DER-1-391: deer hunt in Unit 51B, Oct 24-28
DER-1-391 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 51B, October 24 to 28, with 20 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 170 applicants chose it first and 16 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 20 licenses sold, 19 hunters reporting, a 39% success rate, 7 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 51BNeighboring 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 51B |
| Licenses | 20 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 170 (16 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 39% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 66% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-391?
170 applicants chose DER-1-391 first in the 2026 draw and 16 drew it on that choice, 9.4% of them. 20 of the 20 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 171 first-choice applicants and 14 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 | 162 | 327 | 276 | 14 | 18 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 7 | 14 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 170 | 341 | 283 | 16 | 20 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 159 | 269 | 236 | 13 | 19 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 12 | 8 | 10 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 171 | 278 | 247 | 14 | 20 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-391?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-391, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 39% (2025-26), from 19 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 20 in 2023-24 to 20 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-391 (14 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 | 20 | 19 | 39% | 7 | 0 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 14 (5 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 20 | 19 | 33% | 5 | 0 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 4 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 20 | 18 | 24% | 4 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 19 (6 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-1-391 compare with the other Unit 51B deer hunts?
DER-1-391 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 51B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (170). Its 2025-26 success rate, 39%, was the highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 51B deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 66% public land (83,075 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-391 have?
NMDOW lists 20 licenses for DER-1-391 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 20 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-391?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-391 a 39% success rate, from 19 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 24% to 39%.
How many people applied for DER-1-391 in 2026?
794 applicants listed DER-1-391 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 170 chose it first and 16 of those drew it, 9.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 171 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-391?
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).