ELK-3-159: elk hunt in Unit 10, Oct 10-14
ELK-3-159 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with a muzzleloader in Unit 10, October 10 to 14, with 70 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). In the 2026 draw, 276 applicants chose it first and 46 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 70 licenses sold, 63 hunters reporting, a 27% success rate, 18 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landUnit 10Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 10 to 14 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 10 |
| Licenses | 70 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 276 (46 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 27% success, 18 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 31.2% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-3-159?
276 applicants chose ELK-3-159 first in the 2026 draw and 46 drew it on that choice, 16.7% of them. 70 of the 70 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 210 first-choice applicants and 48 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 | 187 | 146 | 167 | 39 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 53 | 29 | 46 | 3 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 36 | 40 | 46 | 4 | 7 |
| All applicants | 276 | 215 | 259 | 46 | 70 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 157 | 170 | 172 | 44 | 59 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 30 | 25 | 41 | 2 | 4 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 23 | 19 | 32 | 2 | 7 |
| All applicants | 210 | 214 | 245 | 48 | 70 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-3-159?
NMDGF's results for ELK-3-159, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 27% (2025-26), from 63 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 70 in 2023-24 to 70 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 | 70 | 63 | 27% | 18 | 0 | 4.02 | 3.46 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 5-9 | 70 | 60 | 11% | 7 | 0 | 4.15 | 3.8 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 7-11 | 70 | 63 | 15% | 9 | 0 | 3.96 | 3.3 |
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-3-159 compare with the other Unit 10 elk hunts?
ELK-3-159 is one of 7 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 10 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (276). Its 2025-26 success rate, 27%, was the 4th highest of the 7 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 10 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 31.2% public land (447,239 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-3-159 have?
NMDOW lists 70 licenses for ELK-3-159 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 70 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-3-159?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-3-159 a 27% success rate, from 63 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 11% to 27%.
How many people applied for ELK-3-159 in 2026?
750 applicants listed ELK-3-159 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 276 chose it first and 46 of those drew it, 16.7% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 210 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-3-159?
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).