ELK-3-368: elk hunt in Unit 45, Oct 10-14
ELK-3-368 is a 2026-27 New Mexico draw hunt for a mature bull elk with a muzzleloader in Unit 45, October 10 to 14, with 136 licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87). In the 2026 draw, 215 applicants chose it first and 64 of them drew it (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 136 licenses sold, 127 hunters reporting, a 22% success rate, 26 bulls and 0 cows taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunt: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 and 2025 drawing reports. Results: NMDGF harvest reports.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landState parkNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 45Neighboring 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 45 |
| Licenses | 136 (drawn) |
| NMDOW fee class | high-demand |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 | 215 (64 drew on first choice) |
| Result, 2025-26 | 22% success, 26 bulls, 0 cows |
| Public land in the hunt's units | 74.3% |
How many hunters applied for ELK-3-368?
215 applicants chose ELK-3-368 first in the 2026 draw and 64 drew it on that choice, 29.8% of them. 136 of the 136 licenses were drawn in all. In 2025: 189 first-choice applicants and 54 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 | 158 | 167 | 171 | 55 | 115 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 45 | 61 | 102 | 4 | 8 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 12 | 14 | 35 | 5 | 13 |
| All applicants | 215 | 242 | 308 | 64 | 136 |
| Pool, 2025 | First choice | Second choice | Third choice | Drawn on first choice | Drawn in all |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 134 | 166 | 189 | 51 | 115 |
| Nonresidents without an outfitter | 51 | 57 | 107 | 2 | 8 |
| Applicants with an outfitter | 4 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 13 |
| All applicants | 189 | 235 | 318 | 54 | 136 |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report and NMDOW 2025 big game drawing report.
How did hunters do on ELK-3-368?
NMDGF's results for ELK-3-368, season by season, for every season it reported this code in the same units. The newest success rate is 22% (2025-26), from 127 hunters reporting. Licenses sold went from 137 in 2023-24 to 136 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 | 136 | 127 | 22% | 26 | 0 | 3.66 | 2.97 |
| 2024-25 | MB | Oct 5-9 | 136 | 119 | 29% | 38 | 0 | 3.65 | 3.09 |
| 2023-24 | MB | Oct 7-11 | 137 | 122 | 21% | 26 | 0 | 4 | 2.95 |
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-3-368 compare with the other Unit 45 elk hunts?
ELK-3-368 is one of 6 elk hunt codes NMDOW lists for Unit 45 in 2026-27. In the 2026 draw it had the 3rd most first-choice applicants of the 6 drawn ones (215). Its 2025-26 success rate, 22%, was the 4th highest of the 6 codes NMDGF reported there that season. Unit 45 elk hunts has all of them side by side, with the area's harvest by season. The hunt's units are 74.3% public land (725,646 acres).
Questions hunters ask
How many licenses does ELK-3-368 have?
NMDOW lists 136 licenses for ELK-3-368 in 2026-27 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 87). NMDGF's 2024-25 report shows 136 sold.
What is the success rate for ELK-3-368?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives ELK-3-368 a 22% success rate, from 127 hunters reporting. Over the 3 seasons NMDGF reported it, the rate ran from 21% to 29%.
How many people applied for ELK-3-368 in 2026?
765 applicants listed ELK-3-368 as a first, second or third choice in the 2026 draw; 215 chose it first and 64 of those drew it, 29.8% of first-choice applicants (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025, 189 chose it first.
Can nonresidents apply for ELK-3-368?
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).