ELK-3-259: elk hunt in Unit 13, Oct 17-21
ELK-3-259 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with a muzzleloader in Unit 13, October 17 to 21, with 86 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). In the 2026 draw, 556 applicants chose it first and 73 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 86 licenses sold, 75 hunters reporting, a 31% success rate, 23 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 landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 13Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Mature bull. A spike bull is not legal |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 17 to 21 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 13 |
| Licenses | 86 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality, high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 556 (73 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 31% success, 23 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 41.6% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-3-259?
556 applicants chose ELK-3-259 first in the 2026 draw and 73 drew it on that choice, 13.1% of them. 86 of the 86 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 543 first-choice applicants and 65 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 | 332 | 290 | 266 | 65 | 73 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 105 | 81 | 104 | 2 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 119 | 76 | 61 | 6 | 8 |
| All applicants | 556 | 447 | 431 | 73 | 86 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 333 | 232 | 282 | 53 | 73 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 111 | 83 | 112 | 4 | 5 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 99 | 81 | 62 | 8 | 8 |
| All applicants | 543 | 396 | 456 | 65 | 86 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-3-259?
NMDGF's results for ELK-3-259, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 31% (2025-26), from 75 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 87 in 2023-24 to 86 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 18-22 | 86 | 75 | 31% | 23 | 0 | 4.06 | 3.66 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 12-16 | 86 | 74 | 17% | 14 | 0 | 4.23 | 3.23 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 87 | 71 | 19% | 16 | 0 | 4.15 | 3.46 |
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-3-259 compare with the other Unit 13 elk hunts?
ELK-3-259 is one of 10 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 13 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 8 drawn ones (556). Its 2025-26 success rate, 31%, was the 4th highest of the 10 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 13 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 41.6% public land (1,185,020 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-3-259 have?
NMDOW lists 86 licenses for ELK-3-259 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 79). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 86 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-3-259?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-3-259 a 31% success rate, from 75 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 17% to 31%.
How many people applied for ELK-3-259 in 2026?
1,434 applicants listed ELK-3-259 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 556 chose it first and 73 of those drew it, 13.1% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 543 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-3-259?
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).