DER-1-306: deer hunt in Unit 32 (including Prairie Chicken WMAs), Nov 14-18
DER-1-306 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 32, including Prairie Chicken WMAs, November 14 to 18, with 560 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63). In the 2026 draw, 395 applicants chose it first and 214 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 560 licenses sold, 483 hunters reporting, a 29% success rate, 143 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63. 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 | November 14 to 18 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 32 |
| Licenses | 560 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 395 (214 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 29% success, 143 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 33.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-306?
395 applicants chose DER-1-306 first in the 2026 draw and 214 drew it on that choice, 54.2% of them. 560 of the 560 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 348 first-choice applicants and 218 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 | 343 | 732 | 675 | 194 | 503 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 49 | 65 | 63 | 17 | 33 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 11 | 27 | 3 | 24 |
| All applicants | 395 | 808 | 765 | 214 | 560 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 316 | 665 | 596 | 200 | 514 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 30 | 66 | 56 | 16 | 33 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 13 |
| All applicants | 348 | 734 | 670 | 218 | 560 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
Where is DER-1-306 held?
DER-1-306 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-1-306?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-306, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 29% (2025-26), from 483 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 564 in 2023-24 to 560 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-306 (101 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 | 11/8-11/12 | 560 | 483 | 29% | 143 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 101 (56 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 9-13 | 563 | 497 | 26% | 125 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 132 (55 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 11-15 | 564 | 483 | 31% | 151 | 2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 157 (76 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-1-306 compare with the other Unit 32 deer hunts?
DER-1-306 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 32 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (395). Its 2025-26 success rate, 29%, was the 4th 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-1-306 have?
NMDOW lists 560 licenses for DER-1-306 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 563 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-306?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-306 a 29% success rate, from 483 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 26% to 31%.
How many people applied for DER-1-306 in 2026?
1,968 applicants listed DER-1-306 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 395 chose it first and 214 of those drew it, 54.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 348 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-306?
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).