ELK-1-353: elk hunt in Unit 34, Dec 5-9
ELK-1-353 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for an antlerless elk with any legal weapon in Unit 34, December 5 to 9, with 350 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86). In the 2026 draw, 489 applicants chose it first and 116 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 350 licenses sold, 313 hunters reporting, a 35% success rate, 0 bulls and 112 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landState parkMilitary landTribal landUnit 34Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Antlerless elk |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 5 to 9 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 34 |
| Licenses | 350 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | residents only |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 489 (116 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 35% success, 0 bulls, 112 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 67.5% |
| Chronic wasting disease | NMDOW notes CWD has been detected in this area (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 28) |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-353?
489 applicants chose ELK-1-353 first in the 2026 draw and 116 drew it on that choice, 23.7% of them. 350 of the 350 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 403 first-choice applicants and 87 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 | 479 | 1,264 | 1,441 | 106 | 335 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 15 |
| All applicants | 489 | 1,272 | 1,450 | 116 | 350 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 400 | 1,170 | 1,568 | 84 | 338 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 4 | 17 | 3 | 12 |
| All applicants | 403 | 1,174 | 1,585 | 87 | 350 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-353?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-353, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 35% (2025-26), from 313 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 351 in 2023-24 to 350 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | A | Dec 6-10 | 350 | 313 | 35% | 0 | 112 | 3.21 | 3.4 |
| 2024-25 | A | Dec 7-11 | 351 | 319 | 40% | 1 | 124 | 3.22 | 3.79 |
| 2023-24 | A | Dec 2-6 | 351 | 308 | 37% | 5 | 105 | 3.25 | 3.65 |
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-1-353 compare with the other Unit 34 elk hunts?
ELK-1-353 is one of 14 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 34 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 7th most first-choice applicants of the 13 drawn ones (489). Its 2025-26 success rate, 35%, was the 13th highest of the 14 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 34 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 67.5% public land (732,620 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-353 have?
NMDOW lists 350 licenses for ELK-1-353 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 351 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-353?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-353 a 35% success rate, from 313 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 35% to 40%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-353 in 2026?
3,211 applicants listed ELK-1-353 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 489 chose it first and 116 of those drew it, 23.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 403 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-353?
No. ELK-1-353 is for New Mexico residents only (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86).