New Mexico Unit 15: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 15 covers 1,045,580 acres (1,634 square miles) of Southwest New Mexico; 77.6% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (599,048 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk, 4 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 2,233 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 15, which count public and private-land hunters, show 744 elk and 81 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 landUnit 15Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,045,580 acres (1,634 square miles) |
| Public land | 77.6% (810,996 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (1,820 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (365 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (48 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | Escudilla Bonita, Aragon, Apache Creek and Reserve |
How much public land is in Unit 15?
77.6% of Unit 15 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 810,996 of 1,045,580 acres. The largest share is national forest, 599,048 acres or 57.3% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 15 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 599,048 | 57.3% |
| BLM | 150,767 | 14.4% |
| State trust land | 61,181 | 5.9% |
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).
What can you hunt in Unit 15?
19 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 15. 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 | 1,820 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | 744 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 4 | 365 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | 81 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn | 5 | 48 | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | 43 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 58 to 99. Harvest: NMDOW elk harvest reports, NMDOW deer harvest reports and NMDOW pronghorn harvest reports; "with other units" means NMDGF prints this unit's total together with other units.
How do you get to Unit 15?
Highways through the unit: NM 12 (about 52 miles inside it), NM 32 (about 41 miles inside it), US 60 (about 23 miles inside it), US 180 (about 14 miles inside it) and NM 103 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Escudilla Bonita, Aragon, Apache Creek, Luna, Cruzville and Quemado. Nearby: Reserve (on the line).
Which units border Unit 15?
Unit 15 touches 6 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 12 | 2,590 | 38.8% | 10 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 13 | 4,450 | 41.6% | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Unit 16A | 644 | 97% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 16D | 471 | 88.3% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 16E | 959 | 62.7% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 23 | 2,928 | 63.1% | 8 | 19 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 15?
77.6% of Unit 15, 810,996 of its 1,045,580 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 national forest (599,048 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 15?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 10 elk, 4 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 15. 17 of them are drawn hunts with 2,233 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 15?
Escudilla Bonita, Aragon and Apache Creek are inside the unit. Just outside: Reserve (on the line).
Is Unit 15 in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 15 in the Primary Management Zone, where elk licenses are limited and private-land elk authorizations go to landowners in the Elk Private Lands Use System (EPLUS) (NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, page 71).
New Mexico hunting Southwest New Mexico Elk Deer Pronghorn Unit 12 Unit 13 Unit 16A Unit 16D Unit 16E Unit 23