New Mexico Unit 2C: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 2C covers 516,408 acres (807 square miles) of Northwest New Mexico; 89.8% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (402,946 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk, 3 deer and 3 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 853 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 2C, which count public and private-land hunters, show 43 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 2CNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 516,408 acres (807 square miles) |
| Public land | 89.8% (463,488 acres) |
| Tribal land | 25,201 acres (4.9%); a state license does not cover it |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (735 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (100 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (18 draw licenses) |
| Commission land | Retherford WMA (56 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Sullivan, Bloomfield, Aztec and Farmington |
How much public land is in Unit 2C?
89.8% of Unit 2C is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 463,488 of 516,408 acres. The largest share is BLM, 402,946 acres or 78% of the unit. 25,201 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 2C |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 402,946 | 78% |
| State trust land | 46,930 | 9.1% |
| Tribal land | 25,201 | 4.9% |
| National forest | 13,546 | 2.6% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 57 | under 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 9 | 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 2C: Retherford WMA (56 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 2C?
13 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 2C. 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) | 7 | 735 | Sep 1 to Dec 16 | with other units |
| Deer | 3 | 100 | Sep 27 to Jan 15 | 43 (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 2C?
Highways through the unit: US 550 (about 42 miles inside it) and NM 44 (about 35 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Sullivan. Nearby: Bloomfield (3 miles), Aztec (7 miles) and Farmington (11 miles).
Which units border Unit 2C?
Unit 2C 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 2A | 783 | 65.9% | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| Unit 2B | 746 | 84.8% | 6 | 11 | 3 |
| Unit 3 | 1,320 | 0.2% | |||
| Unit 7 | 3,421 | 36% | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 2C?
89.8% of Unit 2C, 463,488 of its 516,408 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 (402,946 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 2C?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 7 elk, 3 deer and 3 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 2C. 13 of them are drawn hunts with 853 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 2C?
Sullivan is inside the unit. Just outside: Bloomfield (3 miles), Aztec (7 miles) and Farmington (11 miles).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 2C?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows Retherford (56 acres here) in Unit 2C. 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 2B Unit 7