DER-2-390: deer hunt in Unit 51A, Sep 1-24
DER-2-390 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 51A, September 1 to 24, with 65 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 176 applicants chose it first and 49 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 65 licenses sold, 62 hunters reporting, a 22% success rate, 12 bucks and 0 does taken.
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 landUnit 51ANeighboring 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 51A |
| Licenses | 65 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 176 (49 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 22% success, 12 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 86.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-390?
176 applicants chose DER-2-390 first in the 2026 draw and 49 drew it on that choice, 27.8% of them. 65 of the 65 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 184 first-choice applicants and 44 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 | 152 | 179 | 92 | 42 | 55 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 13 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 11 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| All applicants | 176 | 200 | 108 | 49 | 65 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 168 | 106 | 100 | 38 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 14 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 184 | 118 | 106 | 44 | 65 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-390?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-390, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 22% (2025-26), from 62 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 65 in 2023-24 to 65 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-390 (11 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 | 9/1-9/24 | 65 | 62 | 22% | 12 | 0 | 7.5 | 3.3 | 11 (4 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 65 | 57 | 15% | 9 | 0 | 8 | 3.2 | 11 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 65 | 56 | 11% | 6 | 0 | 7.8 | 2.8 | 8 (2 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-2-390 compare with the other Unit 51A deer hunts?
DER-2-390 is one of 2 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 51A in 2026-27. Unit 51A deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 86.4% public land (439,816 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-390 have?
NMDOW lists 65 licenses for DER-2-390 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 65 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-390?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-390 a 22% success rate, from 62 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 11% to 22%.
How many people applied for DER-2-390 in 2026?
484 applicants listed DER-2-390 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 176 chose it first and 49 of those drew it, 27.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 184 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-390?
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).