ELK-1-316: elk hunt in Unit 21A, Oct 10-14
ELK-1-316 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 21A, October 10 to 14, with 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). In the 2026 draw, 273 applicants chose it first and 11 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 15 licenses sold, 13 hunters reporting, a 46% success rate, 7 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landUnit 21ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 10 to 14 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 21A |
| Licenses | 15 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 273 (11 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 46% success, 7 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 97.9% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-316?
273 applicants chose ELK-1-316 first in the 2026 draw and 11 drew it on that choice, 4% of them. 15 of the 15 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 315 first-choice applicants and 13 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 | 186 | 117 | 103 | 9 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 37 | 26 | 31 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 50 | 30 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 273 | 173 | 146 | 11 | 15 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 219 | 113 | 137 | 11 | 13 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 30 | 34 | 31 | 1 | 1 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 66 | 24 | 26 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 315 | 171 | 194 | 13 | 15 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-316?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-316, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 46% (2025-26), from 13 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 15 in 2023-24 to 15 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 11-15 | 15 | 13 | 46% | 7 | 0 | 2.92 | 4.31 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 5-9 | 15 | 12 | 10% | 1 | 0 | 3.8 | 3.1 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 7-11 | 15 | 15 | 43% | 6 | 0 | 3.36 | 3.86 |
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-1-316 compare with the other Unit 21A elk hunts?
ELK-1-316 is one of 7 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 21A in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (273). Its 2025-26 success rate, 46%, was the highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 21A elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 97.9% public land (292,681 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-316 have?
NMDOW lists 15 licenses for ELK-1-316 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 15 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-316?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-316 a 46% success rate, from 13 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 10% to 46%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-316 in 2026?
592 applicants listed ELK-1-316 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 273 chose it first and 11 of those drew it, 4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 315 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-316?
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).