ELK-3-309: elk hunt in Unit 17, Oct 24-28
ELK-3-309 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with a muzzleloader in Unit 17, October 24 to 28, with 100 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 84). In the 2026 draw, 99 applicants chose it first and 27 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 100 licenses sold, 97 hunters reporting, a 22% success rate, 21 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 24 to 28 (2026-27) |
| Unit | Unit 17 |
| Licenses | 100 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 99 (27 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 22% success, 21 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 73.8% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-3-309?
99 applicants chose ELK-3-309 first in the 2026 draw and 27 drew it on that choice, 27.3% of them. 100 of the 100 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 106 first-choice applicants and 35 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 | 64 | 134 | 129 | 24 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 27 | 48 | 55 | 2 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 8 | 41 | 92 | 1 | 10 |
| All applicants | 99 | 223 | 276 | 27 | 100 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 49 | 140 | 134 | 32 | 84 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 33 | 43 | 83 | 0 | 6 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 24 | 31 | 102 | 3 | 10 |
| All applicants | 106 | 214 | 319 | 35 | 100 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-3-309?
NMDGF's results for ELK-3-309, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 22% (2025-26), from 97 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 25-29 | 100 | 97 | 22% | 21 | 0 | 4 | 3.48 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 100 | 93 | 14% | 13 | 0 | 4.27 | 3.06 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 21-25 | 101 | 92 | 19% | 18 | 0 | 4.05 | 3.28 |
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-3-309 compare with the other Unit 17 elk hunts?
ELK-3-309 is one of 11 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 17 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 6th most first-choice applicants of the 9 drawn ones (99). Its 2025-26 success rate, 22%, was the 5th 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-3-309 have?
NMDOW lists 100 licenses for ELK-3-309 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-3-309?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-3-309 a 22% success rate, from 97 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 14% to 22%.
How many people applied for ELK-3-309 in 2026?
598 applicants listed ELK-3-309 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 99 chose it first and 27 of those drew it, 27.3% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 106 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-3-309?
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).