DER-2-163: deer hunt in Unit 8, Jan 1-15
DER-2-163 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 8, January 1 to 15, with 65 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). In the 2026 draw, 976 applicants chose it first and 58 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 65 licenses sold, 63 hunters reporting, a 36% success rate, 21 bucks 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 landState parkMilitary landTribal landUnit 8Neighboring 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 8 |
| Licenses | 65 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 976 (58 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 36% success, 21 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 16.1% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-163?
976 applicants chose DER-2-163 first in the 2026 draw and 58 drew it on that choice, 5.9% of them. 65 of the 65 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 1,064 first-choice applicants and 63 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 | 928 | 325 | 272 | 53 | 55 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 28 | 21 | 20 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 20 | 15 | 18 | 3 | 6 |
| All applicants | 976 | 361 | 310 | 58 | 65 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 992 | 305 | 239 | 54 | 55 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 40 | 27 | 17 | 4 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 32 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 6 |
| All applicants | 1,064 | 354 | 267 | 63 | 65 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-163?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-163, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 36% (2025-26), from 63 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 65 in 2023-24 to 65 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-163 (26 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 | 65 | 63 | 36% | 21 | 0 | 6 | 3.8 | 26 (10 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 65 | 62 | 29% | 19 | 0 | 6.2 | 3.7 | 23 (9 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 65 | 58 | 28% | 17 | 0 | 6 | 3.6 | 20 (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-2-163 compare with the other Unit 8 deer hunts?
DER-2-163 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 8 in 2026-27. Its 2025-26 success rate, 36%, was the 4th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 8 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 16.1% public land (95,157 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-163 have?
NMDOW lists 65 licenses for DER-2-163 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 65 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-163?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-163 a 36% success rate, from 63 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 28% to 36%.
How many people applied for DER-2-163 in 2026?
1,647 applicants listed DER-2-163 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 976 chose it first and 58 of those drew it, 5.9% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 1,064 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-163?
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).