DER-3-331: deer hunt in Unit 36, Oct 24-28
DER-3-331 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 36, October 24 to 28, with 115 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63). In the 2026 draw, 131 applicants chose it first and 77 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 115 licenses sold, 111 hunters reporting, a 29% success rate, 29 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landMilitary landTribal landUnit 36Neighboring 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 36 |
| Licenses | 115 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 131 (77 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 29% success, 29 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 53.1% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-331?
131 applicants chose DER-3-331 first in the 2026 draw and 77 drew it on that choice, 58.8% of them. 115 of the 115 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 118 first-choice applicants and 66 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 | 119 | 92 | 127 | 72 | 103 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 8 | 19 | 22 | 1 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 4 | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| All applicants | 131 | 119 | 150 | 77 | 115 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 109 | 124 | 145 | 63 | 106 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 9 | 23 | 35 | 3 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| All applicants | 118 | 151 | 182 | 66 | 115 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-331?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-331, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 29% (2025-26), from 111 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 115 in 2023-24 to 115 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-331 (1 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 | 10/25-10/29 | 115 | 111 | 29% | 29 | 0 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 117 | 105 | 25% | 26 | 0 | 3.4 | 3.1 | |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 115 | 105 | 31% | 31 | 0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 1 (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-3-331 compare with the other Unit 36 deer hunts?
DER-3-331 is one of 7 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 36 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (131). Its 2025-26 success rate, 29%, was the 3rd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 36 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 53.1% public land (337,435 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-331 have?
NMDOW lists 115 licenses for DER-3-331 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 63). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 117 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-331?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-331 a 29% success rate, from 111 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 25% to 31%.
How many people applied for DER-3-331 in 2026?
400 applicants listed DER-3-331 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 131 chose it first and 77 of those drew it, 58.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 118 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-331?
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).