New Mexico Unit 26: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 26 covers 1,474,329 acres (2,304 square miles) of Southwest New Mexico; 51.5% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (512,955 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 382 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 26, which count public and private-land hunters, show 59 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.
BLMState trust landMilitary landUnit 26Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,474,329 acres (2,304 square miles) |
| Public land | 51.5% (759,055 acres) |
| Military land | 35,826 acres (2.4%), closed except NMDOW's listed hunts |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (325 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (33 draw licenses) |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Towns in and near it | Playas, Windmill, Hachita and Lordsburg |
How much public land is in Unit 26?
51.5% of Unit 26 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 759,055 of 1,474,329 acres. The largest share is BLM, 512,955 acres or 34.8% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 26 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 512,955 | 34.8% |
| State trust land | 246,100 | 16.7% |
| Military land | 35,826 | 2.4% |
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 26?
12 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 26. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | 6 | 325 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | 59 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn (Units 25, 26 and 27) | 5 | 33 | Aug 15 to Sep 28 | with other units |
| 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 61 to 108. Harvest: 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 26?
Highways through the unit: NM 81 (about 45 miles inside it), I-10 (about 45 miles inside it), NM 338 (about 42 miles inside it), US 70 (about 33 miles inside it) and NM 9 (about 31 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Playas, Windmill and Hachita. Nearby: Lordsburg (on the line).
Which units border Unit 26?
Unit 26 touches 3 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 23 | 2,928 | 63.1% | 8 | 19 | 5 |
| Unit 25 | 3,181 | 70.6% | 5 | 5 | |
| Unit 27 | 1,036 | 67.5% | 11 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 26?
51.5% of Unit 26, 759,055 of its 1,474,329 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 (512,955 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 26?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 6 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 26. 12 of them are drawn hunts with 382 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 26?
Playas, Windmill and Hachita are inside the unit. Just outside: Lordsburg (on the line).
New Mexico hunting Southwest New Mexico Deer Pronghorn Bighorn Sheep Unit 23 Unit 25 Unit 27