New Mexico Unit 2B: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 2B covers 477,556 acres (746 square miles) of Northwest New Mexico; 84.8% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (209,807 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 elk, 11 deer and 3 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 2,273 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 2B, which count public and private-land hunters, show 806 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 landBureau of ReclamationTribal landUnit 2BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 477,556 acres (746 square miles) |
| Public land | 84.8% (405,107 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (660 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 11 (1,595 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (18 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Commission land | Navajo Axtell WMA (6,663 acres) and Hammond Tract WMA (39 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Middle Mesa, Turley, Bloomfield, Aztec and Farmington |
How much public land is in Unit 2B?
84.8% of Unit 2B is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 405,107 of 477,556 acres. The largest share is BLM, 209,807 acres or 43.9% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 2B |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 209,807 | 43.9% |
| National forest | 139,803 | 29.3% |
| State trust land | 26,556 | 5.6% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 24,799 | 5.2% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 4,142 | 0.9% |
| Tribal land | 2 | 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).
State Wildlife Commission land in Unit 2B: Navajo Axtell WMA (6,663 acres) and Hammond Tract WMA (39 acres).
Open Gate properties in Unit 2B: La Fragua Re-route (improved access to federal lands). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 2B?
20 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 2B. 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 (Units 2A, 2B and 2C) | 6 | 660 | Sep 1 to Dec 16 | with other units |
| Deer | 11 | 1,595 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | 806 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn (Units 2A, 2B, 2C, 7, 9 and 10) | 3 | 18 | Aug 15 to Aug 31 | with other units |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 55, 75 and 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 2B?
Highways through the unit: US 64 (about 40 miles inside it), NM 527 (about 17 miles inside it), NM 511 (about 14 miles inside it) and NM 539 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Middle Mesa and Turley. Nearby: Bloomfield (8 miles), Aztec (10 miles) and Farmington (20 miles).
Which units border Unit 2B?
Unit 2B 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 2A | 783 | 65.9% | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| Unit 2C | 807 | 89.8% | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Unit 3 | 1,320 | 0.2% |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 2B?
84.8% of Unit 2B, 405,107 of its 477,556 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 (209,807 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 2B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 6 elk, 11 deer and 3 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 2B. 20 of them are drawn hunts with 2,273 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 2B?
Middle Mesa and Turley are inside the unit. Just outside: Bloomfield (8 miles), Aztec (10 miles) and Farmington (20 miles).
Is Unit 2B in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 2B 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 2B?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows Navajo Axtell (6,663 acres here) and Hammond Tract (39 acres here) in Unit 2B. Open Gate: La Fragua Re-route (improved access to federal 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 Northwest New Mexico Elk Deer Pronghorn Unit 2A Unit 2C