DER-2-249: deer hunt in Unit 23 (Burro Mountain Area only), Sep 1-24
DER-2-249 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered white-tailed deer with a bow in Unit 23, Burro Mountain Area only, September 1 to 24, with 20 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). In the 2026 draw, 16 applicants chose it first and 14 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 3 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 white-tailed deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | September 1 to 24 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 23 |
| Licenses | 20 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 16 (14 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-2-249: 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-2-249?
16 applicants chose DER-2-249 first in the 2026 draw and 14 drew it on that choice, 87.5% of them. 20 of the 20 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 19 first-choice applicants and 12 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 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 17 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 16 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 20 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 18 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 17 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| All applicants | 19 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 20 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-249?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-249, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 25% (2024-25), from 19 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 20 in 2023-24 to 3 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAWTD | 9/1-9/24 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2024-25 | FAWTD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 20 | 19 | 25% | 1 | 1 | 7.8 | 3.6 |
| 2023-24 | FAWTD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 20 | 18 | 29% | 3 | 1 | 8.2 | 3.5 |
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-2-249 compare with the other Unit 23 deer hunts?
DER-2-249 is one of 19 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 23 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 17th most first-choice applicants of the 19 drawn ones (16). 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-2-249 have?
NMDOW lists 20 licenses for DER-2-249 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 20 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-249?
NMDGF's 2024-25 harvest report gives DER-2-249 a 25% success rate, from 19 hunters reporting. Over the 2 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 25% to 29%.
How many people applied for DER-2-249 in 2026?
40 applicants listed DER-2-249 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 16 chose it first and 14 of those drew it, 87.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 19 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-249?
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).