Pronghorn hunting in New Mexico Unit 56: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 pronghorn hunt codes in Unit 56, 6 of them drawn with 164 licenses, from August 15 to October 5, 2026 (page 104). In the 2026 draw, 1,522 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 164 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 471 licenses sold, 339 hunters reporting, a 58% success rate, 248 bucks and 4 does taken on the Unit 56 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.
BLMState trust landUnit 56Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Unit | Unit 56 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (6 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 164 |
| Season span | August 15 to October 5, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 1,522 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 252 (248 bucks, 4 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 58% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 21.7% (247,202 acres) |
Which pronghorn hunts are in Unit 56 for 2026-27?
Every pronghorn hunt code NMDOW lists for Unit 56, 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-2-236 | bow | Aug 15-23 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 9% success, 3 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-237 | any legal weapon | Aug 29-31 | Either sex (any one pronghorn) | 40 | youth only | 40 sold, 63% success, 21 bucks, 2 does |
| ANT-1-238 | any legal weapon | Aug 29-31 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 4 | Any applicant | 4 sold, 50% success, 2 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-239 | any legal weapon | Sep 26-28 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 36 | Any applicant | 36 sold, 65% success, 21 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-240 | any legal weapon | Sep 26-28 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 4 | mobility impaired only | 4 sold, 0% success, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-241 | any legal weapon | Oct 3-5 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 40 | Any applicant | 40 sold, 42% success, 14 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 104. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 pronghorn harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Unit 56 pronghorn in 2026?
1,522 applicants put one of these 6 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 164 licenses; 105 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-2-236 | 40 | 76 | 18 | 23.7% |
| ANT-1-237 | 40 | 234 | 33 | 14.1% |
| ANT-1-238 | 4 | 459 | 4 | 0.9% |
| ANT-1-239 | 36 | 491 | 22 | 4.5% |
| ANT-1-240 | 4 | 14 | 2 | 14.3% |
| ANT-1-241 | 40 | 248 | 26 | 10.5% |
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 56?
NMDGF's totals for the Unit 56 pronghorn hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 471 licenses sold, 339 hunters reporting, a 58% success rate, 248 bucks and 4 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 471 | 339 | 58% | 248 | 4 |
| 2024-25 | 725 | 467 | 66% | 427 | 30 |
| 2023-24 | 735 | 447 | 73% | 567 | 36 |
| 2022-23 | 738 | 440 | 73% | 539 | 25 |
| 2020-21 | 825 | 534 | 81% | 616 | 60 |
| 2019-20 | 779 | 452 | 82% | 577 | 60 |
| 2018-19 | 547 | 294 | 83% | 406 | 37 |
| 2017-18 | 579 | 333 | 84% | 409 | 71 |
| 2016-17 | 614 | 328 | 86% | 416 | 109 |
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 56?
21.7% of Unit 56 is public land, 247,202 of 1,140,738 acres, most of it state trust land (246,651 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 56.
Questions hunters ask
How many pronghorn licenses are there in Unit 56?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 pronghorn hunt codes for Unit 56 with 164 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 104).
What is the pronghorn success rate in Unit 56?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 58% success rate for the Unit 56 pronghorn hunts as a whole: 339 hunters reported and 252 pronghorn were taken. Across the 9 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 58% to 86%.
When is pronghorn season in Unit 56 in 2026?
The Unit 56 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 104).
Can nonresidents hunt pronghorn in Unit 56?
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).