DER-1-305: deer hunt in Unit 32 (including Prairie Chicken WMAs), Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-1-305 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 32, including Prairie Chicken WMAs, October 31 to November 4, with 565 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 814 applicants chose it first and 366 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 565 licenses sold, 480 hunters reporting, a 31% success rate, 154 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 refugeMilitary landOther federal (closed)Unit 32Neighboring 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 32 |
| Licenses | 565 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 814 (366 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 31% success, 154 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 33.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-305?
814 applicants chose DER-1-305 first in the 2026 draw and 366 drew it on that choice, 45% of them. 565 of the 565 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 818 first-choice applicants and 343 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 | 754 | 512 | 637 | 344 | 515 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 55 | 51 | 67 | 18 | 34 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 4 | 31 | 4 | 16 |
| All applicants | 814 | 567 | 735 | 366 | 565 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 764 | 550 | 732 | 326 | 521 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 52 | 59 | 44 | 15 | 34 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 10 |
| All applicants | 818 | 616 | 788 | 343 | 565 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
Where is DER-1-305 held?
DER-1-305 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-1-305?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-305, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 31% (2025-26), from 480 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 569 in 2023-24 to 565 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-305 (84 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 | 565 | 480 | 31% | 154 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 84 (39 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 568 | 491 | 30% | 143 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 82 (40 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 569 | 474 | 34% | 162 | 1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 68 (29 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-1-305 compare with the other Unit 32 deer hunts?
DER-1-305 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 32 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (814). Its 2025-26 success rate, 31%, was the 3rd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 32 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 33.4% public land (1,297,981 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-305 have?
NMDOW lists 565 licenses for DER-1-305 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 568 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-305?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-305 a 31% success rate, from 480 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 30% to 34%.
How many people applied for DER-1-305 in 2026?
2,116 applicants listed DER-1-305 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 814 chose it first and 366 of those drew it, 45% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 818 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-305?
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).