ELK-1-162: elk hunt in Unit 10, Dec 5-9
ELK-1-162 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for an antlerless elk with any legal weapon in Unit 10, December 5 to 9, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). In the 2026 draw, 217 applicants chose it first and 62 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 89 hunters reporting, a 20% success rate, 1 bull and 17 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: Antlerless elk |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 5 to 9 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 10 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | residents only |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 217 (62 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 20% success, 1 bull, 17 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.2% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-162?
217 applicants chose ELK-1-162 first in the 2026 draw and 62 drew it on that choice, 28.6% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 165 first-choice applicants and 51 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 | 217 | 260 | 271 | 62 | 100 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 217 | 260 | 271 | 62 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 165 | 218 | 266 | 51 | 100 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All applicants | 165 | 218 | 266 | 51 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-162?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-162, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 20% (2025-26), from 89 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 100 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | A | Dec 6-10 | 100 | 89 | 20% | 1 | 17 | 3.53 | 3.37 |
| 2024-25 | A | Dec 7-11 | 100 | 78 | 14% | 1 | 10 | 3.67 | 2.88 |
| 2023-24 | A | Dec 2-6 | 100 | 87 | 20% | 0 | 17 | 3.65 | 3.15 |
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-1-162 compare with the other Unit 10 elk hunts?
ELK-1-162 is one of 7 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 10 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (217). Its 2025-26 success rate, 20%, was the 5th 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-1-162 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for ELK-1-162 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-162?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-162 a 20% success rate, from 89 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 14% to 20%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-162 in 2026?
748 applicants listed ELK-1-162 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 217 chose it first and 62 of those drew it, 28.6% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 165 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-162?
No. ELK-1-162 is for New Mexico residents only (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79).