ELK-1-363: elk hunt in Unit 36, Dec 5-9
ELK-1-363 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for an antlerless elk with any legal weapon in Unit 36, December 5 to 9, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86). In the 2026 draw, 267 applicants chose it first and 48 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 101 licenses sold, 93 hunters reporting, a 51% success rate, 0 bulls and 46 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 landMilitary landTribal landUnit 36Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Antlerless elk |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 5 to 9 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 36 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | residents only |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 267 (48 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 51% success, 0 bulls, 46 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 53.1% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-363?
267 applicants chose ELK-1-363 first in the 2026 draw and 48 drew it on that choice, 18% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 226 first-choice applicants and 45 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 | 265 | 313 | 564 | 46 | 90 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 10 |
| All applicants | 267 | 318 | 570 | 48 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 223 | 268 | 537 | 42 | 93 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 7 |
| All applicants | 226 | 269 | 542 | 45 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-363?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-363, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 51% (2025-26), from 93 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 100 in 2023-24 to 101 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 | 101 | 93 | 51% | 0 | 46 | 3.27 | 3.84 |
| 2024-25 | A | Dec 7-11 | 101 | 94 | 45% | 1 | 39 | 3.01 | 3.64 |
| 2023-24 | A | Dec 2-6 | 100 | 82 | 52% | 1 | 45 | 3.01 | 3.68 |
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-1-363 compare with the other Unit 36 elk hunts?
ELK-1-363 is one of 10 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 36 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 8 drawn ones (267). Its 2025-26 success rate, 51%, was the 7th highest of the 10 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 36 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 53.1% public land (337,435 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-363 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for ELK-1-363 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 101 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-363?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-363 a 51% success rate, from 93 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 45% to 52%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-363 in 2026?
1,155 applicants listed ELK-1-363 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 267 chose it first and 48 of those drew it, 18% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 226 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-363?
No. ELK-1-363 is for New Mexico residents only (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 86).