Pronghorn hunting in New Mexico Unit 38: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 pronghorn hunt codes in Unit 38, 6 of them drawn with 105 licenses, from August 15 to October 5, 2026 (page 102). In the 2026 draw, 1,175 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 105 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 279 licenses sold, 224 hunters reporting, a 60% success rate, 157 bucks and 1 doe taken on the Unit 38 hunts.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information. Draw: NMDOW's 2026 drawing report. Harvest: NMDGF reports to 2025-26.
National forestBLMState trust landNational Park ServiceUnit 38Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 38 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (6 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 105 |
| Season span | August 15 to October 5, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,175 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 158 (157 bucks, 1 doe) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 60% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 31.9% (665,610 acres) |
Which pronghorn hunts are in Unit 38 for 2026-27?
Every pronghorn hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 38, with the code's own 2025-26 result where NMDGF reported one under the same code and units.
| Hunt code | Weapon | Dates, 2026-27 | Bag limit | Licenses | Who may apply | 2025-26 result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANT-2-196 | bow | Aug 15-23 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 20 | Any applicant | 20 sold, 16% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-197 | any legal weapon | Aug 29-31 | Either sex (any one pronghorn) | 10 | youth only | 10 sold, 88% success, 8 bucks, 1 doe |
| ANT-1-198 | any legal weapon | Aug 29-31 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 15 | Any applicant | 15 sold, 91% success, 11 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-199 | any legal weapon | Sep 26-28 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 20 | Any applicant | 20 sold, 50% success, 9 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-200 | any legal weapon | Sep 26-28 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 10 | mobility impaired only | 10 sold, 80% success, 8 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-201 | any legal weapon | Oct 3-5 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 30 | Any applicant | 30 sold, 32% success, 9 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 102. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 pronghorn harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 38 pronghorn in 2026?
1,175 applicants put one of these 6 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 105 licenses; 57 of them drew on that first choice. The share is NMDOW's 2026 result, not a forecast for another year.
| Hunt code | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn on first choice | Share of first-choice applicants who drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANT-2-196 | 20 | 60 | 11 | 18.3% |
| ANT-1-197 | 10 | 108 | 3 | 2.8% |
| ANT-1-198 | 15 | 568 | 13 | 2.3% |
| ANT-1-199 | 20 | 201 | 9 | 4.5% |
| ANT-1-200 | 10 | 30 | 6 | 20% |
| ANT-1-201 | 30 | 208 | 15 | 7.2% |
Source: NMDOW 2026 big game drawing report. Applicants and licenses drawn on second and third choices are on each hunt code's page.
How many pronghorn are taken in Unit 38?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 38 pronghorn hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 279 licenses sold, 224 hunters reporting, a 60% success rate, 157 bucks and 1 doe taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 279 | 224 | 60% | 157 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 295 | 210 | 70% | 201 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 323 | 218 | 69% | 224 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | 310 | 195 | 69% | 221 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 303 | 221 | 83% | 251 | 7 |
| 2019-20 | 290 | 209 | 79% | 226 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | 113 | 60 | 88% | 100 | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 134 | 71 | 90% | 119 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | 121 | 62 | 82% | 100 | 0 |
Source: NMDOW pronghorn harvest reports, the printed area totals (public-land hunt codes and, where NMDGF counts them in the total, private-land licenses).
How much public land is in Unit 38?
31.9% of Unit 38 is public land, 665,610 of 2,084,552 acres, most of it state trust land (291,353 acres), measured from the BLM New Mexico surface management agency map (read 2026-10). The unit page has the map, highways, towns and neighbors: Unit 38.
Questions hunters ask
How many pronghorn licenses are there in Unit 38?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 pronghorn hunt codes for Unit 38 with 105 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 102).
What is the pronghorn success rate in Unit 38?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 60% success rate for the Unit 38 pronghorn hunts as a whole: 224 hunters reported and 158 pronghorn were taken. Across the 9 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 60% to 90%.
When is pronghorn season in Unit 38 in 2026?
The Unit 38 pronghorn hunts run from August 15, 2026 to October 5, 2026. Bow hunts start Aug 15 and any legal weapon hunts start Aug 29, Sep 26 and Oct 3 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 102).
Can nonresidents hunt pronghorn in Unit 38?
Yes, for 6 of the drawn codes. Statewide, at least 84% of draw licenses go to residents, 10% to applicants with a registered outfitter and 6% to nonresidents without one, and antlerless elk and WMA-only hunts are for residents (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 18).