DER-3-226: deer hunt in Units 21A and 21B, Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-3-226 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Units 21A and 21B, October 31 to November 4, with 350 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). In the 2026 draw, 96 applicants chose it first and 95 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 350 licenses sold, 330 hunters reporting, a 15% success rate, 42 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkTribal landUnits 21A and 21BUnit linesLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 31 to November 4 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 21A, Unit 21B |
| Licenses | 350 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 96 (95 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 15% success, 42 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-226?
96 applicants chose DER-3-226 first in the 2026 draw and 95 drew it on that choice, 99% of them. 350 of the 350 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 60 first-choice applicants and 60 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 | 85 | 52 | 158 | 84 | 315 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 12 | 24 | 9 | 33 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 96 | 65 | 186 | 95 | 350 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 53 | 66 | 197 | 53 | 308 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 6 | 11 | 26 | 6 | 41 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 60 | 77 | 224 | 60 | 350 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-226?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-226, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 15% (2025-26), from 330 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 351 in 2023-24 to 350 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-226 (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 | 11/1-11/5 | 350 | 330 | 15% | 42 | 0 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 5 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 26-30 | 352 | 330 | 14% | 39 | 0 | 3.6 | 3 | 3 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 351 | 324 | 15% | 41 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 6 (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-3-226 compare with the other Units 21A and 21B deer hunts?
DER-3-226 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 21A and 21B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (96). Its 2025-26 success rate, 15%, was the 5th highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Units 21A and 21B deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 67.5% public land (1,304,033 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-226 have?
NMDOW lists 350 licenses for DER-3-226 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 59). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 352 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-226?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-226 a 15% success rate, from 330 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 14% to 15%.
How many people applied for DER-3-226 in 2026?
347 applicants listed DER-3-226 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 96 chose it first and 95 of those drew it, 99% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 60 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-226?
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 21A and 21B deer Unit 21A Unit 21B