ELK-1-416: elk hunt in Unit 56, Oct 1-5
ELK-1-416 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with any legal weapon in Unit 56, October 1 to 5, with 10 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 91). In the 2026 draw, 134 applicants chose it first and 9 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 10 licenses sold, 10 hunters reporting, a 67% success rate, 6 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 91. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
BLMState trust landUnit 56Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Any legal weapon |
| Dates | October 1 to 5 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 56 |
| Licenses | 10 (drawn) |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 134 (9 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 67% success, 6 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 21.7% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-1-416?
134 applicants chose ELK-1-416 first in the 2026 draw and 9 drew it on that choice, 6.7% of them. 10 of the 10 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 124 first-choice applicants and 6 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 | 111 | 60 | 69 | 8 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 18 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 134 | 67 | 78 | 9 | 10 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 108 | 71 | 61 | 5 | 9 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| All applicants | 124 | 74 | 64 | 6 | 10 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-1-416?
NMDGF's results for ELK-1-416, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 67% (2025-26), from 10 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 11 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 | MB | Oct 1-5 | 10 | 10 | 67% | 6 | 0 | 2.33 | 3.56 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 1-5 | 10 | 10 | 80% | 8 | 0 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 1-5 | 11 | 11 | 80% | 8 | 0 | 2.4 | 3.6 |
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-1-416 compare with the other Unit 56 elk hunts?
ELK-1-416 is one of 4 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 56 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the most first-choice applicants of the 4 drawn ones (134). Its 2025-26 success rate, 67%, was the highest of the 4 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 56 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 21.7% public land (247,202 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-1-416 have?
NMDOW lists 10 licenses for ELK-1-416 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 91). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 10 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-1-416?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-1-416 a 67% success rate, from 10 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 67% to 80%.
How many people applied for ELK-1-416 in 2026?
279 applicants listed ELK-1-416 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 134 chose it first and 9 of those drew it, 6.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 124 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-1-416?
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.