DER-1-399: deer hunt in Unit 53, Nov 7-11
DER-1-399 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with any legal weapon in Unit 53, November 7 to 11, with 85 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 169 applicants chose it first and 43 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 85 licenses sold, 74 hunters reporting, a 46% success rate, 34 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 | November 7 to 11 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 53 |
| Licenses | 85 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 169 (43 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 46% success, 34 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 47.6% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-399?
169 applicants chose DER-1-399 first in the 2026 draw and 43 drew it on that choice, 25.4% of them. 85 of the 85 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 118 first-choice applicants and 26 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 | 149 | 287 | 263 | 38 | 74 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 18 | 47 | 39 | 3 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| All applicants | 169 | 336 | 305 | 43 | 85 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 108 | 294 | 218 | 23 | 76 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 8 | 25 | 25 | 1 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| All applicants | 118 | 325 | 248 | 26 | 85 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-399?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-399, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 46% (2025-26), from 74 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 85 in 2023-24 to 85 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-399 (34 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 | 11/8-11/12 | 85 | 74 | 46% | 34 | 0 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 34 (11 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Nov 2-6 | 87 | 75 | 49% | 38 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 30 (11 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Nov 4-8 | 85 | 75 | 34% | 27 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 24 (9 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-1-399 compare with the other Unit 53 deer hunts?
DER-1-399 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 53 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (169). Its 2025-26 success rate, 46%, was the 2nd 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-1-399 have?
NMDOW lists 85 licenses for DER-1-399 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 87 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-399?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-399 a 46% success rate, from 74 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 34% to 49%.
How many people applied for DER-1-399 in 2026?
810 applicants listed DER-1-399 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 169 chose it first and 43 of those drew it, 25.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 118 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-399?
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).