DER-3-251: deer hunt in Unit 23 (Burro Mountain Area only), Oct 31-Nov 4
DER-3-251 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered mule deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 23, Burro Mountain Area only, October 31 to November 4, with 40 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). In the 2026 draw, 64 applicants chose it first and 23 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 3 licenses sold, 0 hunters reporting.
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 | 40 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 64 (23 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 0 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 63.1% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-251?
64 applicants chose DER-3-251 first in the 2026 draw and 23 drew it on that choice, 35.9% of them. 40 of the 40 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 87 first-choice applicants and 27 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 | 56 | 73 | 36 | 20 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 6 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| All applicants | 64 | 80 | 49 | 23 | 40 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 75 | 64 | 37 | 24 | 34 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 11 | 7 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
| All applicants | 87 | 71 | 54 | 27 | 40 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-251?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-251, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 53% (2024-25), from 36 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 40 in 2023-24 to 3 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | FAMD | 11/1-11/5 | 3 | 0 | |||||
| 2024-25 | FAMD | Oct 26-30 | 40 | 36 | 53% | 19 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| 2023-24 | FAMD | Oct 28-Nov 1 | 40 | 37 | 44% | 16 | 0 | 3.5 | 2.9 |
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-3-251 compare with the other Unit 23 deer hunts?
DER-3-251 is one of 19 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 23 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 12th most first-choice applicants of the 19 drawn ones (64). 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-3-251 have?
NMDOW lists 40 licenses for DER-3-251 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 60). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 40 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-251?
NMDGF's 2024-25 harvest report gives DER-3-251 a 53% success rate, from 36 hunters reporting. Over the 2 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 44% to 53%.
How many people applied for DER-3-251 in 2026?
193 applicants listed DER-3-251 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 64 chose it first and 23 of those drew it, 35.9% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 87 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-251?
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).