DER-2-225: deer hunt in Units 21A and 21B, Jan 1-15
DER-2-225 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Units 21A and 21B, January 1 to 15, with 200 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 134 applicants chose it first and 74 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 200 licenses sold, 190 hunters reporting, a 14% success rate, 23 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 | January 1 to 15 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 21A, Unit 21B |
| Licenses | 200 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 134 (74 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 14% success, 23 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-225?
134 applicants chose DER-2-225 first in the 2026 draw and 74 drew it on that choice, 55.2% of them. 200 of the 200 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 132 first-choice applicants and 79 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 | 105 | 155 | 291 | 67 | 180 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 27 | 29 | 27 | 5 | 12 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 8 |
| All applicants | 134 | 187 | 327 | 74 | 200 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 102 | 173 | 229 | 67 | 179 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 27 | 35 | 64 | 9 | 12 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 9 |
| All applicants | 132 | 210 | 304 | 79 | 200 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-225?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-225, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 14% (2025-26), from 190 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 200 in 2023-24 to 200 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-225 (23 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 | 200 | 190 | 14% | 23 | 0 | 6 | 3.3 | 23 (11 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 200 | 186 | 15% | 27 | 0 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 27 (11 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 200 | 185 | 17% | 28 | 0 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 27 (14 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-2-225 compare with the other Units 21A and 21B deer hunts?
DER-2-225 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 21A and 21B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (134). Its 2025-26 success rate, 14%, was the 6th 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-2-225 have?
NMDOW lists 200 licenses for DER-2-225 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 200 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-225?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-225 a 14% success rate, from 190 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 14% to 17%.
How many people applied for DER-2-225 in 2026?
648 applicants listed DER-2-225 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 134 chose it first and 74 of those drew it, 55.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 132 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-225?
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