DER-3-299: deer hunt in Unit 30, Oct 24-28
DER-3-299 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 30, October 24 to 28, with 325 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 163 applicants chose it first and 162 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 325 licenses sold, 305 hunters reporting, a 23% success rate, 63 bucks and 1 doe taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landUnit 30Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 30 |
| Licenses | 325 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 163 (162 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 23% success, 63 bucks, 1 doe |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 75.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-299?
163 applicants chose DER-3-299 first in the 2026 draw and 162 drew it on that choice, 99.4% of them. 315 of the 325 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 148 first-choice applicants and 144 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 | 127 | 75 | 187 | 127 | 246 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 36 | 3 | 49 | 35 | 69 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 163 | 78 | 236 | 162 | 315 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 106 | 76 | 177 | 106 | 214 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 42 | 21 | 44 | 38 | 77 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 148 | 97 | 221 | 144 | 291 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-299?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-299, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 23% (2025-26), from 305 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 326 in 2023-24 to 325 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-299 (9 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 | 10/18-10/22 | 325 | 305 | 23% | 63 | 1 | 4 | 3.1 | 9 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 325 | 305 | 18% | 52 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.8 | 8 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 326 | 295 | 29% | 80 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 4 (2 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-3-299 compare with the other Unit 30 deer hunts?
DER-3-299 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 30 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (163). Its 2025-26 success rate, 23%, was the 2nd highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 30 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 75.4% public land (1,420,629 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-299 have?
NMDOW lists 325 licenses for DER-3-299 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 325 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-299?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-299 a 23% success rate, from 305 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 18% to 29%.
How many people applied for DER-3-299 in 2026?
477 applicants listed DER-3-299 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 163 chose it first and 162 of those drew it, 99.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 148 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-299?
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).