ELK-1-249: elk hunt in Unit 12, Oct 17-21
ELK-1-249 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 12, October 17 to 21, with 60 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). In the 2026 draw, 187 applicants chose it first and 16 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 60 licenses sold, 56 hunters reporting, a 44% success rate, 25 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 landNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 12Neighboring 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 12 |
| Licenses | 60 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 187 (16 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 44% success, 25 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 38.8% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-249?
187 applicants chose ELK-1-249 first in the 2026 draw and 16 drew it on that choice, 8.6% of them. 60 of the 60 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 159 first-choice applicants and 19 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 | 103 | 267 | 132 | 10 | 51 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 25 | 89 | 50 | 2 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 59 | 94 | 91 | 4 | 6 |
| All applicants | 187 | 450 | 273 | 16 | 60 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 84 | 260 | 129 | 14 | 51 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 21 | 84 | 45 | 2 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 54 | 84 | 101 | 3 | 6 |
| All applicants | 159 | 428 | 275 | 19 | 60 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-249?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-249, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 44% (2025-26), from 56 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 60 in 2023-24 to 60 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 | 60 | 56 | 44% | 25 | 0 | 3.58 | 3.65 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 12-16 | 61 | 54 | 35% | 18 | 1 | 3.83 | 3.38 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 60 | 53 | 39% | 23 | 0 | 3.75 | 4.08 |
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-1-249 compare with the other Unit 12 elk hunts?
ELK-1-249 is one of 10 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 12 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 10 drawn ones (187). Its 2025-26 success rate, 44%, was the 4th highest of the 10 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 12 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 38.8% public land (642,998 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-249 have?
NMDOW lists 60 licenses for ELK-1-249 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 61 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-249?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-249 a 44% success rate, from 56 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 35% to 44%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-249 in 2026?
910 applicants listed ELK-1-249 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 187 chose it first and 16 of those drew it, 8.6% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 159 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-249?
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).