DER-2-159: deer hunt in Unit 7, Sep 1-24
DER-2-159 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 7, September 1 to 24, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). In the 2026 draw, 12 applicants chose it first and 4 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 8 hunters reporting, a 14% success rate, 1 buck and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 7Neighboring 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 7 |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 12 (4 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 14% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 36% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-159?
12 applicants chose DER-2-159 first in the 2026 draw and 4 drew it on that choice, 33.3% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 15 first-choice applicants and 4 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 | 12 | 26 | 25 | 4 | 10 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 12 | 29 | 28 | 4 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 15 | 22 | 24 | 4 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 15 | 25 | 24 | 4 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-159?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-159, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 14% (2025-26), from 8 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 10 in 2023-24 to 10 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-159 (6 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 | 9/1-9/24 | 10 | 8 | 14% | 1 | 0 | 9.1 | 3.4 | 6 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 10 | 10 | 38% | 3 | 0 | 6.9 | 3.3 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 10 | 8 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 8.2 | 2.8 | 1 (0 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-2-159 compare with the other Unit 7 deer hunts?
DER-2-159 is one of 4 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 7 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 4 drawn ones (12). Its 2025-26 success rate, 14%, was the 2nd highest of the 4 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 7 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 36% public land (789,010 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-159 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for DER-2-159 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-159?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-159 a 14% success rate, from 8 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 0% to 38%.
How many people applied for DER-2-159 in 2026?
69 applicants listed DER-2-159 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 12 chose it first and 4 of those drew it, 33.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 15 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-159?
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). NMDOW warns that with 10 licenses a nonresident is extremely unlikely to draw it.