DER-2-160: deer hunt in Unit 7, Jan 1-15
DER-2-160 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 7, January 1 to 15, with 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). In the 2026 draw, 42 applicants chose it first and 9 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 15 licenses sold, 15 hunters reporting, an 11% 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 | January 1 to 15 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 7 |
| Licenses | 15 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 42 (9 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 11% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 36% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-160?
42 applicants chose DER-2-160 first in the 2026 draw and 9 drew it on that choice, 21.4% of them. 15 of the 15 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 28 first-choice applicants and 5 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 | 33 | 41 | 47 | 9 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 7 | 19 | 39 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 42 | 78 | 97 | 9 | 15 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 16 | 39 | 47 | 5 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 10 | 53 | 68 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 43 | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 28 | 135 | 138 | 5 | 15 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-160?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-160, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 11% (2025-26), from 15 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 15 in 2023-24 to 15 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-160 (16 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 | 1/1-1/15, '26 | 15 | 15 | 11% | 1 | 0 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 16 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 15 | 15 | 17% | 2 | 0 | 7.4 | 3.1 | 9 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 15 | 13 | 33% | 5 | 0 | 6.9 | 2.7 | 18 (1 buck, 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-2-160 compare with the other Unit 7 deer hunts?
DER-2-160 is one of 4 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 7 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 4 drawn ones (42). Its 2025-26 success rate, 11%, was the 3rd 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-2-160 have?
NMDOW lists 15 licenses for DER-2-160 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 15 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-160?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-160 a 11% success rate, from 15 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 11% to 33%.
How many people applied for DER-2-160 in 2026?
217 applicants listed DER-2-160 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 42 chose it first and 9 of those drew it, 21.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 28 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-160?
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).