DER-2-292: deer hunt in Unit 29, Jan 1-15
DER-2-292 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 29, January 1 to 15, with 50 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 17 applicants chose it first and 12 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 50 licenses sold, 50 hunters reporting, a 12% success rate, 5 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
BLMState trust landUnit 29Neighboring 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 29 |
| Licenses | 50 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 17 (12 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 12% success, 5 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 84% |
| Chronic wasting disease | NMDOW notes CWD has been detected in this area (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 28) |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-292?
17 applicants chose DER-2-292 first in the 2026 draw and 12 drew it on that choice, 70.6% of them. 50 of the 50 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 18 first-choice applicants and 17 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 | 12 | 18 | 43 | 10 | 45 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| All applicants | 17 | 23 | 64 | 12 | 50 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 16 | 18 | 47 | 16 | 47 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 2 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 18 | 20 | 67 | 17 | 50 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-292?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-292, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 12% (2025-26), from 50 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 50 in 2023-24 to 50 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-292 (2 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 | 50 | 50 | 12% | 5 | 0 | 5.4 | 2.8 | 2 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 50 | 46 | 9% | 4 | 0 | 5.8 | 2.6 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 50 | 49 | 20% | 8 | 0 | 6.4 | 2.8 | 2 (0 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-2-292 compare with the other Unit 29 deer hunts?
DER-2-292 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 29 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (17). Its 2025-26 success rate, 12%, was the highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 29 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 84% public land (635,066 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-292 have?
NMDOW lists 50 licenses for DER-2-292 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 50 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-292?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-292 a 12% success rate, from 50 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 9% to 20%.
How many people applied for DER-2-292 in 2026?
104 applicants listed DER-2-292 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 17 chose it first and 12 of those drew it, 70.6% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 18 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-292?
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).