DER-2-205: deer hunt in Unit 17, Jan 1-15
DER-2-205 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 17, January 1 to 15, with 75 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). In the 2026 draw, 181 applicants chose it first and 32 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 75 licenses sold, 71 hunters reporting, a 16% success rate, 11 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 | January 1 to 15 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 17 |
| Licenses | 75 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 181 (32 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 16% success, 11 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 73.8% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-205?
181 applicants chose DER-2-205 first in the 2026 draw and 32 drew it on that choice, 17.7% of them. 75 of the 75 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 219 first-choice applicants and 41 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 | 158 | 207 | 169 | 26 | 63 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 16 | 11 | 14 | 3 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 7 | 8 | 11 | 3 | 7 |
| All applicants | 181 | 226 | 194 | 32 | 75 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 172 | 236 | 173 | 32 | 63 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 23 | 26 | 26 | 5 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 24 | 26 | 10 | 4 | 7 |
| All applicants | 219 | 288 | 209 | 41 | 75 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-205?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-205, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 16% (2025-26), from 71 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 75 in 2023-24 to 75 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-205 (12 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 | 75 | 71 | 16% | 11 | 0 | 5.8 | 3.4 | 12 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 75 | 68 | 9% | 6 | 0 | 6.9 | 3.1 | 17 (4 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 75 | 71 | 20% | 12 | 0 | 6.6 | 3 | 19 (8 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-2-205 compare with the other Unit 17 deer hunts?
DER-2-205 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 17 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (181). Its 2025-26 success rate, 16%, was the 6th 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-2-205 have?
NMDOW lists 75 licenses for DER-2-205 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-2-205?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-205 a 16% success rate, from 71 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 9% to 20%.
How many people applied for DER-2-205 in 2026?
601 applicants listed DER-2-205 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 181 chose it first and 32 of those drew it, 17.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 219 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-205?
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).