ELK-1-369: elk hunt in Unit 45, Oct 17-21
ELK-1-369 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 45, October 17 to 21, with 140 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87). In the 2026 draw, 499 applicants chose it first and 74 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 145 licenses sold, 119 hunters reporting, a 23% success rate, 28 bulls and 1 cow taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 45Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 17 to 21 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 45 |
| Licenses | 140 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 499 (74 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 23% success, 28 bulls, 1 cow |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 74.3% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-369?
499 applicants chose ELK-1-369 first in the 2026 draw and 74 drew it on that choice, 14.8% of them. 140 of the 140 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 423 first-choice applicants and 73 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 | 399 | 407 | 486 | 65 | 118 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 81 | 93 | 142 | 3 | 8 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 19 | 15 | 24 | 6 | 14 |
| All applicants | 499 | 515 | 652 | 74 | 140 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 343 | 373 | 437 | 69 | 118 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 70 | 46 | 71 | 2 | 8 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 10 | 18 | 49 | 2 | 14 |
| All applicants | 423 | 437 | 557 | 73 | 140 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-369?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-369, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 23% (2025-26), from 119 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 140 in 2023-24 to 145 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 18-22 | 145 | 119 | 23% | 28 | 1 | 3.89 | 3.17 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 12-16 | 140 | 122 | 30% | 39 | 0 | 3.89 | 3.29 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 140 | 117 | 16% | 19 | 0 | 3.73 | 3.01 |
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-1-369 compare with the other Unit 45 elk hunts?
ELK-1-369 is one of 6 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 45 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (499). Its 2025-26 success rate, 23%, was the 3rd highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 45 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 74.3% public land (725,646 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-369 have?
NMDOW lists 140 licenses for ELK-1-369 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 140 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-369?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-369 a 23% success rate, from 119 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 16% to 30%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-369 in 2026?
1,666 applicants listed ELK-1-369 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 499 chose it first and 74 of those drew it, 14.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 423 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-369?
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).