New Mexico Unit 49: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 49 covers 271,807 acres (425 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 79.9% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (195,363 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 7 elk, 3 deer and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 755 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 49, which count public and private-land hunters, show 145 elk and 166 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 landTribal landUnit 49Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 271,807 acres (425 square miles) |
| Public land | 79.9% (217,129 acres) |
| Tribal land | 10,566 acres (3.9%); a state license does not cover it |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 7 (426 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (305 draw licenses) |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | Taos, Ranchos de Taos, Talpa, Angel Fire, Eagle Nest and Taos Ski Valley |
How much public land is in Unit 49?
79.9% of Unit 49 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 217,129 of 271,807 acres. The largest share is national forest, 195,363 acres or 71.9% of the unit. 10,566 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 49 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 195,363 | 71.9% |
| BLM | 20,295 | 7.5% |
| Tribal land | 10,566 | 3.9% |
| State trust land | 1,471 | 0.5% |
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).
What can you hunt in Unit 49?
11 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 49. 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 | 426 | Sep 1 to Dec 2 | 145 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 3 | 305 | Sep 1 to Nov 4 | 166 (2025-26) |
| Bighorn Sheep | 1 | 24 | Aug 6 to Jan 31 | with other units |
Hunt codes valid here that are on no species area page: BHS-1-201 (bighorn sheep, Units 6A, 6C, 16B, 22, 23, 24, 45, 49, 50, 53, 55A, 55B and 58).
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 66 to 107. Harvest: NMDOW elk harvest reports, NMDOW deer harvest reports and NMDOW bighorn sheep harvest reports; "with other units" means NMDGF prints this unit's total together with other units.
How do you get to Unit 49?
Highways through the unit: NM 518 (about 27 miles inside it), NM 68 (about 24 miles inside it), US 64 (about 19 miles inside it), NM 75 (about 11 miles inside it) and NM 570 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Taos, Ranchos de Taos, Talpa, Vadito and Picuris Pueblo. Nearby: Angel Fire (on the line), Eagle Nest (8 miles), Taos Ski Valley (11 miles) and Española (17 miles).
Which units border Unit 49?
Unit 49 touches 7 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 45 | 1,525 | 74.3% | 6 | 6 | |
| Unit 46 | 1,260 | 0.7% | 4 | 5 | |
| Unit 48 | 378 | 29.1% | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| Unit 50 | 923 | 68% | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 53 | 685 | 47.6% | 9 | 3 | |
| Unit 54 | 344 | 10.6% | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| Unit 55A | 1,573 | 13.2% | 25 | 14 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 49?
79.9% of Unit 49, 217,129 of its 271,807 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 national forest (195,363 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 49?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 7 elk, 3 deer and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 49. 10 of them are drawn hunts with 755 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 49?
Taos, Ranchos de Taos and Talpa are inside the unit. Just outside: Angel Fire (on the line), Eagle Nest (8 miles) and Taos Ski Valley (11 miles).
Is Unit 49 in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 49 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).
New Mexico hunting Northeast New Mexico Elk Deer Bighorn Sheep Unit 45 Unit 46 Unit 48 Unit 50 Unit 53 Unit 54 Unit 55A