DER-3-243: deer hunt in Unit 23 (excluding Burro Mountain Area), Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-3-243 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered mule deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 23, excluding Burro Mountain Area, October 31 to November 4, with 225 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). In the 2026 draw, 49 applicants chose it first and 45 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 226 licenses sold, 203 hunters reporting, a 13% success rate, 23 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landMilitary landUnit 23Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered mule deer |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 31 to November 4 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 23 |
| Licenses | 225 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 49 (45 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 13% success, 23 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 63.1% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-243?
49 applicants chose DER-3-243 first in the 2026 draw and 45 drew it on that choice, 91.8% of them. 153 of the 225 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 63 first-choice applicants and 63 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 | 32 | 55 | 90 | 31 | 110 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 17 | 23 | 34 | 14 | 43 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 49 | 78 | 124 | 45 | 153 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 40 | 92 | 91 | 40 | 150 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 22 | 25 | 22 | 22 | 51 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 63 | 117 | 114 | 63 | 202 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-243?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-243, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 13% (2025-26), from 203 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 225 in 2023-24 to 226 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-243 (7 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 | FAMD | 11/1-11/5 | 226 | 203 | 13% | 23 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 7 (5 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAMD | Oct 26-30 | 226 | 214 | 25% | 46 | 0 | 3.7 | 3.1 | |
| 2023-24 | FAMD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 225 | 216 | 19% | 34 | 0 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2 (0 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-3-243 compare with the other Unit 23 deer hunts?
DER-3-243 is one of 19 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 23 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 13th most first-choice applicants of the 19 drawn ones (49). Its 2025-26 success rate, 13%, was the 12th highest of the 13 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 23 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 63.1% public land (1,183,461 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-243 have?
NMDOW lists 225 licenses for DER-3-243 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 226 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-243?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-243 a 13% success rate, from 203 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 13% to 25%.
How many people applied for DER-3-243 in 2026?
251 applicants listed DER-3-243 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 49 chose it first and 45 of those drew it, 91.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 63 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-243?
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).