DER-1-356: deer hunt in Unit 41, Dec 5-9
DER-1-356 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a white-tailed deer of either sex with any legal weapon in Unit 41, December 5 to 9, with 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). In the 2026 draw, 3 applicants chose it first and 3 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 15 licenses sold, 14 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 2 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: Either sex white-tailed deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 5 to 9 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 41 |
| Licenses | 15 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | youth only |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 3 (3 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 20% success, 2 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 20.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-356?
3 applicants chose DER-1-356 first in the 2026 draw and 3 drew it on that choice, 100% of them. 15 of the 15 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 6 first-choice applicants and 6 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 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 14 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 6 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 15 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-356?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-356, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 20% (2025-26), from 14 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 15 in 2023-24 to 15 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-356 (1 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 | ESWTD | 12/6-12/10 | 15 | 14 | 20% | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2.1 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | ESWTD | Dec 7-11 | 15 | 13 | 27% | 3 | 0 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | ESWTD | Dec 2-6 | 15 | 15 | 78% | 4 | 3 | 2.2 | 3.8 |
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-1-356 compare with the other Unit 41 deer hunts?
DER-1-356 is one of 8 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 41 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 7th most first-choice applicants of the 8 drawn ones (3). Its 2025-26 success rate, 20%, was the 7th 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-1-356 have?
NMDOW lists 15 licenses for DER-1-356 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 15 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-356?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-356 a 20% success rate, from 14 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 20% to 78%.
How many people applied for DER-1-356 in 2026?
8 applicants listed DER-1-356 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 3 chose it first and 3 of those drew it, 100% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 6 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-356?
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).