ELK-1-302: elk hunt in Unit 16E, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-302 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 16E, October 24 to 28, with 53 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81). In the 2026 draw, 307 applicants chose it first and 31 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 53 licenses sold, 46 hunters reporting, a 47% success rate, 21 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 16ENeighboring 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 16E |
| Licenses | 53 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 307 (31 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 47% success, 21 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 62.7% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-302?
307 applicants chose ELK-1-302 first in the 2026 draw and 31 drew it on that choice, 10.1% of them. 53 of the 53 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 258 first-choice applicants and 29 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 | 214 | 156 | 185 | 30 | 45 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 62 | 38 | 57 | 1 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 31 | 25 | 62 | 0 | 5 |
| All applicants | 307 | 219 | 304 | 31 | 53 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 203 | 177 | 163 | 27 | 45 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 28 | 43 | 57 | 0 | 3 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 27 | 30 | 64 | 2 | 5 |
| All applicants | 258 | 250 | 284 | 29 | 53 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-302?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-302, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 47% (2025-26), from 46 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 53 in 2023-24 to 53 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 | 53 | 46 | 47% | 21 | 0 | 3.39 | 3.55 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 53 | 52 | 20% | 9 | 0 | 4.24 | 3.02 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 53 | 51 | 28% | 14 | 0 | 3.26 | 3.26 |
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-1-302 compare with the other Unit 16E elk hunts?
ELK-1-302 is one of 9 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 16E in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (307). Its 2025-26 success rate, 47%, was the 2nd highest of the 9 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 16E elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 62.7% public land (385,211 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-302 have?
NMDOW lists 53 licenses for ELK-1-302 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 81). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 53 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-302?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-302 a 47% success rate, from 46 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 20% to 47%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-302 in 2026?
830 applicants listed ELK-1-302 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 307 chose it first and 31 of those drew it, 10.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 258 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-302?
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).