DER-1-392: deer hunt in Unit 51B, Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-1-392 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 51B, October 31 to November 4, with 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 92 applicants chose it first and 4 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 15 licenses sold, 13 hunters reporting, a 27% success rate, 3 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 31 to November 4 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 51B |
| Licenses | 15 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 92 (4 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 27% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 66% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-392?
92 applicants chose DER-1-392 first in the 2026 draw and 4 drew it on that choice, 4.3% of them. 15 of the 15 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 77 first-choice applicants and 8 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 | 81 | 214 | 268 | 4 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 9 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 92 | 227 | 287 | 4 | 15 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 71 | 202 | 302 | 8 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 6 | 10 | 20 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 77 | 213 | 325 | 8 | 15 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-392?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-392, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 27% (2025-26), from 13 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 15 in 2023-24 to 15 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-392 (22 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 | 15 | 13 | 27% | 3 | 0 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 22 (9 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 15 | 13 | 15% | 2 | 0 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 27 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 15 | 13 | 25% | 3 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 22 (8 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-1-392 compare with the other Unit 51B deer hunts?
DER-1-392 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 51B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (92). Its 2025-26 success rate, 27%, was the 2nd 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-1-392 have?
NMDOW lists 15 licenses for DER-1-392 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 15 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-392?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-392 a 27% success rate, from 13 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 15% to 27%.
How many people applied for DER-1-392 in 2026?
606 applicants listed DER-1-392 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 92 chose it first and 4 of those drew it, 4.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 77 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-392?
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).