ELK-1-283: elk hunt in Units 16B and 22, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-283 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Units 16B and 22, October 24 to 28, with 120 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). In the 2026 draw, 195 applicants chose it first and 41 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 120 licenses sold, 105 hunters reporting, a 15% success rate, 16 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 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Units | Unit 16B, Unit 22 |
| Licenses | 120 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 195 (41 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 15% success, 16 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 90.6% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-283?
195 applicants chose ELK-1-283 first in the 2026 draw and 41 drew it on that choice, 21% of them. 120 of the 120 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 272 first-choice applicants and 43 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 | 127 | 187 | 278 | 38 | 101 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 57 | 77 | 117 | 1 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 11 | 39 | 47 | 2 | 12 |
| All applicants | 195 | 303 | 442 | 41 | 120 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 156 | 180 | 320 | 37 | 101 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 102 | 94 | 114 | 3 | 7 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 14 | 14 | 50 | 3 | 12 |
| All applicants | 272 | 288 | 484 | 43 | 120 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-283?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-283, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 15% (2025-26), from 105 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 120 in 2023-24 to 120 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 | 120 | 105 | 15% | 16 | 0 | 3.93 | 3.07 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 120 | 99 | 21% | 23 | 0 | 3.86 | 3.02 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 120 | 101 | 21% | 21 | 0 | 3.82 | 3.23 |
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-1-283 compare with the other Units 16B and 22 elk hunts?
ELK-1-283 is one of 5 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Units 16B and 22 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 5 drawn ones (195). Its 2025-26 success rate, 15%, was the 3rd 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-1-283 have?
NMDOW lists 120 licenses for ELK-1-283 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 120 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-283?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-283 a 15% success rate, from 105 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 15% to 21%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-283 in 2026?
940 applicants listed ELK-1-283 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 195 chose it first and 41 of those drew it, 21% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 272 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-283?
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