ELK-3-266: elk hunt in Unit 15, Oct 10-14
ELK-3-266 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for an elk of either sex with a muzzleloader in Unit 15, October 10 to 14, with 25 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). In the 2026 draw, 363 applicants chose it first and 23 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 25 licenses sold, 24 hunters reporting, a 70% success rate, 16 bulls and 1 cow taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landUnit 15Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Species and bag | Elk: Either sex (any one elk, includes spike bull) |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Muzzleloader |
| Dates | October 10 to 14 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 15 |
| Licenses | 25 (drawn) |
| Who may apply | youth only |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 363 (23 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 70% success, 16 bulls, 1 cow |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 77.6% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-3-266?
363 applicants chose ELK-3-266 first in the 2026 draw and 23 drew it on that choice, 6.3% of them. 25 of the 25 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 395 first-choice applicants and 24 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 | 227 | 144 | 114 | 19 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 75 | 60 | 51 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 61 | 62 | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 363 | 266 | 182 | 23 | 25 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 245 | 163 | 102 | 20 | 21 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 77 | 70 | 62 | 2 | 2 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 73 | 85 | 35 | 2 | 2 |
| All applicants | 395 | 318 | 199 | 24 | 25 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-3-266?
NMDGF's results for ELK-3-266, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 70% (2025-26), from 24 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 25 in 2023-24 to 25 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 11-15 | 25 | 24 | 70% | 16 | 1 | 2.87 | 4.43 |
| 2024-25 | ES | Oct 5-9 | 25 | 25 | 46% | 11 | 0 | 3.13 | 3.96 |
| 2023-24 | ES | Oct 7-11 | 25 | 23 | 57% | 14 | 0 | 3 | 4.26 |
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-3-266 compare with the other Unit 15 elk hunts?
ELK-3-266 is one of 10 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 15 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 5th most first-choice applicants of the 8 drawn ones (363). Its 2025-26 success rate, 70%, was the highest of the 10 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 15 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 77.6% public land (810,996 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-3-266 have?
NMDOW lists 25 licenses for ELK-3-266 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 80). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 25 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-3-266?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-3-266 a 70% success rate, from 24 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 46% to 70%.
How many people applied for ELK-3-266 in 2026?
811 applicants listed ELK-3-266 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 363 chose it first and 23 of those drew it, 6.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 395 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-3-266?
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).