DER-1-389: deer hunt in Unit 51A, Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-1-389 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 51A, October 31 to November 4, with 145 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 937 applicants chose it first and 95 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 145 licenses sold, 131 hunters reporting, a 34% success rate, 42 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 landUnit 51ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 31 to November 4 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 51A |
| Licenses | 145 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 937 (95 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 34% success, 42 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 86.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-389?
937 applicants chose DER-1-389 first in the 2026 draw and 95 drew it on that choice, 10.1% of them. 145 of the 145 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 908 first-choice applicants and 98 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 | 881 | 733 | 870 | 85 | 122 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 50 | 50 | 37 | 4 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 14 |
| All applicants | 937 | 790 | 916 | 95 | 145 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 833 | 752 | 897 | 88 | 123 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 69 | 47 | 68 | 4 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 6 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 13 |
| All applicants | 908 | 811 | 975 | 98 | 145 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-389?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-389, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 34% (2025-26), from 131 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 145 in 2023-24 to 145 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-389 (100 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 | 11/1-11/5 | 145 | 131 | 34% | 42 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 100 (46 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 146 | 130 | 32% | 42 | 1 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 77 (33 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 145 | 125 | 42% | 52 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 95 (38 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-1-389 compare with the other Unit 51A deer hunts?
DER-1-389 is one of 2 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 51A in 2026-27. Unit 51A deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 86.4% public land (439,816 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-389 have?
NMDOW lists 145 licenses for DER-1-389 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 146 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-389?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-389 a 34% success rate, from 131 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 32% to 42%.
How many people applied for DER-1-389 in 2026?
2,643 applicants listed DER-1-389 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 937 chose it first and 95 of those drew it, 10.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 908 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-389?
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).