 | 435 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 541 | 1,365 | 755 | 168 | 366 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 99 | 179 | 90 | 18 | 26 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 46 | 62 | 29 | 26 | 43 |
| All applicants | 686 | 1,606 | 874 | 212 | 435 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
Where is DER-1-301 held?
DER-1-301 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-1-301?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-301, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 33% (2025-26), from 374 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 436 in 2023-24 to 435 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-301 (171 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 | 11/15-11/19 | 435 | 374 | 33% | 127 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 171 (73 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 16-20 | 433 | 376 | 39% | 152 | 0 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 163 (92 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 18-22 | 436 | 377 | 39% | 152 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 177 (92 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-1-301 compare with the other Unit 31 deer hunts?
DER-1-301 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 31 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (543). Its 2025-26 success rate, 33%, was the 2nd 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-1-301 have?
NMDOW lists 435 licenses for DER-1-301 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 433 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-301?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-301 a 33% success rate, from 374 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 39%.
How many people applied for DER-1-301 in 2026?
2,687 applicants listed DER-1-301 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 543 chose it first and 197 of those drew it, 36.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 686 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-301?
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).