DER-2-388: deer hunt in Unit 50, Sep 1-24
DER-2-388 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 50, September 1 to 24, with 5 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 8 applicants chose it first and 4 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 5 licenses sold, 5 hunters reporting, a 0% success rate.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landTribal landUnit 50Neighboring 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 50 |
| Licenses | 5 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 8 (4 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 0% success, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 68% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-388?
8 applicants chose DER-2-388 first in the 2026 draw and 4 drew it on that choice, 50% of them. 5 of the 5 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 6 first-choice applicants and 2 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 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 5 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 8 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 5 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6 | 9 | 23 | 2 | 5 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 6 | 9 | 24 | 2 | 5 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-388?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-388, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 0% (2025-26), from 5 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 5 in 2023-24 to 5 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-388; 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 | 5 | 5 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 5 | 5 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 3.7 | 3 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 5 | 5 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 5.7 | 3.7 |
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-2-388 compare with the other Unit 50 deer hunts?
DER-2-388 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 50 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (8). Its 2025-26 success rate, 0%, was the 3rd highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 50 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 68% public land (401,683 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-388 have?
NMDOW lists 5 licenses for DER-2-388 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 5 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-388?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-388 a 0% success rate, from 5 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 0% to 0%.
How many people applied for DER-2-388 in 2026?
36 applicants listed DER-2-388 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 8 chose it first and 4 of those drew it, 50% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 6 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-388?
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). NMDOW warns that with 5 licenses, an outfitted applicant is extremely unlikely to draw this hunt, and a nonresident is extremely unlikely to draw it.