DER-2-268: deer hunt in Unit 25, Jan 1-15
DER-2-268 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 25, January 1 to 15, with 30 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). In the 2026 draw, 29 applicants chose it first and 16 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 30 licenses sold, 30 hunters reporting, an 11% success rate, 3 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
BLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkMilitary landUnit 25Neighboring 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 25 |
| Licenses | 30 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 29 (16 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 11% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 70.6% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-268?
29 applicants chose DER-2-268 first in the 2026 draw and 16 drew it on that choice, 55.2% of them. 30 of the 30 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 57 first-choice applicants and 19 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 | 25 | 35 | 50 | 16 | 28 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 4 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 29 | 41 | 56 | 16 | 30 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 52 | 34 | 55 | 18 | 27 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| All applicants | 57 | 37 | 60 | 19 | 30 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-268?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-268, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 11% (2025-26), from 30 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 30 in 2023-24 to 30 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-268 (4 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 | 30 | 30 | 11% | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2.8 | 4 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 30 | 27 | 13% | 3 | 0 | 6.7 | 2.6 | 2 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 30 | 28 | 21% | 4 | 1 | 6.1 | 3.3 | 7 (4 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-2-268 compare with the other Unit 25 deer hunts?
DER-2-268 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 25 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (29). Its 2025-26 success rate, 11%, was the 2nd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 25 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 70.6% public land (1,436,464 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-268 have?
NMDOW lists 30 licenses for DER-2-268 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 30 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-268?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-268 a 11% success rate, from 30 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 11% to 21%.
How many people applied for DER-2-268 in 2026?
126 applicants listed DER-2-268 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 29 chose it first and 16 of those drew it, 55.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 57 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-268?
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).