ELK-1-274: elk hunt in Unit 16A, Oct 10-14
ELK-1-274 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 16A, October 10 to 14, with 25 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). In the 2026 draw, 303 applicants chose it first and 23 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 25 licenses sold, 23 hunters reporting, a 67% success rate, 15 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestState trust landUnit 16ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 10 to 14 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 16A |
| Licenses | 25 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | mobility impaired only |
| NMDOW fee class | quality, high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 303 (23 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 67% success, 15 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 97% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-274?
303 applicants chose ELK-1-274 first in the 2026 draw and 23 drew it on that choice, 7.6% of them. 25 of the 25 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 297 first-choice applicants and 24 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 | 241 | 134 | 47 | 20 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 28 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 34 | 39 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| All applicants | 303 | 186 | 61 | 23 | 25 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 218 | 142 | 64 | 20 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 30 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 49 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| All applicants | 297 | 203 | 75 | 24 | 25 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-274?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-274, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 67% (2025-26), from 23 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 27 in 2023-24 to 25 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 11-15 | 25 | 23 | 67% | 15 | 0 | 2.62 | 4.29 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 5-9 | 25 | 20 | 58% | 14 | 0 | 3.47 | 4.47 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 7-11 | 27 | 23 | 62% | 15 | 0 | 3.33 | 3.52 |
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-1-274 compare with the other Unit 16A elk hunts?
ELK-1-274 is one of 9 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 16A in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (303). Its 2025-26 success rate, 67%, was the highest of the 9 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 16A elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 97% public land (399,885 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-274 have?
NMDOW lists 25 licenses for ELK-1-274 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 25 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-274?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-274 a 67% success rate, from 23 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 58% to 67%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-274 in 2026?
550 applicants listed ELK-1-274 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 303 chose it first and 23 of those drew it, 7.6% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 297 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-274?
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).