DER-3-365: deer hunt in Unit 42, Sep 27-Oct 3
DER-3-365 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 42, September 27 to October 3, with 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). In the 2026 draw, 1 applicant chose it first and 1 drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 15 licenses sold, 14 hunters reporting, an 8% success rate, 1 buck and 0 does taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeState parkMilitary landUnit 42Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Deer: Fork-antlered deer (white-tailed or mule deer) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | September 27 to October 3 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 42 |
| Licenses | 15 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 1 (1 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 8% success, 1 buck, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 8.9% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-365?
1 applicants chose DER-3-365 first in the 2026 draw and 1 drew it on that choice, 100% of them. 15 of the 15 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 5 first-choice applicants and 5 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 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 14 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 1 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 15 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 5 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 15 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-365?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-365, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 8% (2025-26), from 14 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 15 in 2023-24 to 15 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-365 (2 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 | 9/27-10/3 | 15 | 14 | 8% | 1 | 0 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2 (1 buck, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 15 | 14 | 27% | 3 | 0 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 8 (2 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 15 | 12 | 43% | 4 | 0 | 3.3 | 3 | 6 (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-3-365 compare with the other Unit 42 deer hunts?
DER-3-365 is one of 5 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 42 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (1). Its 2025-26 success rate, 8%, was the 3rd highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 42 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 8.9% public land (244,390 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-365 have?
NMDOW lists 15 licenses for DER-3-365 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 15 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-365?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-365 a 8% success rate, from 14 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 8% to 43%.
How many people applied for DER-3-365 in 2026?
15 applicants listed DER-3-365 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 1 chose it first and 1 of those drew it, 100% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 5 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-365?
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).