New Mexico Unit 50: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 50 covers 590,494 acres (923 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 68% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (255,217 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 elk, 3 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 696 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 50, which count public and private-land hunters, show 178 elk and 54 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 landTribal landUnit 50Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 590,494 acres (923 square miles) |
| Public land | 68% (401,683 acres) |
| Tribal land | 4,783 acres (0.8%); a state license does not cover it |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (447 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (105 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (120 draw licenses) |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Commission land | Tres Piedras WMA (3,260 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Española, El Rito, Chamita, Questa, Taos and Taos Ski Valley |
How much public land is in Unit 50?
68% of Unit 50 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 401,683 of 590,494 acres. The largest share is BLM, 255,217 acres or 43.2% of the unit. 4,783 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 50 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 255,217 | 43.2% |
| National forest | 86,749 | 14.7% |
| State trust land | 56,458 | 9.6% |
| Tribal land | 4,783 | 0.8% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 3,259 | 0.6% |
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 50: Tres Piedras WMA (3,260 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 50?
15 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 50. 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 | 6 | 447 | Sep 1 to Nov 25 | 178 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 3 | 105 | Sep 1 to Nov 4 | 54 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn (Units 50 and 52) | 5 | 120 | Aug 1 to Aug 24 | with other units |
| 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, NMDOW pronghorn 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 50?
Highways through the unit: US 285 (about 58 miles inside it), NM 68 (about 23 miles inside it), US 64 (about 19 miles inside it), NM 567 (about 12 miles inside it) and US 84 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Española, El Rito, Chamita, Medanales, Ojo Caliente and Lyden. Nearby: Questa (5 miles), Taos (8 miles), Taos Ski Valley (14 miles) and Red River (14 miles).
Which units border Unit 50?
Unit 50 touches 6 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 6C | 1,215 | 53.4% | 9 | 4 | |
| Unit 45 | 1,525 | 74.3% | 6 | 6 | |
| Unit 49 | 425 | 79.9% | 7 | 3 | |
| Unit 51A | 796 | 86.4% | 11 | 2 | |
| Unit 52 | 420 | 92.1% | 12 | 4 | 5 |
| Unit 53 | 685 | 47.6% | 9 | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 50?
68% of Unit 50, 401,683 of its 590,494 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 (255,217 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 50?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 6 elk, 3 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 50. 14 of them are drawn hunts with 696 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 50?
Española, El Rito and Chamita are inside the unit. Just outside: Questa (5 miles), Taos (8 miles) and Taos Ski Valley (14 miles).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 50?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows Tres Piedras (3,260 acres here) in Unit 50. 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 Bighorn Sheep Unit 6C Unit 45 Unit 49 Unit 51A Unit 52 Unit 53