DER-2-298: deer hunt in Unit 30, Jan 1-15
DER-2-298 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 30, January 1 to 15, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 216 applicants chose it first and 62 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 91 hunters reporting, a 21% success rate, 20 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 | January 1 to 15 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 30 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 216 (62 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 21% success, 20 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 75.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-298?
216 applicants chose DER-2-298 first in the 2026 draw and 62 drew it on that choice, 28.7% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 236 first-choice applicants and 72 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 | 186 | 155 | 180 | 58 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 21 | 36 | 23 | 2 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 9 | 5 | 24 | 2 | 10 |
| All applicants | 216 | 196 | 227 | 62 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 183 | 174 | 141 | 66 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 51 | 38 | 25 | 5 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 4 | 18 | 1 | 10 |
| All applicants | 236 | 216 | 184 | 72 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-298?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-298, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 21% (2025-26), from 91 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 100 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-298 (31 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 | 100 | 91 | 21% | 20 | 0 | 6.2 | 3.2 | 31 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '25 | 100 | 97 | 22% | 19 | 0 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 14 (4 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Jan 1-15, '24 | 100 | 93 | 23% | 17 | 0 | 6.4 | 3.1 | 24 (9 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-2-298 compare with the other Unit 30 deer hunts?
DER-2-298 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 30 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (216). Its 2025-26 success rate, 21%, was the 3rd 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-2-298 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for DER-2-298 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-298?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-298 a 21% success rate, from 91 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 21% to 23%.
How many people applied for DER-2-298 in 2026?
639 applicants listed DER-2-298 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 216 chose it first and 62 of those drew it, 28.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 236 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-298?
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).