DER-2-248: deer hunt in Unit 23 (Burro Mountain Area only), Jan 1-15
DER-2-248 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered mule deer with a bow in Unit 23, Burro Mountain Area only, January 1 to 15, with 40 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). In the 2026 draw, 209 applicants chose it first and 32 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 5 licenses sold, 0 hunters reporting.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landMilitary landUnit 23Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered mule deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | January 1 to 15 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 23 |
| Licenses | 40 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 209 (32 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 0 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 63.1% |
NMDOW's note for DER-2-248: Hunters holding a valid Bow Deer License for Units 23 and 24 and who did not harvest a deer during an above hunt, will be allowed to hunt antlerless deer within the Silver City Deer Management Area (as determined by NMDOW) from Jan. 16-Feb. 5, 2027.
How many hunters applied for DER-2-248?
209 applicants chose DER-2-248 first in the 2026 draw and 32 drew it on that choice, 15.3% of them. 40 of the 40 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 196 first-choice applicants and 35 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 | 179 | 93 | 84 | 29 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 18 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 12 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| All applicants | 209 | 112 | 93 | 32 | 40 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 166 | 97 | 59 | 32 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 19 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 11 | 11 | 10 | 2 | 4 |
| All applicants | 196 | 119 | 76 | 35 | 40 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-248?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-248, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 32% (2024-25), from 38 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 40 in 2023-24 to 5 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-248; 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 | FAMD | 1/1-1/15, '26 | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| 2024-25 | FAMD | Sept 1-24 | 40 | 38 | 32% | 11 | 2 | 6.6 | 3.3 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAMD | Sept 1-24 | 40 | 36 | 25% | 7 | 2 | 7.2 | 3.8 | 3 (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-2-248 compare with the other Unit 23 deer hunts?
DER-2-248 is one of 19 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 23 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 19 drawn ones (209). Unit 23 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 63.1% public land (1,183,461 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-248 have?
NMDOW lists 40 licenses for DER-2-248 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 40 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-248?
NMDGF's 2024-25 harvest report gives DER-2-248 a 32% success rate, from 38 hunters reporting. Over the 2 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 25% to 32%.
How many people applied for DER-2-248 in 2026?
414 applicants listed DER-2-248 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 209 chose it first and 32 of those drew it, 15.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 196 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-248?
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).