DER-2-210: deer hunt in Unit 18, Jan 1-15
DER-2-210 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 18, January 1 to 15, with 40 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). In the 2026 draw, 73 applicants chose it first and 20 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 40 licenses sold, 38 hunters reporting, a 23% success rate, 7 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.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationNational Park ServiceMilitary landUnit 18Neighboring 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 18 |
| Licenses | 40 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 73 (20 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 23% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 65.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-210?
73 applicants chose DER-2-210 first in the 2026 draw and 20 drew it on that choice, 27.4% of them. 40 of the 40 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 113 first-choice applicants and 21 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 | 57 | 106 | 58 | 18 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 11 | 24 | 38 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 16 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
| All applicants | 73 | 146 | 105 | 20 | 40 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 71 | 100 | 77 | 18 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 30 | 32 | 49 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 12 | 23 | 11 | 2 | 4 |
| All applicants | 113 | 155 | 137 | 21 | 40 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-210?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-210, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 23% (2025-26), from 38 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 41 in 2023-24 to 40 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-210 (18 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 | 40 | 38 | 23% | 7 | 0 | 7.4 | 3.5 | 18 (5 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 41 | 41 | 18% | 6 | 0 | 6.9 | 3.2 | 24 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 41 | 40 | 27% | 9 | 0 | 6.8 | 3.2 | 17 (2 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-2-210 compare with the other Unit 18 deer hunts?
DER-2-210 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 18 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (73). Its 2025-26 success rate, 23%, was the 3rd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 18 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 65.9% public land (1,031,695 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-210 have?
NMDOW lists 40 licenses for DER-2-210 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 58). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 41 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-210?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-210 a 23% success rate, from 38 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 18% to 27%.
How many people applied for DER-2-210 in 2026?
324 applicants listed DER-2-210 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 73 chose it first and 20 of those drew it, 27.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 113 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-210?
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).