DER-3-157: deer hunt in Units 6A and 6C, Oct 3-7
DER-3-157 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Units 6A and 6C, October 3 to 7, with 115 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). In the 2026 draw, 487 applicants chose it first and 67 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 114 licenses sold, 108 hunters reporting, a 47% success rate, 48 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 landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landOther federal (closed)Units 6A and 6CUnit linesLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 3 to 7 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 6A, Unit 6C |
| Licenses | 115 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 487 (67 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 47% success, 48 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 50.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-157?
487 applicants chose DER-3-157 first in the 2026 draw and 67 drew it on that choice, 13.8% of them. 115 of the 115 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 497 first-choice applicants and 70 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 | 453 | 508 | 330 | 60 | 97 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 27 | 26 | 33 | 5 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 7 | 39 | 17 | 2 | 11 |
| All applicants | 487 | 573 | 380 | 67 | 115 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 462 | 545 | 308 | 66 | 97 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 30 | 33 | 22 | 0 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 11 |
| All applicants | 497 | 586 | 336 | 70 | 115 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-157?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-157, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 47% (2025-26), from 108 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 115 in 2023-24 to 114 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-157 (4 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 | 10/4-10/8 | 114 | 108 | 47% | 48 | 0 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 28-Oct 2 | 116 | 109 | 33% | 35 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 14 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 30-Oct 4 | 115 | 110 | 47% | 49 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 15 (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-3-157 compare with the other Units 6A and 6C deer hunts?
DER-3-157 is one of 4 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 6A and 6C in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 4 drawn ones (487). Its 2025-26 success rate, 47%, was the highest of the 3 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Units 6A and 6C deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 50.5% public land (820,174 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-157 have?
NMDOW lists 115 licenses for DER-3-157 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 56). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 116 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-157?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-157 a 47% success rate, from 108 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 47%.
How many people applied for DER-3-157 in 2026?
1,440 applicants listed DER-3-157 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 487 chose it first and 67 of those drew it, 13.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 497 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-157?
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).
New Mexico hunting New Mexico deer Units 6A and 6C deer Unit 6A Unit 6C