New Mexico Unit 13: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 13 covers 2,847,763 acres (4,450 square miles) of Southwest New Mexico; 41.6% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (540,141 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk, 6 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 1,762 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 13, which count public and private-land hunters, show 403 elk and 140 deer taken.
Data updated October 2026. Hunts: NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information. Harvest: NMDGF reports to 2025-26. Land: BLM New Mexico, 2026-10.
National forestBLMState trust landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeNational Park ServiceTribal landUnit 13Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 2,847,763 acres (4,450 square miles) |
| Public land | 41.6% (1,185,020 acres) |
| Tribal land | 706,185 acres (24.8%); a state license does not cover it |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (951 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (750 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (37 draw licenses) |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Commission land | La Joya WMA (27 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Los Lunas, Belen, Socorro, Magdalena, Grants and Milan |
How much public land is in Unit 13?
41.6% of Unit 13 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,185,020 of 2,847,763 acres. The largest share is BLM, 540,141 acres or 19% of the unit. 706,185 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 13 |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal land | 706,185 | 24.8% |
| BLM | 540,141 | 19% |
| National forest | 309,002 | 10.9% |
| State trust land | 248,572 | 8.7% |
| National Park Service | 108,513 | 3.8% |
| National wildlife refuge | 87,278 | 3.1% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 27 | under 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside NMDOW's unit boundary from the BLM New Mexico surface management agency map (read 2026-10). Land not listed is private or unmapped. Many state trust land sections touch no public road. NMDOW requires a Habitat Stamp on national forest and BLM land (2026-27 booklet, page 14). National Park Service land is not counted as public here: it is closed to hunting.
State Wildlife Commission land in Unit 13: La Joya WMA (27 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 13?
22 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 13. Some cover neighboring units too; each species page lists them all with their recent results.
| Species | Hunt codes | Draw licenses | Season span, 2026-27 | Harvest, newest NMDGF unit total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | 10 | 951 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | 403 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 6 | 750 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | 140 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn | 5 | 37 | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | 18 (2025-26) |
| Bighorn Sheep | 1 | 24 | Sep 11 to Jan 3 | with other units |
Hunt codes valid here that are on no species area page: BHS-1-204 (bighorn sheep, Units 13, 17, 19, 20, 26 and 27).
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 57 to 108. Harvest: NMDOW elk harvest reports, NMDOW deer harvest reports, NMDOW pronghorn harvest reports and NMDOW bighorn sheep harvest reports; "with other units" means NMDGF prints this unit's total together with other units.
How do you get to Unit 13?
Highways through the unit: I-40 (about 60 miles inside it), US 60 (about 39 miles inside it), NM 169 (about 36 miles inside it), NM 117 (about 32 miles inside it) and I-25 (about 16 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Los Lunas, Belen, Socorro, Alamo, Skyline-Ganipa and Mesita. Nearby: Magdalena (on the line), Grants (on the line), Milan (3 miles) and Rio Communities (4 miles).
Which units border Unit 13?
Unit 13 touches 8 other units. Their size, public land and 2026-27 hunt codes, for comparison:
| Unit | Square miles | Public land | Elk codes | Deer codes | Pronghorn codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 9 | 3,328 | 26.7% | 11 | 6 | 3 |
| Unit 10 | 2,242 | 31.2% | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Unit 12 | 2,590 | 38.8% | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 14 | 1,656 | 17% | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Unit 15 | 1,634 | 77.6% | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Unit 16E | 959 | 62.7% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 17 | 1,648 | 73.8% | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Unit 18 | 2,445 | 65.9% | 3 | 5 | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 13?
41.6% of Unit 13, 1,185,020 of its 2,847,763 acres, is national forest, BLM, state trust, Commission, refuge or Reclamation land, measured by FilledTag from the BLM's New Mexico land status map. The largest share is BLM (540,141 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 13?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 10 elk, 6 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 13. 20 of them are drawn hunts with 1,762 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 13?
Los Lunas, Belen and Socorro are inside the unit. Just outside: Magdalena (on the line), Grants (on the line) and Milan (3 miles).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 13?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows La Joya (27 acres here) in Unit 13. Commission lands are closed to hunting unless NMDOW's booklet lists them as open (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 49).
New Mexico hunting Southwest New Mexico Elk Deer Pronghorn Bighorn Sheep Unit 9 Unit 10 Unit 12 Unit 14 Unit 15 Unit 16E Unit 17 Unit 18