New Mexico Unit 16D: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 16D covers 301,342 acres (471 square miles) of Southwest New Mexico; 88.3% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (242,553 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk, 7 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 1,878 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 16D, which count public and private-land hunters, show 275 elk 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 16DNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 301,342 acres (471 square miles) |
| Public land | 88.3% (266,069 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 9 (380 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (1,430 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (68 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | Middle Frisco and Reserve |
How much public land is in Unit 16D?
88.3% of Unit 16D is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 266,069 of 301,342 acres. The largest share is national forest, 242,553 acres or 80.5% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 16D |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 242,553 | 80.5% |
| BLM | 15,165 | 5% |
| State trust land | 8,351 | 2.8% |
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 16D?
21 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 16D. 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 | 9 | 380 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | 275 (2025-26) |
| Deer (Units 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D and 16E) | 7 | 1,430 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | with other units |
| Pronghorn (Units 16A, 16B, 16C, 16D and 16E) | 5 | 68 | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | with other units |
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 16D?
Highways through the unit: NM 12 (about 6 miles inside it) and NM 435 (about 2 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Middle Frisco. Nearby: Reserve (on the line).
Which units border Unit 16D?
Unit 16D touches 4 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 15 | 1,634 | 77.6% | 10 | 4 | 5 |
| Unit 16A | 644 | 97% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 16C | 479 | 83.3% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 16E | 959 | 62.7% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 16D?
88.3% of Unit 16D, 266,069 of its 301,342 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 (242,553 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 16D?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 9 elk, 7 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 16D. 19 of them are drawn hunts with 1,878 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 16D?
Middle Frisco is inside the unit. Just outside: Reserve (on the line).
Is Unit 16D in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 16D 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 15 Unit 16A Unit 16C Unit 16E