New Mexico Unit 32: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 32 covers 3,887,761 acres (6,075 square miles) of Southeast New Mexico; 33.4% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (699,052 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 deer, 12 pronghorn and 8 Barbary sheep hunt codes valid here, with 2,575 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 32, which count public and private-land hunters, show 98 elk and 513 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 landWildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeMilitary landOther federal (closed)Unit 32Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 3,887,761 acres (6,075 square miles) |
| Public land | 33.4% (1,297,981 acres) |
| Military land | 63,584 acres (1.6%), closed except NMDOW's listed hunts |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (1,580 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 12 (145 draw licenses) |
| Barbary Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 8 (850 draw licenses) |
| Commission land | Prairie Chicken WMA (9,834 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Roswell, Artesia, Hagerman, Lake Arthur, Melrose and Fort Sumner |
How much public land is in Unit 32?
33.4% of Unit 32 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,297,981 of 3,887,761 acres. The largest share is BLM, 699,052 acres or 18% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 32 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 699,052 | 18% |
| State trust land | 566,225 | 14.6% |
| Military land | 63,584 | 1.6% |
| National wildlife refuge | 22,823 | 0.6% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 9,881 | 0.3% |
| Other federal (closed) | 1,051 | 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 32: Prairie Chicken WMA (9,834 acres).
Open Gate properties in Unit 32: Howell Ranch (dove, quail, deer), Lake Ranch (dove, quail, pronghorn) and Berrendo Creek (fishing). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 32?
27 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 32. 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 | 7 | 1,580 | Sep 1 to Jan 31 | 513 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn | 12 | 145 | Aug 15 to Dec 15 | 343 (2025-26) |
| Barbary Sheep (Units 32, 36 and 37) | 8 | 850 | Oct 10 to Feb 27 | with other units |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 62 to 112. Harvest: NMDOW deer harvest reports, NMDOW pronghorn harvest reports and NMDOW Barbary sheep harvest reports; "with other units" means NMDGF prints this unit's total together with other units.
How do you get to Unit 32?
Highways through the unit: US 285 (about 203 miles inside it), US 70 (about 146 miles inside it), US 380 (about 66 miles inside it), NM 20 (about 46 miles inside it) and US 60 (about 42 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Roswell, Artesia, Hagerman, Hope, Elida and Dexter. Nearby: Lake Arthur (on the line), Melrose (on the line), Fort Sumner (2 miles) and Floyd (2 miles).
Which units border Unit 32?
Unit 32 touches 9 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 30 | 2,943 | 75.4% | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Unit 31 | 8,347 | 48.4% | 5 | 12 | |
| Unit 33 | 2,272 | 57.9% | 7 | 6 | |
| Unit 34 | 1,696 | 67.5% | 14 | 7 | |
| Unit 36 | 992 | 53.1% | 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Unit 37 | 1,647 | 38.8% | 6 | 5 | 6 |
| Unit 38 | 3,257 | 31.9% | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Unit 39 | 2,638 | 18.2% | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Unit 40 | 3,776 | 10.4% | 5 | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 32?
33.4% of Unit 32, 1,297,981 of its 3,887,761 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 (699,052 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 32?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 7 deer, 12 pronghorn and 8 Barbary sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 32. 27 of them are drawn hunts with 2,575 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 32?
Roswell, Artesia and Hagerman are inside the unit. Just outside: Lake Arthur (on the line), Melrose (on the line) and Fort Sumner (2 miles).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 32?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows Prairie Chicken (9,834 acres here) in Unit 32. Open Gate: Howell Ranch (dove, quail, deer) and Lake Ranch (dove, quail, pronghorn). 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 Southeast New Mexico Deer Pronghorn Barbary Sheep Unit 30 Unit 31 Unit 33 Unit 34 Unit 36 Unit 37 Unit 38 Unit 39 Unit 40