DER-2-118: deer hunt in Unit 2B (including Navajo WMA), Sep 1-24
DER-2-118 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 2B, including Navajo WMA, September 1 to 24, with 130 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 55). In the 2026 draw, 143 applicants chose it first and 75 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 130 licenses sold, 118 hunters reporting, a 9% success rate, 9 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 55. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landBureau of ReclamationTribal landUnit 2BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | September 1 to 24 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 2B |
| Licenses | 130 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 143 (75 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 9% success, 9 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 84.8% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-118?
143 applicants chose DER-2-118 first in the 2026 draw and 75 drew it on that choice, 52.4% of them. 130 of the 130 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 139 first-choice applicants and 77 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 | 126 | 93 | 83 | 72 | 122 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 17 | 13 | 23 | 3 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 143 | 106 | 107 | 75 | 130 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 115 | 103 | 92 | 71 | 117 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 21 | 19 | 24 | 3 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| All applicants | 139 | 123 | 118 | 77 | 130 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-118?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-118, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 9% (2025-26), from 118 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 20 in 2016-17 to 130 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAD | 9/1-9/24 | 130 | 118 | 9% | 9 | 0 | 6.9 | 2.8 |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 131 | 117 | 7% | 8 | 0 | 7.6 | 2.7 |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 130 | 112 | 10% | 10 | 0 | 7.5 | 3.2 |
| 2022-23 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 5 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 2 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 2020-21 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 1 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| 2018-19 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 20 | 20 | 7% | 1 | 0 | 5.9 | 3.3 |
| 2017-18 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 16 | 16 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 8.1 | 2.7 |
| 2016-17 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 20 | 18 | 7% | 1 | 0 | 4.4 | 2.9 |
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-2-118 compare with the other Unit 2B deer hunts?
DER-2-118 is one of 11 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 2B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 7th most first-choice applicants of the 11 drawn ones (143). Its 2025-26 success rate, 9%, was the 10th highest of the 11 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 2B deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 84.8% public land (405,107 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-118 have?
NMDOW lists 130 licenses for DER-2-118 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 55). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 131 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-118?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-118 a 9% success rate, from 118 hunters reporting. Over the 9 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 0% to 10%.
How many people applied for DER-2-118 in 2026?
356 applicants listed DER-2-118 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 143 chose it first and 75 of those drew it, 52.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 139 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-118?
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).