ELK-1-217: elk hunt in Unit 6A, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-217 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 6A, October 24 to 28, with 103 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 77). In the 2026 draw, 513 applicants chose it first and 44 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 104 licenses sold, 96 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 29 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 77. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceTribal landOther federal (closed)Unit 6ANeighboring unitsLake 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) |
| Unit | Unit 6A |
| Licenses | 103 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 513 (44 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 33% success, 29 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 47.8% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-217?
513 applicants chose ELK-1-217 first in the 2026 draw and 44 drew it on that choice, 8.6% of them. 103 of the 103 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 429 first-choice applicants and 53 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 | 370 | 655 | 461 | 35 | 87 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 48 | 117 | 129 | 3 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 95 | 143 | 93 | 6 | 10 |
| All applicants | 513 | 915 | 683 | 44 | 103 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 329 | 691 | 479 | 44 | 87 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 51 | 127 | 105 | 2 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 49 | 80 | 50 | 7 | 10 |
| All applicants | 429 | 898 | 634 | 53 | 103 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-217?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-217, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 33% (2025-26), from 96 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 103 in 2023-24 to 104 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 | 104 | 96 | 33% | 29 | 0 | 3.67 | 3.76 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 106 | 87 | 44% | 43 | 0 | 3.52 | 3.95 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 103 | 94 | 44% | 42 | 0 | 3.4 | 4.02 |
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-1-217 compare with the other Unit 6A elk hunts?
ELK-1-217 is one of 8 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 6A in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (513). Its 2025-26 success rate, 33%, was the 8th highest of the 8 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 6A elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 47.8% public land (404,621 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-217 have?
NMDOW lists 103 licenses for ELK-1-217 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 77). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 106 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-217?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-217 a 33% success rate, from 96 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 44%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-217 in 2026?
2,111 applicants listed ELK-1-217 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 513 chose it first and 44 of those drew it, 8.6% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 429 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-217?
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).