DER-1-398: deer hunt in Unit 53, Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-1-398 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 53, October 31 to November 4, with 85 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 304 applicants chose it first and 73 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 85 licenses sold, 70 hunters reporting, a 55% success rate, 39 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 53Neighboring 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 53 |
| Licenses | 85 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 304 (73 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 55% success, 39 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 47.6% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-398?
304 applicants chose DER-1-398 first in the 2026 draw and 73 drew it on that choice, 24% of them. 85 of the 85 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 309 first-choice applicants and 65 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 | 271 | 220 | 220 | 64 | 73 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 29 | 28 | 30 | 5 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
| All applicants | 304 | 252 | 250 | 73 | 85 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 280 | 221 | 206 | 57 | 73 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 23 | 20 | 19 | 2 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 7 |
| All applicants | 309 | 243 | 228 | 65 | 85 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-398?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-398, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 55% (2025-26), from 70 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 85 in 2023-24 to 85 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-398 (26 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 | 85 | 70 | 55% | 39 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 26 (12 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 86 | 76 | 55% | 40 | 0 | 3 | 3.6 | 20 (11 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 85 | 65 | 38% | 26 | 0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 16 (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-1-398 compare with the other Unit 53 deer hunts?
DER-1-398 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 53 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (304). Its 2025-26 success rate, 55%, was the highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 53 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 47.6% public land (208,437 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-398 have?
NMDOW lists 85 licenses for DER-1-398 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 86 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-398?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-398 a 55% success rate, from 70 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 38% to 55%.
How many people applied for DER-1-398 in 2026?
806 applicants listed DER-1-398 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 304 chose it first and 73 of those drew it, 24% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 309 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-398?
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).