New Mexico Unit 16E: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 16E covers 613,965 acres (959 square miles) of Southwest New Mexico; 62.7% of it is public land, the largest share state trust land (231,374 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 1,946 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 16E, which count public and private-land hunters, show 244 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 16ENeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 613,965 acres (959 square miles) |
| Public land | 62.7% (385,211 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 9 (448 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 | Datil and Magdalena |
How much public land is in Unit 16E?
62.7% of Unit 16E is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 385,211 of 613,965 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 231,374 acres or 37.7% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 16E |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 231,374 | 37.7% |
| BLM | 150,029 | 24.4% |
| National forest | 3,808 | 0.6% |
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).
Open Gate properties in Unit 16E: Luera Road (improved access to state trust lands). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 16E?
21 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 16E. 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 | 448 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | 244 (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 16E?
Highways through the unit: US 60 (about 14 miles inside it), NM 12 (about 8 miles inside it) and NM 52 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Datil. Nearby: Magdalena (20 miles).
Which units border Unit 16E?
Unit 16E touches 7 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 13 | 4,450 | 41.6% | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| 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 16D | 471 | 88.3% | 9 | 7 | 5 |
| Unit 17 | 1,648 | 73.8% | 11 | 6 | 6 |
| Unit 21B | 2,550 | 62% | 10 | 7 | 6 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 16E?
62.7% of Unit 16E, 385,211 of its 613,965 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 state trust land (231,374 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 16E?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 9 elk, 7 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 16E. 19 of them are drawn hunts with 1,946 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 16E?
Datil is inside the unit. Just outside: Magdalena (20 miles).
Is Unit 16E in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 16E 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).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 16E?
Open Gate: Luera Road (improved access to state trust lands). 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 Unit 13 Unit 15 Unit 16A Unit 16C Unit 16D Unit 17 Unit 21B