DER-2-204: deer hunt in Unit 17, Sep 1-24
DER-2-204 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 17, September 1 to 24, with 75 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). In the 2026 draw, 118 applicants chose it first and 52 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 75 licenses sold, 68 hunters reporting, a 25% success rate, 15 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeUnit 17Neighboring 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 17 |
| Licenses | 75 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 118 (52 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 25% success, 15 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 73.8% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-204?
118 applicants chose DER-2-204 first in the 2026 draw and 52 drew it on that choice, 44.1% of them. 75 of the 75 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 120 first-choice applicants and 47 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 | 110 | 116 | 80 | 46 | 68 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 6 | 4 | 13 | 4 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 118 | 121 | 95 | 52 | 75 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 104 | 116 | 90 | 42 | 67 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 14 | 16 | 8 | 3 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| All applicants | 120 | 136 | 98 | 47 | 75 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-204?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-204, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 25% (2025-26), from 68 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 75 in 2023-24 to 75 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-204; 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 | 75 | 68 | 25% | 15 | 0 | 7.4 | 3.6 | |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 75 | 72 | 20% | 13 | 0 | 8.4 | 3.6 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 75 | 71 | 12% | 7 | 0 | 6.3 | 3.5 | 5 (3 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-2-204 compare with the other Unit 17 deer hunts?
DER-2-204 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 17 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (118). Its 2025-26 success rate, 25%, was the 4th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 17 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 73.8% public land (778,238 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-204 have?
NMDOW lists 75 licenses for DER-2-204 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 75 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-204?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-204 a 25% success rate, from 68 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 12% to 25%.
How many people applied for DER-2-204 in 2026?
334 applicants listed DER-2-204 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 118 chose it first and 52 of those drew it, 44.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 120 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-204?
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).