ELK-1-409: elk hunt in Unit 38, Oct 17-21
ELK-1-409 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for an elk of either sex with any legal weapon in Unit 38, October 17 to 21, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87). In the 2026 draw, 17 applicants chose it first and 1 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 10 hunters reporting, an 11% success rate, 1 bull and 0 cows 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 landNational Park ServiceUnit 38Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 17 to 21 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 38 |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 17 (1 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 11% success, 1 bull, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.9% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-409?
17 applicants chose ELK-1-409 first in the 2026 draw and 1 drew it on that choice, 5.9% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 38 first-choice applicants and 2 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 | 14 | 91 | 63 | 1 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 3 | 9 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 17 | 100 | 80 | 1 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 36 | 78 | 68 | 2 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 2 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| All applicants | 38 | 80 | 81 | 2 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-409?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-409, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 11% (2025-26), from 10 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 | Oct 18-22 | 10 | 10 | 11% | 1 | 0 | 3.78 | 2.78 |
| 2024-25 | ES | Oct 12-16 | 10 | 10 | 50% | 4 | 1 | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| 2023-24 | ES | Oct 14-18 | 10 | 10 | 63% | 4 | 1 | 3.25 | 2.75 |
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-1-409 compare with the other Unit 38 elk hunts?
ELK-1-409 is one of 2 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 38 in 2026-27. Unit 38 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 31.9% public land (665,610 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-409 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for ELK-1-409 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-409?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-409 a 11% success rate, from 10 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 11% to 63%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-409 in 2026?
197 applicants listed ELK-1-409 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 17 chose it first and 1 of those drew it, 5.9% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 38 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-409?
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.