DER-1-338: deer hunt in Unit 38, Nov 7-11
DER-1-338 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 38, November 7 to 11, with 160 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64). In the 2026 draw, 161 applicants chose it first and 58 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 160 licenses sold, 138 hunters reporting, a 3% success rate, 3 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landNational Park ServiceUnit 38Neighboring 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 38 |
| Licenses | 160 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 161 (58 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 3% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-338?
161 applicants chose DER-1-338 first in the 2026 draw and 58 drew it on that choice, 36% of them. 160 of the 160 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 214 first-choice applicants and 76 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 | 156 | 176 | 327 | 58 | 144 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 |
| All applicants | 161 | 192 | 347 | 58 | 160 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 203 | 226 | 278 | 71 | 145 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 11 | 10 | 28 | 5 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| All applicants | 214 | 236 | 314 | 76 | 160 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-338?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-338, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 3% (2025-26), from 138 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 162 in 2023-24 to 160 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-338 (31 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 | 160 | 138 | 3% | 3 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 31 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 2-6 | 160 | 142 | 12% | 16 | 0 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 12 (5 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 4-8 | 162 | 145 | 14% | 19 | 0 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 21 (5 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-1-338 compare with the other Unit 38 deer hunts?
DER-1-338 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 38 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (161). Its 2025-26 success rate, 3%, was the 5th highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 38 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 31.9% public land (665,610 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-338 have?
NMDOW lists 160 licenses for DER-1-338 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 160 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-338?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-338 a 3% success rate, from 138 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 3% to 14%.
How many people applied for DER-1-338 in 2026?
700 applicants listed DER-1-338 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 161 chose it first and 58 of those drew it, 36% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 214 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-338?
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).