DER-2-178: deer hunt in Unit 12, Sep 1-24
DER-2-178 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 12, September 1 to 24, with 20 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). In the 2026 draw, 34 applicants chose it first and 13 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 20 licenses sold, 19 hunters reporting, a 24% success rate, 4 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 12Neighboring 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 12 |
| Licenses | 20 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 34 (13 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 24% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 38.8% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-178?
34 applicants chose DER-2-178 first in the 2026 draw and 13 drew it on that choice, 38.2% of them. 20 of the 20 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 31 first-choice applicants and 14 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 | 27 | 21 | 20 | 10 | 17 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 34 | 23 | 26 | 13 | 20 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 21 | 19 | 26 | 12 | 18 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 31 | 23 | 26 | 14 | 20 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-178?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-178, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 24% (2025-26), from 19 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 20 in 2023-24 to 20 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-178 (22 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 | 20 | 19 | 24% | 4 | 0 | 8.1 | 3.4 | 22 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 20 | 17 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 6.6 | 3.5 | 12 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 20 | 13 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 9.2 | 3.2 | 15 (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-2-178 compare with the other Unit 12 deer hunts?
DER-2-178 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 12 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (34). Its 2025-26 success rate, 24%, was the 2nd highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 12 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 38.8% public land (642,998 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-178 have?
NMDOW lists 20 licenses for DER-2-178 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 20 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-178?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-178 a 24% success rate, from 19 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 0% to 24%.
How many people applied for DER-2-178 in 2026?
83 applicants listed DER-2-178 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 34 chose it first and 13 of those drew it, 38.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 31 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-178?
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).