ELK-1-381: elk hunt in Unit 49, Oct 10-14
ELK-1-381 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 49, October 10 to 14, with 77 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). In the 2026 draw, 717 applicants chose it first and 67 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 77 licenses sold, 65 hunters reporting, a 33% success rate, 23 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.
National forestBLMState trust landTribal landUnit 49Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 10 to 14 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 49 |
| Licenses | 77 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 717 (67 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 33% success, 23 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 79.9% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-381?
717 applicants chose ELK-1-381 first in the 2026 draw and 67 drew it on that choice, 9.3% of them. 77 of the 77 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 746 first-choice applicants and 70 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 | 585 | 335 | 370 | 58 | 65 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 74 | 62 | 78 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 58 | 38 | 22 | 7 | 8 |
| All applicants | 717 | 435 | 470 | 67 | 77 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 616 | 331 | 379 | 60 | 65 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 69 | 64 | 84 | 4 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 61 | 70 | 29 | 6 | 8 |
| All applicants | 746 | 465 | 492 | 70 | 77 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-381?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-381, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 33% (2025-26), from 65 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 77 in 2023-24 to 77 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 11-15 | 77 | 65 | 33% | 23 | 0 | 3.67 | 3.46 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 5-9 | 77 | 71 | 37% | 27 | 0 | 3.24 | 3.78 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 7-11 | 77 | 62 | 37% | 26 | 0 | 3.56 | 3.81 |
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-1-381 compare with the other Unit 49 elk hunts?
ELK-1-381 is one of 7 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 49 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (717). Its 2025-26 success rate, 33%, was the 2nd highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 49 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 79.9% public land (217,129 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-381 have?
NMDOW lists 77 licenses for ELK-1-381 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 88). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 77 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-381?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-381 a 33% success rate, from 65 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 33% to 37%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-381 in 2026?
1,622 applicants listed ELK-1-381 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 717 chose it first and 67 of those drew it, 9.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 746 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-381?
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).