DER-2-297: deer hunt in Unit 30, Sep 1-24
DER-2-297 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 30, September 1 to 24, with 200 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 63 applicants chose it first and 61 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 200 licenses sold, 178 hunters reporting, a 5% success rate, 8 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.
National forestBLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landUnit 30Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Bow |
| Dates | September 1 to 24 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 30 |
| Licenses | 200 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 63 (61 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 5% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 75.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-297?
63 applicants chose DER-2-297 first in the 2026 draw and 61 drew it on that choice, 96.8% of them. 200 of the 200 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 66 first-choice applicants and 64 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 | 47 | 46 | 43 | 47 | 153 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 16 | 14 | 25 | 14 | 47 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 63 | 60 | 70 | 61 | 200 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 42 | 52 | 48 | 42 | 136 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 24 | 16 | 37 | 22 | 64 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 66 | 68 | 85 | 64 | 200 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-297?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-297, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 5% (2025-26), from 178 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 202 in 2023-24 to 200 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-297; 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 | 9/1-9/24 | 200 | 178 | 5% | 8 | 0 | 6.5 | 3 | |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 200 | 183 | 8% | 12 | 0 | 6.4 | 2.8 | |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 202 | 176 | 14% | 21 | 0 | 7.7 | 3 | 1 (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-2-297 compare with the other Unit 30 deer hunts?
DER-2-297 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 30 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (63). Its 2025-26 success rate, 5%, was the 6th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 30 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 75.4% public land (1,420,629 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-297 have?
NMDOW lists 200 licenses for DER-2-297 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 200 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-297?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-297 a 5% success rate, from 178 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 5% to 14%.
How many people applied for DER-2-297 in 2026?
193 applicants listed DER-2-297 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 63 chose it first and 61 of those drew it, 96.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 66 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-297?
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).