ELK-1-295: elk hunt in Unit 16D, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-295 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 16D, October 24 to 28, with 50 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81). In the 2026 draw, 335 applicants chose it first and 17 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 50 licenses sold, 43 hunters reporting, a 67% success rate, 30 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 16DNeighboring 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 16D |
| Licenses | 50 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 335 (17 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 67% success, 30 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 88.3% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-295?
335 applicants chose ELK-1-295 first in the 2026 draw and 17 drew it on that choice, 5.1% of them. 50 of the 50 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 400 first-choice applicants and 31 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 | 189 | 477 | 289 | 15 | 42 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 87 | 156 | 128 | 1 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 59 | 139 | 113 | 1 | 5 |
| All applicants | 335 | 772 | 530 | 17 | 50 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 174 | 488 | 289 | 25 | 42 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 104 | 156 | 93 | 3 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 122 | 208 | 146 | 3 | 5 |
| All applicants | 400 | 852 | 528 | 31 | 50 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-295?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-295, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 67% (2025-26), from 43 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 50 in 2023-24 to 50 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 | 50 | 43 | 67% | 30 | 0 | 3.33 | 4.18 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 50 | 46 | 35% | 16 | 0 | 3.74 | 3.47 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 50 | 49 | 36% | 17 | 0 | 3.7 | 4.02 |
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-1-295 compare with the other Unit 16D elk hunts?
ELK-1-295 is one of 9 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 16D in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 4th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (335). Its 2025-26 success rate, 67%, was the 2nd highest of the 9 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 16D elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 88.3% public land (266,069 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-295 have?
NMDOW lists 50 licenses for ELK-1-295 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 50 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-295?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-295 a 67% success rate, from 43 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 35% to 67%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-295 in 2026?
1,637 applicants listed ELK-1-295 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 335 chose it first and 17 of those drew it, 5.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 400 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-295?
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).