ELK-1-396: elk hunt in Unit 28 (McGregor Range only), Dec 12-16
ELK-1-396 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for an elk of either sex with any legal weapon in Unit 28, McGregor Range only, December 12 to 16, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 85). In the 2026 draw, 70 applicants chose it first and 9 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 9 hunters reporting, an 88% success rate, 6 bulls and 2 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 85. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landMilitary landUnit 28Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | December 12 to 16 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 28 |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | Military Only |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 70 (9 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 88% success, 6 bulls, 2 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 89.4% |
| Chronic wasting disease | NMDOW notes CWD has been detected in this area (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 28) |
NMDOW's note for ELK-1-396: All hunters and their guests must pay a $100 access fee.
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-396?
70 applicants chose ELK-1-396 first in the 2026 draw and 9 drew it on that choice, 12.9% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 75 first-choice applicants and 8 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 | 27 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 70 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 28 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 75 | 7 | 13 | 8 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-396?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-396, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 88% (2025-26), from 9 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 10 in 2023-24 to 10 in 2025-26.
| Season | Bag | Dates | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bulls | Cows | Days hunted, average | Hunter satisfaction, 1 to 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | ES | Dec 13-17 | 10 | 9 | 88% | 6 | 2 | 2.75 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | ES | Dec 14-18 | 10 | 8 | 43% | 4 | 0 | 3.71 | 3.29 |
| 2023-24 | ES | Dec 9-13 | 10 | 10 | 50% | 5 | 0 | 3.1 | 4.1 |
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-1-396 compare with the other Unit 28 elk hunts?
ELK-1-396 is one of 2 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 28 in 2026-27. Unit 28 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 89.4% public land (607,187 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-396 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for ELK-1-396 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 85). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-396?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-396 a 88% success rate, from 9 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 43% to 88%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-396 in 2026?
88 applicants listed ELK-1-396 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 70 chose it first and 9 of those drew it, 12.9% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 75 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-396?
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). NMDOW warns that with 10 licenses a nonresident is extremely unlikely to draw it.