ELK-1-376: elk hunt in Unit 48, Oct 24-28
ELK-1-376 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 48, October 24 to 28, with 64 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). In the 2026 draw, 83 applicants chose it first and 25 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 64 licenses sold, 50 hunters reporting, a 28% success rate, 15 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
BLMState trust landWildlife Commission landUnit 48Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 48 |
| Licenses | 64 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 83 (25 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 28% success, 15 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 29.1% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-376?
83 applicants chose ELK-1-376 first in the 2026 draw and 25 drew it on that choice, 30.1% of them. 64 of the 64 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 73 first-choice applicants and 25 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 | 50 | 128 | 119 | 19 | 54 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 10 | 31 | 35 | 0 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 23 | 1 | 14 | 6 | 6 |
| All applicants | 83 | 160 | 168 | 25 | 64 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 39 | 128 | 91 | 18 | 54 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 22 | 40 | 28 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 12 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| All applicants | 73 | 172 | 124 | 25 | 64 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-376?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-376, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 28% (2025-26), from 50 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 66 in 2023-24 to 64 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 25-29 | 64 | 50 | 28% | 15 | 0 | 3.95 | 3.14 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 19-23 | 65 | 55 | 31% | 19 | 0 | 4.04 | 3.49 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 66 | 58 | 21% | 14 | 0 | 3.69 | 3.24 |
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-1-376 compare with the other Unit 48 elk hunts?
ELK-1-376 is one of 7 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 48 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 7 drawn ones (83). Its 2025-26 success rate, 28%, was the 3rd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 48 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 29.1% public land (70,473 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-376 have?
NMDOW lists 64 licenses for ELK-1-376 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 65 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-376?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-376 a 28% success rate, from 50 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 21% to 31%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-376 in 2026?
411 applicants listed ELK-1-376 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 83 chose it first and 25 of those drew it, 30.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 73 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-376?
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).