DER-3-374: deer hunt in Unit 45, Sep 27-Oct 3
DER-3-374 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a fork-antlered deer with a muzzleloader in Unit 45, September 27 to October 3, with 160 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). In the 2026 draw, 358 applicants chose it first and 103 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 160 licenses sold, 148 hunters reporting, a 37% success rate, 53 bucks 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.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 45Neighboring 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 45 |
| Licenses | 160 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 358 (103 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 37% success, 53 bucks, 0 does |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 74.3% |
How many hunters applied for DER-3-374?
358 applicants chose DER-3-374 first in the 2026 draw and 103 drew it on that choice, 28.8% of them. 160 of the 160 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 387 first-choice applicants and 106 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 | 320 | 275 | 328 | 88 | 135 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 25 | 31 | 25 | 4 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 13 | 7 | 12 | 11 | 16 |
| All applicants | 358 | 313 | 365 | 103 | 160 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 370 | 240 | 313 | 102 | 148 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 15 | 14 | 28 | 2 | 9 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| All applicants | 387 | 257 | 347 | 106 | 160 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on DER-3-374?
NMDGF's results for DER-3-374, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 37% (2025-26), from 148 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 160 in 2023-24 to 160 in 2025-26. NMDGF also prints private-land licenses under DER-3-374 (17 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 | 160 | 148 | 37% | 53 | 0 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 17 (6 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2024-25 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 160 | 152 | 34% | 48 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 10 (4 bucks, 0 does) |
| 2023-24 | FAD | Sept 27-Oct 3 | 160 | 149 | 34% | 49 | 0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 12 (7 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-3-374 compare with the other Unit 45 deer hunts?
DER-3-374 is one of 6 deer hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 45 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (358). Its 2025-26 success rate, 37%, was the 5th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 45 deer hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 74.3% public land (725,646 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does DER-3-374 have?
NMDOW lists 160 licenses for DER-3-374 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 65). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 160 sold.
What is the success rate for DER-3-374?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives DER-3-374 a 37% success rate, from 148 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 34% to 37%.
How many people applied for DER-3-374 in 2026?
1,036 applicants listed DER-3-374 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 358 chose it first and 103 of those drew it, 28.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 387 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for DER-3-374?
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).