ELK-1-281: elk hunt in Units 16B and 22, Oct 10-14
ELK-1-281 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Units 16B and 22, October 10 to 14, with 25 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). In the 2026 draw, 718 applicants chose it first and 23 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 25 licenses sold, 18 hunters reporting, a 43% success rate, 8 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 forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational Park ServiceUnits 16B and 22Unit linesLake 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) |
| Units | Unit 16B, Unit 22 |
| Licenses | 25 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality, high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 718 (23 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 43% success, 8 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 90.6% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-281?
718 applicants chose ELK-1-281 first in the 2026 draw and 23 drew it on that choice, 3.2% of them. 25 of the 25 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 758 first-choice applicants and 22 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 | 417 | 260 | 274 | 21 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 219 | 162 | 212 | 1 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 82 | 27 | 95 | 1 | 2 |
| All applicants | 718 | 449 | 581 | 23 | 25 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 448 | 251 | 281 | 18 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 236 | 138 | 260 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 74 | 34 | 84 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 758 | 423 | 625 | 22 | 25 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-281?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-281, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 43% (2025-26), from 18 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 25 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 | 18 | 43% | 8 | 0 | 3 | 3.64 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 5-9 | 25 | 24 | 50% | 11 | 0 | 3.68 | 3.32 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 7-11 | 25 | 21 | 45% | 11 | 0 | 3.8 | 4.05 |
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-1-281 compare with the other Units 16B and 22 elk hunts?
ELK-1-281 is one of 5 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 16B and 22 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (718). Its 2025-26 success rate, 43%, was the highest of the 5 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Units 16B and 22 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 90.6% public land (774,405 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-281 have?
NMDOW lists 25 licenses for ELK-1-281 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-1-281?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-281 a 43% success rate, from 18 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 43% to 50%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-281 in 2026?
1,748 applicants listed ELK-1-281 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 718 chose it first and 23 of those drew it, 3.2% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 758 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-281?
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 16B and 22 elk Unit 16B Unit 22