DER-3-342: deer hunt in Unit 38, Oct 24-28
DER-3-342 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 38, October 24 to 28, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64). In the 2026 draw, 25 applicants chose it first and 24 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 104 licenses sold, 99 hunters reporting, a 9% success rate, 7 bucks and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landNational Park ServiceUnit 38Neighboring 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 38 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 25 (24 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 9% success, 7 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-342?
25 applicants chose DER-3-342 first in the 2026 draw and 24 drew it on that choice, 96% of them. 97 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 22 first-choice applicants and 22 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 | 23 | 42 | 74 | 22 | 95 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 25 | 42 | 74 | 24 | 97 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 21 | 26 | 75 | 21 | 80 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 22 | 28 | 75 | 22 | 82 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-342?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-342, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 9% (2025-26), from 99 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 104 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-342 (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 | 104 | 99 | 9% | 7 | 0 | 3.9 | 2.7 | 1 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Oct 19-23 | 100 | 95 | 10% | 7 | 0 | 3.8 | 2.5 | 1 (0 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Oct 21-25 | 100 | 92 | 10% | 9 | 0 | 3.5 | 2.4 | 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-3-342 compare with the other Unit 38 deer hunts?
DER-3-342 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 38 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (25). Its 2025-26 success rate, 9%, was the 4th highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 38 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 31.9% public land (665,610 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-342 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for DER-3-342 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 64). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-342?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-342 a 9% success rate, from 99 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 9% to 10%.
How many people applied for DER-3-342 in 2026?
141 applicants listed DER-3-342 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 25 chose it first and 24 of those drew it, 96% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 22 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-342?
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).