DER-3-148: deer hunt in Unit 5A (Public Land only), Sep 27-Oct 3
DER-3-148 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 5A, Public Land only, September 27 to October 3, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). In the 2026 draw, 23 applicants chose it first and 7 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 8 hunters reporting, an 80% success rate, 5 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landTribal landUnit 5ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | September 27 to October 3 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 5A |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 23 (7 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 80% success, 5 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 16.3% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-148?
23 applicants chose DER-3-148 first in the 2026 draw and 7 drew it on that choice, 30.4% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 9 first-choice applicants and 5 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 | 23 | 14 | 18 | 7 | 10 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 23 | 16 | 19 | 7 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 8 | 26 | 22 | 4 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 9 | 26 | 22 | 5 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-148?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-148, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 80% (2025-26), from 8 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 10 in 2023-24 to 10 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAD | 9/27-10/3 | 10 | 8 | 80% | 5 | 0 | 2.2 | 3.8 |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 10 | 10 | 30% | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3.2 |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 10 | 10 | 44% | 4 | 0 | 2.7 | 2.8 |
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-3-148 compare with the other Unit 5A deer hunts?
DER-3-148 is one of 3 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 5A in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 3 drawn ones (23). Its 2025-26 success rate, 80%, was the highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 5A deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 16.3% public land (23,914 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-148 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for DER-3-148 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-148?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-148 a 80% success rate, from 8 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 30% to 80%.
How many people applied for DER-3-148 in 2026?
58 applicants listed DER-3-148 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 23 chose it first and 7 of those drew it, 30.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 9 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-148?
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 10 licenses a nonresident is extremely unlikely to draw it.