DER-3-176: deer hunt in Unit 10, Sep 27-Oct 3
DER-3-176 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 10, September 27 to October 3, with 90 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). In the 2026 draw, 188 applicants chose it first and 63 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 90 licenses sold, 77 hunters reporting, a 29% success rate, 23 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landUnit 10Neighboring 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 10 |
| Licenses | 90 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 188 (63 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 29% success, 23 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.2% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-176?
188 applicants chose DER-3-176 first in the 2026 draw and 63 drew it on that choice, 33.5% of them. 90 of the 90 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 176 first-choice applicants and 62 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 | 177 | 156 | 123 | 55 | 76 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 8 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 9 |
| All applicants | 188 | 165 | 131 | 63 | 90 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 169 | 147 | 102 | 58 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 7 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 176 | 150 | 109 | 62 | 90 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-176?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-176, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 29% (2025-26), from 77 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 90 in 2023-24 to 90 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-176 (3 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 | 9/27-10/3 | 90 | 77 | 29% | 23 | 0 | 4 | 3.2 | 3 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 90 | 85 | 20% | 16 | 0 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 90 | 82 | 20% | 15 | 0 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 5 (3 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-3-176 compare with the other Unit 10 deer hunts?
DER-3-176 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 10 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (188). Its 2025-26 success rate, 29%, was the 4th highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 10 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 31.2% public land (447,239 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-176 have?
NMDOW lists 90 licenses for DER-3-176 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 90 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-176?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-176 a 29% success rate, from 77 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 20% to 29%.
How many people applied for DER-3-176 in 2026?
484 applicants listed DER-3-176 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 188 chose it first and 63 of those drew it, 33.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 176 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-176?
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).