Pronghorn hunting in New Mexico Units 8 and 43: hunts, draw and harvest
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 2 pronghorn hunt codes in Units 8 and 43, 2 of them drawn with 15 licenses, from August 15 to August 31, 2026 (page 103). In the 2026 draw, 190 applicants chose one of these hunts first, for 15 licenses (NMDOW 2026 drawing report). In 2025-26, NMDGF reports 61 licenses sold, 51 hunters reporting, a 55% success rate, 31 bucks and 0 does taken on the Units 8 and 43 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 landState parkNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landUnits 8 and 43Unit linesLake or riverHighway
| Units | Unit 8, Unit 43 |
|---|---|
| Hunt codes, 2026-27 | 2 (2 drawn) |
| Draw licenses | 15 |
| Season span | August 15 to August 31, 2026 |
| First-choice applicants, 2026 draw | 190 |
| NMDGF harvest, 2025-26 | 31 (31 bucks, 0 does) |
| Success rate, 2025-26 | 55% (NMDGF) |
| Public land | 23% (415,396 acres) |
Which pronghorn hunts are in Units 8 and 43 for 2026-27?
Every pronghorn hunt code NMDOW lists for Units 8 and 43, 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-2-223 | bow | Aug 15-23 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 5 | Any applicant | 5 sold, 0% success, 0 bucks, 0 does |
| ANT-1-224 | any legal weapon | Aug 29-31 | A pronghorn with at least one horn longer than its ears | 10 | Any applicant | 10 sold, 40% success, 4 bucks, 0 does |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 103. Results: NMDGF 2025-26 pronghorn harvest report. Success rate is NMDGF's own figure.
How many hunters applied for Units 8 and 43 pronghorn in 2026?
190 applicants put one of these 2 drawn hunts as their first choice in the 2026 draw, for 15 licenses; 7 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-2-223 | 5 | 20 | 1 | 5% |
| ANT-1-224 | 10 | 170 | 6 | 3.5% |
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 Units 8 and 43?
NMDGF's totals for the Units 8 and 43 pronghorn hunts, season by season. The newest, 2025-26: 61 licenses sold, 51 hunters reporting, a 55% success rate, 31 bucks and 0 does taken.
| Season | Licenses sold | Hunters reporting | Success rate | Bucks | Does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 61 | 51 | 55% | 31 | 0 |
| 2024-25 | 59 | 40 | 72% | 37 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 53 | 40 | 72% | 28 | 0 |
| 2022-23 | 47 | 36 | 72% | 36 | 0 |
| 2020-21 | 52 | 33 | 66% | 29 | 0 |
| 2019-20 | 47 | 33 | 78% | 37 | 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 Units 8 and 43?
23% of Units 8 and 43 is public land, 415,396 of 1,808,275 acres, most of it state trust land (213,361 acres), measured from the BLM New Mexico surface management agency map (read 2026-10). By unit: Unit 8 16.1% and Unit 43 26.3%.
Questions hunters ask
How many pronghorn licenses are there in Units 8 and 43?
NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 2 pronghorn hunt codes for Units 8 and 43 with 15 draw licenses (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 103).
What is the pronghorn success rate in Units 8 and 43?
NMDGF's 2025-26 harvest report gives a 55% success rate for the Units 8 and 43 pronghorn hunts as a whole: 51 hunters reported and 31 pronghorn were taken. Across the 6 seasons NMDGF reported for this area, the rate ran from 55% to 78%.
When is pronghorn season in Units 8 and 43 in 2026?
The Units 8 and 43 pronghorn hunts run from August 15, 2026 to August 31, 2026. Bow hunts start Aug 15 and any legal weapon hunts start Aug 29 (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 103).
Can nonresidents hunt pronghorn in Units 8 and 43?
Yes, for 2 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).