ELK-3-308: elk hunt in Unit 17, Oct 17-21
ELK-3-308 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with a muzzleloader in Unit 17, October 17 to 21, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). In the 2026 draw, 333 applicants chose it first and 48 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 89 hunters reporting, a 29% success rate, 27 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeUnit 17Neighboring 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 17 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | quality, high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 333 (48 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 29% success, 27 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 73.8% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-3-308?
333 applicants chose ELK-3-308 first in the 2026 draw and 48 drew it on that choice, 14.4% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 318 first-choice applicants and 56 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 | 191 | 239 | 243 | 42 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 87 | 118 | 97 | 3 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 55 | 100 | 81 | 3 | 10 |
| All applicants | 333 | 457 | 421 | 48 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 199 | 233 | 242 | 50 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 79 | 115 | 119 | 2 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 40 | 82 | 46 | 4 | 10 |
| All applicants | 318 | 430 | 407 | 56 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-3-308?
NMDGF's results for ELK-3-308, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 29% (2025-26), from 89 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 101 in 2023-24 to 100 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 | 100 | 89 | 29% | 27 | 0 | 3.82 | 3.41 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 100 | 92 | 24% | 21 | 0 | 3.76 | 3.2 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 14-18 | 101 | 95 | 16% | 15 | 0 | 3.9 | 3.16 |
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-3-308 compare with the other Unit 17 elk hunts?
ELK-3-308 is one of 11 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 17 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 2nd most first-choice applicants of the 9 drawn ones (333). Its 2025-26 success rate, 29%, was the 3rd highest of the 11 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 17 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 73.8% public land (778,238 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-3-308 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for ELK-3-308 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 100 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-3-308?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-3-308 a 29% success rate, from 89 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 16% to 29%.
How many people applied for ELK-3-308 in 2026?
1,211 applicants listed ELK-3-308 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 333 chose it first and 48 of those drew it, 14.4% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 318 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-3-308?
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).