ELK-1-323: elk hunt in Unit 21B, Oct 1-5
ELK-1-323 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 21B, October 1 to 5, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). In the 2026 draw, 118 applicants chose it first and 8 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 10 hunters reporting, an 80% success rate, 8 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 landBureau of ReclamationState parkTribal landUnit 21BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 1 to 5 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 21B |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 118 (8 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 80% success, 8 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 62% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-323?
118 applicants chose ELK-1-323 first in the 2026 draw and 8 drew it on that choice, 6.8% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 95 first-choice applicants and 6 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 | 95 | 45 | 70 | 7 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 23 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 118 | 46 | 102 | 8 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 71 | 47 | 45 | 5 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 21 | 0 | 44 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 95 | 49 | 90 | 6 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-323?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-323, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 80% (2025-26), from 10 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 10 in 2023-24 to 10 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 1-5 | 10 | 10 | 80% | 8 | 0 | 2.8 | 3.7 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 1-5 | 10 | 10 | 60% | 6 | 0 | 3.1 | 3.6 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 1-5 | 10 | 10 | 44% | 4 | 0 | 2.33 | 3.67 |
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-1-323 compare with the other Unit 21B elk hunts?
ELK-1-323 is one of 10 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 21B in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 10 drawn ones (118). Its 2025-26 success rate, 80%, was the highest of the 10 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 21B elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 62% public land (1,011,352 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-323 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for ELK-1-323 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-323?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-323 a 80% success rate, from 10 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 44% to 80%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-323 in 2026?
266 applicants listed ELK-1-323 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 118 chose it first and 8 of those drew it, 6.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 95 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-323?
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). NMDOW warns that with 10 licenses a nonresident is extremely unlikely to draw it.