DER-1-386: deer hunt in Unit 50, Oct 24-28
DER-1-386 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 50, October 24 to 28, with 50 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 114 applicants chose it first and 23 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 50 licenses sold, 47 hunters reporting, a 36% success rate, 16 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landTribal landUnit 50Neighboring 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 50 |
| Licenses | 50 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 114 (23 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 36% success, 16 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 68% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-386?
114 applicants chose DER-1-386 first in the 2026 draw and 23 drew it on that choice, 20.2% of them. 50 of the 50 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 105 first-choice applicants and 30 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 | 107 | 140 | 201 | 19 | 44 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 7 | 12 | 2 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
| All applicants | 114 | 147 | 218 | 23 | 50 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 102 | 144 | 171 | 29 | 47 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 3 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 105 | 158 | 180 | 30 | 50 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-386?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-386, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 36% (2025-26), from 47 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 51 in 2023-24 to 50 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-386 (13 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 | 50 | 47 | 36% | 16 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 13 (5 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 50 | 47 | 26% | 11 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 6 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 51 | 41 | 11% | 5 | 0 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 6 (2 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-1-386 compare with the other Unit 50 deer hunts?
DER-1-386 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 50 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (114). Its 2025-26 success rate, 36%, was the 2nd highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 50 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 68% public land (401,683 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-386 have?
NMDOW lists 50 licenses for DER-1-386 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 50 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-386?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-386 a 36% success rate, from 47 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 11% to 36%.
How many people applied for DER-1-386 in 2026?
479 applicants listed DER-1-386 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 114 chose it first and 23 of those drew it, 20.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 105 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-386?
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).