DER-1-339: deer hunt in Unit 38, Nov 21-25
DER-1-339 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 38, November 21 to 25, with 155 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64). In the 2026 draw, 56 applicants chose it first and 35 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 155 licenses sold, 134 hunters reporting, a 16% success rate, 22 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 21 to 25 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 38 |
| Licenses | 155 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 56 (35 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 16% success, 22 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-339?
56 applicants chose DER-1-339 first in the 2026 draw and 35 drew it on that choice, 62.5% of them. 155 of the 155 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 78 first-choice applicants and 44 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 | 41 | 160 | 192 | 25 | 133 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 9 | 25 | 4 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 6 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 13 |
| All applicants | 56 | 170 | 228 | 35 | 155 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 70 | 177 | 200 | 39 | 146 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 78 | 184 | 206 | 44 | 155 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-339?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-339, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 16% (2025-26), from 134 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 155 in 2023-24 to 155 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-339 (8 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 | 155 | 134 | 16% | 22 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 8 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 16-20 | 156 | 140 | 18% | 23 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 21 (8 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 18-22 | 155 | 142 | 21% | 28 | 0 | 3.3 | 3 | 41 (7 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-1-339 compare with the other Unit 38 deer hunts?
DER-1-339 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 38 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (56). Its 2025-26 success rate, 16%, was the 2nd 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-1-339 have?
NMDOW lists 155 licenses for DER-1-339 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 156 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-339?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-339 a 16% success rate, from 134 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 16% to 21%.
How many people applied for DER-1-339 in 2026?
454 applicants listed DER-1-339 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 56 chose it first and 35 of those drew it, 62.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 78 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-339?
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).