New Mexico Unit 33: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 33 covers 1,453,922 acres (2,272 square miles) of Southeast New Mexico; 57.9% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (528,735 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 deer and 6 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 670 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 33, which count public and private-land hunters, show 165 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 refugeState parkMilitary landUnit 33Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Southeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,453,922 acres (2,272 square miles) |
| Public land | 57.9% (842,107 acres) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (560 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (110 draw licenses) |
| Commission land | W.S. Huey WMA (3,462 acres) and Prairie Chicken WMA (905 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Lake Arthur, Loco Hills, Morningside, Elida, Hagerman and Artesia |
How much public land is in Unit 33?
57.9% of Unit 33 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 842,107 of 1,453,922 acres. The largest share is BLM, 528,735 acres or 36.4% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 33 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 528,735 | 36.4% |
| State trust land | 306,330 | 21.1% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 4,359 | 0.3% |
| National wildlife refuge | 2,683 | 0.2% |
| State park | 1,511 | 0.1% |
| Military land | 330 | 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 33: W.S. Huey WMA (3,462 acres) and Prairie Chicken WMA (905 acres).
Open Gate properties in Unit 33: Kiehne Ranch (dove, quail, waterfowl, and sandhill crane), Access 121 (improved access to federal lands) and Riverview Ranch (dove, quail, pheasant, sandhill crane, waterfowl; fishing). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 33?
13 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 33. 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 | 560 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | 165 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn | 6 | 110 | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | 138 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 63 and 102. Harvest: 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 33?
Highways through the unit: US 70 (about 45 miles inside it), US 380 (about 43 miles inside it), NM 249 (about 35 miles inside it), NM 172 (about 23 miles inside it) and US 82 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Lake Arthur, Loco Hills and Morningside. Nearby: Elida (on the line), Hagerman (on the line), Artesia (2 miles) and Dexter (2 miles).
Which units border Unit 33?
Unit 33 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 30 | 2,943 | 75.4% | 4 | 6 | 1 |
| Unit 31 | 8,347 | 48.4% | 5 | 12 | |
| Unit 32 | 6,075 | 33.4% | 7 | 12 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 33?
57.9% of Unit 33, 842,107 of its 1,453,922 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 (528,735 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 33?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 7 deer and 6 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 33. 13 of them are drawn hunts with 670 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 33?
Lake Arthur, Loco Hills and Morningside are inside the unit. Just outside: Elida (on the line), Hagerman (on the line) and Artesia (2 miles).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 33?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows W.S. Huey (3,462 acres here) and Prairie Chicken (905 acres here) in Unit 33. Open Gate: Access 121 (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 Southeast New Mexico Deer Pronghorn Unit 30 Unit 31 Unit 32