DER-3-185: deer hunt in Unit 13, Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-3-185 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 13, October 31 to November 4, with 200 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). In the 2026 draw, 142 applicants chose it first and 95 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 200 licenses sold, 178 hunters reporting, a 16% success rate, 27 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 landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 13Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 31 to November 4 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 13 |
| Licenses | 200 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 142 (95 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 16% success, 27 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 41.6% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-185?
142 applicants chose DER-3-185 first in the 2026 draw and 95 drew it on that choice, 66.9% of them. 200 of the 200 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 137 first-choice applicants and 87 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 | 133 | 135 | 193 | 88 | 188 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 12 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 142 | 140 | 201 | 95 | 200 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 130 | 143 | 217 | 82 | 188 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 7 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 137 | 154 | 221 | 87 | 200 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-185?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-185, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 16% (2025-26), from 178 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 204 in 2023-24 to 200 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-185; 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 | 11/1-11/5 | 200 | 178 | 16% | 27 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.2 | |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 203 | 189 | 23% | 40 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 4 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 204 | 184 | 9% | 16 | 0 | 4 | 3.1 |
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-3-185 compare with the other Unit 13 deer hunts?
DER-3-185 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 13 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (142). Its 2025-26 success rate, 16%, was the 5th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 13 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 41.6% public land (1,185,020 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-185 have?
NMDOW lists 200 licenses for DER-3-185 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 57). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 203 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-185?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-185 a 16% success rate, from 178 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 9% to 23%.
How many people applied for DER-3-185 in 2026?
483 applicants listed DER-3-185 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 142 chose it first and 95 of those drew it, 66.9% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 137 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-185?
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).