DER-3-304: deer hunt in Unit 31 (including Prairie Chicken WMAs), Oct 24-28
DER-3-304 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 31, including Prairie Chicken WMAs, October 24 to 28, with 175 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). In the 2026 draw, 111 applicants chose it first and 81 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 175 licenses sold, 162 hunters reporting, a 26% success rate, 38 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.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationState parkMilitary landOther federal (closed)Unit 31Neighboring 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 31 |
| Licenses | 175 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 111 (81 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 26% success, 38 bucks, 1 doe |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 48.4% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-304?
111 applicants chose DER-3-304 first in the 2026 draw and 81 drew it on that choice, 73% of them. 175 of the 175 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 123 first-choice applicants and 85 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 | 99 | 81 | 148 | 73 | 159 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 17 | 27 | 5 | 11 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| All applicants | 111 | 99 | 178 | 81 | 175 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 99 | 101 | 175 | 73 | 154 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 15 | 27 | 31 | 3 | 11 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 9 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| All applicants | 123 | 129 | 213 | 85 | 175 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
Where is DER-3-304 held?
DER-3-304 is held on Prairie Chicken WMA, 36,633 acres of State Wildlife Commission land in Units 31, 32 and 33, 9 miles from Tatum. NMDOW's fact sheet on camping: Not allowed at any of the Prairie Chicken Wildlife Areas. Closures: The Prairie Chicken Areas are closed to all access from February 16-June 29.
How did hunters do on DER-3-304?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-304, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 26% (2025-26), from 162 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 175 in 2023-24 to 175 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-304 (6 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 | 175 | 162 | 26% | 38 | 1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 6 (3 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 175 | 161 | 27% | 40 | 0 | 3.5 | 3 | 10 (7 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 175 | 160 | 26% | 39 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 11 (4 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-3-304 compare with the other Unit 31 deer hunts?
DER-3-304 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 31 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (111). Its 2025-26 success rate, 26%, was the 3rd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 31 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 48.4% public land (2,587,901 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-304 have?
NMDOW lists 175 licenses for DER-3-304 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 62). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 175 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-304?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-304 a 26% success rate, from 162 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 26% to 27%.
How many people applied for DER-3-304 in 2026?
388 applicants listed DER-3-304 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 111 chose it first and 81 of those drew it, 73% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 123 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-304?
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).