ELK-1-160: elk hunt in Unit 10, Oct 17-21
ELK-1-160 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 10, October 17 to 21, with 70 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). In the 2026 draw, 559 applicants chose it first and 55 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 70 licenses sold, 65 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 20 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landUnit 10Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 17 to 21 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 10 |
| Licenses | 70 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 559 (55 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 33% success, 20 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.2% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-160?
559 applicants chose ELK-1-160 first in the 2026 draw and 55 drew it on that choice, 9.8% of them. 70 of the 70 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 535 first-choice applicants and 54 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 | 453 | 304 | 337 | 51 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 52 | 49 | 41 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 54 | 53 | 50 | 2 | 7 |
| All applicants | 559 | 406 | 428 | 55 | 70 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 420 | 306 | 280 | 48 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 58 | 39 | 41 | 1 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 57 | 54 | 40 | 5 | 7 |
| All applicants | 535 | 399 | 361 | 54 | 70 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-160?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-160, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 33% (2025-26), from 65 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 70 in 2023-24 to 70 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | MB | Oct 18-22 | 70 | 65 | 33% | 20 | 0 | 3.81 | 3.62 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 12-16 | 70 | 63 | 23% | 14 | 0 | 3.93 | 3.09 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 70 | 60 | 28% | 19 | 0 | 3.91 | 3.6 |
Source: NMDGF 2025-26 elk harvest report, NMDGF 2024-25 elk harvest report and NMDGF 2023-24 elk harvest report and earlier NMDOW elk harvest reports.
How does ELK-1-160 compare with the other Unit 10 elk hunts?
ELK-1-160 is one of 7 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 10 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (559). Its 2025-26 success rate, 33%, was the 2nd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 10 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 31.2% public land (447,239 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-160 have?
NMDOW lists 70 licenses for ELK-1-160 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 70 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-160?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-160 a 33% success rate, from 65 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 23% to 33%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-160 in 2026?
1,393 applicants listed ELK-1-160 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 559 chose it first and 55 of those drew it, 9.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 535 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-160?
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).