ELK-1-197: elk hunt in Units 51A and 51B, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-197 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Units 51A and 51B, October 24 to 28, with 220 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). In the 2026 draw, 322 applicants chose it first and 83 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 220 licenses sold, 191 hunters reporting, a 28% success rate, 58 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 landUnits 51A and 51BUnit linesLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 51A, Unit 51B |
| Licenses | 220 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 322 (83 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 28% success, 58 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 82.3% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-197?
322 applicants chose ELK-1-197 first in the 2026 draw and 83 drew it on that choice, 25.8% of them. 220 of the 220 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 304 first-choice applicants and 83 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 | 246 | 297 | 620 | 72 | 185 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 52 | 83 | 204 | 4 | 13 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 24 | 55 | 140 | 7 | 22 |
| All applicants | 322 | 435 | 964 | 83 | 220 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 208 | 255 | 591 | 76 | 185 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 77 | 86 | 222 | 4 | 13 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 19 | 25 | 138 | 3 | 22 |
| All applicants | 304 | 366 | 951 | 83 | 220 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-197?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-197, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 28% (2025-26), from 191 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 221 in 2023-24 to 220 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 25-29 | 220 | 191 | 28% | 58 | 0 | 3.65 | 3.38 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 221 | 187 | 21% | 43 | 0 | 3.84 | 3.29 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 221 | 181 | 24% | 45 | 0 | 3.62 | 3.38 |
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-1-197 compare with the other Units 51A and 51B elk hunts?
ELK-1-197 is one of 11 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 51A and 51B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 9 drawn ones (322). Its 2025-26 success rate, 28%, was the 7th highest of the 11 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Units 51A and 51B elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 82.3% public land (522,891 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-197 have?
NMDOW lists 220 licenses for ELK-1-197 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 221 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-197?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-197 a 28% success rate, from 191 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 21% to 28%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-197 in 2026?
1,721 applicants listed ELK-1-197 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 322 chose it first and 83 of those drew it, 25.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 304 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-197?
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).
New Mexico hunting New Mexico elk Units 51A and 51B elk Unit 51A Unit 51B