DER-1-321: deer hunt in Unit 34, Nov 14-18
DER-1-321 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 34, November 14 to 18, with 650 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63). In the 2026 draw, 1,665 applicants chose it first and 499 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 650 licenses sold, 569 hunters reporting, a 21% success rate, 111 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.
National forestBLMState trust landState parkMilitary landTribal landUnit 34Neighboring 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 34 |
| Licenses | 650 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 1,665 (499 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 21% success, 111 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
| Chronic wasting disease | NMDOW notes CWD has been detected in this area (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 28) |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-321?
1,665 applicants chose DER-1-321 first in the 2026 draw and 499 drew it on that choice, 30% of them. 650 of the 650 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 1,573 first-choice applicants and 498 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 | 1,493 | 1,050 | 1,115 | 448 | 582 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 151 | 99 | 142 | 30 | 39 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 21 | 17 | 4 | 21 | 29 |
| All applicants | 1,665 | 1,166 | 1,261 | 499 | 650 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,391 | 928 | 1,076 | 459 | 606 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 177 | 98 | 128 | 34 | 39 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| All applicants | 1,573 | 1,032 | 1,209 | 498 | 650 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-321?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-321, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 21% (2025-26), from 569 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 649 in 2023-24 to 650 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-321 (57 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 | 650 | 569 | 21% | 111 | 0 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 57 (15 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 9-13 | 658 | 553 | 17% | 93 | 0 | 3.5 | 3 | 62 (22 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 11-15 | 649 | 548 | 19% | 102 | 0 | 3.5 | 3 | 60 (23 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-1-321 compare with the other Unit 34 deer hunts?
DER-1-321 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 34 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (1,665). Its 2025-26 success rate, 21%, was the 4th highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 34 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 67.5% public land (732,620 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-321 have?
NMDOW lists 650 licenses for DER-1-321 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 658 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-321?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-321 a 21% success rate, from 569 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 17% to 21%.
How many people applied for DER-1-321 in 2026?
4,092 applicants listed DER-1-321 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 1,665 chose it first and 499 of those drew it, 30% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 1,573 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-321?
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).