ELK-1-288: elk hunt in Unit 16C, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-288 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 16C, October 24 to 28, with 65 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81). In the 2026 draw, 165 applicants chose it first and 24 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 65 licenses sold, 54 hunters reporting, a 15% success rate, 8 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landUnit 16CNeighboring 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 16C |
| Licenses | 65 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 165 (24 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 15% success, 8 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 83.3% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-288?
165 applicants chose ELK-1-288 first in the 2026 draw and 24 drew it on that choice, 14.5% of them. 65 of the 65 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 135 first-choice applicants and 14 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 | 111 | 216 | 205 | 23 | 55 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 48 | 80 | 59 | 1 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 6 | 23 | 58 | 0 | 6 |
| All applicants | 165 | 319 | 322 | 24 | 65 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 85 | 244 | 207 | 12 | 55 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 32 | 61 | 67 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 18 | 53 | 65 | 2 | 6 |
| All applicants | 135 | 358 | 339 | 14 | 65 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-288?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-288, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 15% (2025-26), from 54 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 65 in 2023-24 to 65 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 | 65 | 54 | 15% | 8 | 0 | 4.31 | 2.83 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 65 | 57 | 25% | 15 | 0 | 3.98 | 2.98 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 65 | 53 | 28% | 16 | 0 | 4.3 | 3.15 |
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-1-288 compare with the other Unit 16C elk hunts?
ELK-1-288 is one of 9 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 16C in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (165). Its 2025-26 success rate, 15%, was the 6th highest of the 9 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 16C elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 83.3% public land (255,480 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-288 have?
NMDOW lists 65 licenses for ELK-1-288 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 65 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-288?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-288 a 15% success rate, from 54 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 15% to 28%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-288 in 2026?
806 applicants listed ELK-1-288 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 165 chose it first and 24 of those drew it, 14.5% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 135 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-288?
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).