DER-2-281: deer hunt in Unit 27, Sep 1-24
DER-2-281 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered mule deer with a bow in Unit 27, September 1 to 24, with 30 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 61). In the 2026 draw, 5 applicants chose it first and 5 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 30 licenses sold, 29 hunters reporting, a 0% success rate.
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.
National forestBLMState trust landMilitary landUnit 27Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered mule deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | September 1 to 24 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 27 |
| Licenses | 30 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 5 (5 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 0% success, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-281?
5 applicants chose DER-2-281 first in the 2026 draw and 5 drew it on that choice, 100% of them. 30 of the 30 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 3 first-choice applicants and 3 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 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 28 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 30 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 27 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 3 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 30 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-281?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-281, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 0% (2025-26), from 29 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 30 in 2023-24 to 30 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAMD | 9/1-9/24 | 30 | 29 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 6.1 | 2.9 |
| 2024-25 | FAMD | Sept 1-24 | 30 | 28 | 13% | 2 | 0 | 5.3 | 2.8 |
| 2023-24 | FAMD | Sept 1-24 | 30 | 28 | 15% | 2 | 0 | 7.7 | 2.4 |
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-2-281 compare with the other Unit 27 deer hunts?
DER-2-281 is one of 11 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 27 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 9th most first-choice applicants of the 11 drawn ones (5). Its 2025-26 success rate, 0%, was the 10th highest of the 11 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 27 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 (447,402 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-281 have?
NMDOW lists 30 licenses for DER-2-281 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-2-281?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-281 a 0% success rate, from 29 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 0% to 15%.
How many people applied for DER-2-281 in 2026?
10 applicants listed DER-2-281 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 5 chose it first and 5 of those drew it, 100% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 3 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-281?
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).