DER-2-400: deer hunt in Unit 53, Sep 1-24
DER-2-400 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a bow in Unit 53, September 1 to 24, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). In the 2026 draw, 82 applicants chose it first and 38 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 82 hunters reporting, a 26% success rate, 22 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 landWildlife Commission landTribal landUnit 53Neighboring 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 53 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 82 (38 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 26% success, 22 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 47.6% |
How many hunters applied for DER-2-400?
82 applicants chose DER-2-400 first in the 2026 draw and 38 drew it on that choice, 46.3% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 97 first-choice applicants and 53 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 | 65 | 85 | 91 | 29 | 86 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 18 | 24 | 1 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 8 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 |
| All applicants | 82 | 105 | 116 | 38 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 76 | 65 | 100 | 41 | 85 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 10 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 11 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9 |
| All applicants | 97 | 79 | 113 | 53 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-2-400?
NMDGF's results for DER-2-400, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 26% (2025-26), from 82 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 100 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-2-400 (5 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 | 100 | 82 | 26% | 22 | 0 | 6.7 | 3.4 | 5 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 100 | 90 | 32% | 24 | 0 | 6.9 | 3.4 | 11 (6 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 1-24 | 100 | 86 | 19% | 16 | 0 | 7.5 | 3.2 | 6 (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-2-400 compare with the other Unit 53 deer hunts?
DER-2-400 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 53 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (82). Its 2025-26 success rate, 26%, was the 3rd highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 53 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 47.6% public land (208,437 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-2-400 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for DER-2-400 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 66). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-2-400?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-2-400 a 26% success rate, from 82 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 19% to 32%.
How many people applied for DER-2-400 in 2026?
303 applicants listed DER-2-400 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 82 chose it first and 38 of those drew it, 46.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 97 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-2-400?
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).