ELK-1-190: elk hunt in Unit 50, Oct 17-21
ELK-1-190 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 50, October 17 to 21, with 125 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). In the 2026 draw, 61 applicants chose it first and 38 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 125 licenses sold, 103 hunters reporting, a 13% success rate, 15 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landTribal landUnit 50Neighboring 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 50 |
| Licenses | 125 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 61 (38 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 13% success, 15 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 68% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-190?
61 applicants chose ELK-1-190 first in the 2026 draw and 38 drew it on that choice, 62.3% of them. 125 of the 125 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 60 first-choice applicants and 32 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 | 42 | 53 | 104 | 36 | 112 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 19 | 35 | 39 | 2 | 8 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| All applicants | 61 | 89 | 148 | 38 | 125 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 32 | 74 | 108 | 24 | 114 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 26 | 34 | 42 | 6 | 8 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| All applicants | 60 | 108 | 151 | 32 | 125 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-190?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-190, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 13% (2025-26), from 103 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 125 in 2023-24 to 125 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 | 125 | 103 | 13% | 15 | 0 | 3.88 | 2.99 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 12-16 | 126 | 112 | 9% | 10 | 0 | 3.85 | 2.58 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 125 | 109 | 6% | 6 | 0 | 3.96 | 2.48 |
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-1-190 compare with the other Unit 50 elk hunts?
ELK-1-190 is one of 6 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 50 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (61). Its 2025-26 success rate, 13%, was the 6th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 50 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 68% public land (401,683 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-190 have?
NMDOW lists 125 licenses for ELK-1-190 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 126 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-190?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-190 a 13% success rate, from 103 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 6% to 13%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-190 in 2026?
298 applicants listed ELK-1-190 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 61 chose it first and 38 of those drew it, 62.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 60 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-190?
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).