DER-1-426: deer hunt in Unit 58, Dec 12-16
DER-1-426 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a white-tailed deer of either sex with any legal weapon in Unit 58, December 12 to 16, with 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 68). In the 2026 draw, 22 applicants chose it first and 11 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 15 licenses sold, 13 hunters reporting, a 56% success rate, 3 bucks and 2 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 68. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landState parkNational Park ServiceUnit 58Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Either sex white-tailed deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 12 to 16 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 58 |
| Licenses | 15 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 22 (11 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 56% success, 3 bucks, 2 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 20.8% |
How many hunters applied for DER-1-426?
22 applicants chose DER-1-426 first in the 2026 draw and 11 drew it on that choice, 50% of them. 15 of the 15 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 13 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 | 19 | 16 | 29 | 9 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 22 | 17 | 30 | 11 | 15 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 11 | 26 | 22 | 6 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 13 | 27 | 26 | 8 | 15 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-1-426?
NMDGF's results for DER-1-426, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 56% (2025-26), from 13 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 14 in 2023-24 to 15 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-1-426 (13 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 | ESWTD | 12/13-12/17 | 15 | 13 | 56% | 3 | 2 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 13 (3 bucks, 1 doe) |
| 2024-25 | ESWTD | Dec 14-18 | 15 | 13 | 33% | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3.8 | 8 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | ESWTD | Dec 9-13 | 14 | 13 | 20% | 1 | 1 | 3.4 | 2.7 | 13 (5 bucks, 5 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-1-426 compare with the other Unit 58 deer hunts?
DER-1-426 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 58 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (22). Its 2025-26 success rate, 56%, was the 2nd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 58 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 20.8% public land (203,414 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-1-426 have?
NMDOW lists 15 licenses for DER-1-426 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 68). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 15 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-1-426?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-1-426 a 56% success rate, from 13 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 20% to 56%.
How many people applied for DER-1-426 in 2026?
69 applicants listed DER-1-426 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 22 chose it first and 11 of those drew it, 50% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 13 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-1-426?
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).