ELK-1-276: elk hunt in Unit 16A, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-276 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 16A, October 24 to 28, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). In the 2026 draw, 862 applicants chose it first and 56 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 95 hunters reporting, a 44% success rate, 43 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 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 16A |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 862 (56 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 44% success, 43 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 97% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-276?
862 applicants chose ELK-1-276 first in the 2026 draw and 56 drew it on that choice, 6.5% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 938 first-choice applicants and 44 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 | 418 | 867 | 480 | 44 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 232 | 387 | 867 | 3 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 212 | 353 | 360 | 9 | 10 |
| All applicants | 862 | 1,607 | 1,707 | 56 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 419 | 915 | 519 | 41 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 289 | 428 | 896 | 1 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 230 | 407 | 533 | 2 | 10 |
| All applicants | 938 | 1,750 | 1,948 | 44 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-276?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-276, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 44% (2025-26), from 95 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 100 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 | 100 | 95 | 44% | 43 | 0 | 3.54 | 3.56 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 100 | 93 | 33% | 30 | 0 | 3.7 | 3.32 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 100 | 90 | 41% | 38 | 0 | 3.45 | 4.04 |
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-1-276 compare with the other Unit 16A elk hunts?
ELK-1-276 is one of 9 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 16A in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (862). Its 2025-26 success rate, 44%, was the 6th 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-1-276 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for ELK-1-276 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-276?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-276 a 44% success rate, from 95 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 44%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-276 in 2026?
4,176 applicants listed ELK-1-276 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 862 chose it first and 56 of those drew it, 6.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 938 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-276?
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).