DER-1-353: deer hunt in Unit 41, Oct 24-28
DER-1-353 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 41, October 24 to 28, with 40 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). In the 2026 draw, 137 applicants chose it first and 27 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 40 licenses sold, 36 hunters reporting, a 46% success rate, 14 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
State trust landUnit 41Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 41 |
| Licenses | 40 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 137 (27 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 46% success, 14 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 20.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-353?
137 applicants chose DER-1-353 first in the 2026 draw and 27 drew it on that choice, 19.7% of them. 40 of the 40 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 125 first-choice applicants and 33 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 | 117 | 61 | 72 | 24 | 36 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 19 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| All applicants | 137 | 63 | 78 | 27 | 40 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 108 | 81 | 67 | 29 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 12 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| All applicants | 125 | 88 | 73 | 33 | 40 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-353?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-353, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 46% (2025-26), from 36 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 40 in 2023-24 to 40 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-353 (34 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 | 10/25-10/29 | 40 | 36 | 46% | 14 | 0 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 34 (29 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 40 | 36 | 42% | 16 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 26 (19 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 40 | 33 | 33% | 12 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 31 (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-1-353 compare with the other Unit 41 deer hunts?
DER-1-353 is one of 8 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 41 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 8 drawn ones (137). Its 2025-26 success rate, 46%, was the 3rd highest of the 8 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 41 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 20.5% public land (240,546 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-353 have?
NMDOW lists 40 licenses for DER-1-353 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 40 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-353?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-353 a 46% success rate, from 36 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 46%.
How many people applied for DER-1-353 in 2026?
278 applicants listed DER-1-353 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 137 chose it first and 27 of those drew it, 19.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 125 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-353?
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).