DER-2-224: deer hunt in Units 21A and 21B, Sep 1-24
DER-2-224 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Units 21A and 21B, September 1 to 24, with 300 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 65 applicants chose it first and 65 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 300 licenses sold, 263 hunters reporting, an 11% success rate, 24 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkTribal landUnits 21A and 21BUnit linesLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | September 1 to 24 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 21A, Unit 21B |
| Licenses | 300 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 65 (65 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 11% success, 24 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-224?
65 applicants chose DER-2-224 first in the 2026 draw and 65 drew it on that choice, 100% of them. 300 of the 300 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 86 first-choice applicants and 86 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 | 52 | 60 | 119 | 52 | 258 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 10 | 6 | 21 | 10 | 39 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| All applicants | 65 | 66 | 140 | 65 | 300 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 67 | 51 | 134 | 67 | 248 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 17 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 49 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| All applicants | 86 | 67 | 154 | 86 | 300 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-224?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-224, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 11% (2025-26), from 263 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 301 in 2023-24 to 300 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-224 (1 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 | 300 | 263 | 11% | 24 | 0 | 7.2 | 3.1 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 300 | 280 | 10% | 21 | 0 | 6.7 | 3.2 | 2 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 301 | 277 | 15% | 29 | 0 | 6.7 | 3.3 | 1 (0 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-2-224 compare with the other Units 21A and 21B deer hunts?
DER-2-224 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 21A and 21B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 7th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (65). Its 2025-26 success rate, 11%, was the 7th highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Units 21A and 21B deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 67.5% public land (1,304,033 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-224 have?
NMDOW lists 300 licenses for DER-2-224 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 300 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-224?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-224 a 11% success rate, from 263 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 10% to 15%.
How many people applied for DER-2-224 in 2026?
271 applicants listed DER-2-224 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 65 chose it first and 65 of those drew it, 100% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 86 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-224?
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).
New Mexico hunting New Mexico deer Units 21A and 21B deer Unit 21A Unit 21B