ELK-1-282: elk hunt in Units 16B and 22, Oct 17-21
ELK-1-282 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Units 16B and 22, October 17 to 21, with 80 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). In the 2026 draw, 206 applicants chose it first and 31 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 79 licenses sold, 63 hunters reporting, a 30% success rate, 20 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 17 to 21 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 16B, Unit 22 |
| Licenses | 80 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality, high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 206 (31 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 30% success, 20 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 90.6% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-282?
206 applicants chose ELK-1-282 first in the 2026 draw and 31 drew it on that choice, 15% of them. 80 of the 80 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 255 first-choice applicants and 30 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 | 124 | 305 | 172 | 27 | 68 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 59 | 130 | 77 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 23 | 61 | 44 | 4 | 8 |
| All applicants | 206 | 496 | 293 | 31 | 80 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 156 | 347 | 171 | 24 | 68 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 64 | 134 | 85 | 3 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 35 | 55 | 25 | 3 | 8 |
| All applicants | 255 | 536 | 281 | 30 | 80 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-282?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-282, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 30% (2025-26), from 63 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 80 in 2023-24 to 79 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 | 79 | 63 | 30% | 20 | 0 | 3.78 | 3.28 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 12-16 | 80 | 72 | 19% | 13 | 0 | 3.83 | 3.09 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 80 | 64 | 24% | 18 | 0 | 3.86 | 3.29 |
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-1-282 compare with the other Units 16B and 22 elk hunts?
ELK-1-282 is one of 5 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 16B and 22 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (206). Its 2025-26 success rate, 30%, was the 2nd 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-1-282 have?
NMDOW lists 80 licenses for ELK-1-282 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 80 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-282?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-282 a 30% success rate, from 63 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 19% to 30%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-282 in 2026?
995 applicants listed ELK-1-282 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 206 chose it first and 31 of those drew it, 15% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 255 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-282?
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