New Mexico Unit 48: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 48 covers 242,197 acres (378 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 29.1% of it is public land, the largest share state trust land (66,756 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk, 4 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 638 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 48, which count public and private-land hunters, show 219 elk and 90 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 landUnit 48Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 242,197 acres (378 square miles) |
| Public land | 29.1% (70,473 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (463 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (175 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 |
| Commission land | Charette Lakes WMA (1,997 acres) and Wagon Mound Lake WMA (718 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Wagon Mound, Angel Fire and Springer |
How much public land is in Unit 48?
29.1% of Unit 48 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 70,473 of 242,197 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 66,756 acres or 27.6% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 48 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 66,756 | 27.6% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 2,916 | 1.2% |
| BLM | 801 | 0.3% |
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 48: Charette Lakes WMA (1,997 acres) and Wagon Mound Lake WMA (718 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 48?
16 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 48. 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 | 7 | 463 | Sep 1 to Dec 9 | 219 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 4 | 175 | Sep 1 to Nov 11 | 90 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn | 5 | none drawn | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | 16 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 65 to 97. 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 48?
Highways through the unit: US 85 (about 24 miles inside it), I-25 (about 24 miles inside it), NM 120 (about 23 miles inside it), NM 569 (about 15 miles inside it) and NM 434 (about 3 miles inside it). Nearby: Wagon Mound (on the line), Angel Fire (2 miles), Springer (5 miles) and Cimarron (13 miles).
Which units border Unit 48?
Unit 48 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 46 | 1,260 | 0.7% | 4 | 5 | |
| Unit 47 | 1,206 | 23.7% | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Unit 49 | 425 | 79.9% | 7 | 3 | |
| Unit 54 | 344 | 10.6% | 6 | 9 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 48?
29.1% of Unit 48, 70,473 of its 242,197 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 state trust land (66,756 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 48?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 7 elk, 4 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 48. 11 of them are drawn hunts with 638 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 48?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Wagon Mound (on the line), Angel Fire (2 miles) and Springer (5 miles).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 48?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows Charette Lakes (1,997 acres here) and Wagon Mound Lake (718 acres here) in Unit 48. 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 Northeast New Mexico Elk Deer Pronghorn Unit 46 Unit 47 Unit 49 Unit 54