New Mexico Unit 51A: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 51A covers 509,195 acres (796 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 86.4% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (430,749 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 11 elk and 2 deer hunt codes valid here, with 2,129 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 51A, which count public and private-land hunters, show 103 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 landUnit 51ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 509,195 acres (796 square miles) |
| Public land | 86.4% (439,816 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 11 (1,919 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 2 (210 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | La Madera, Canjilon, Española, Taos and Chama |
How much public land is in Unit 51A?
86.4% of Unit 51A is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 439,816 of 509,195 acres. The largest share is national forest, 430,749 acres or 84.6% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 51A |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 430,749 | 84.6% |
| BLM | 4,895 | 1% |
| State trust land | 4,172 | 0.8% |
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).
Open Gate properties in Unit 51A: Campo Alegre (deer, fall turkey). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 51A?
13 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 51A. 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 (Units 51A and 51B) | 11 | 1,919 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | with other units |
| Deer | 2 | 210 | Sep 1 to Nov 4 | 103 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 66 to 94. Harvest: NMDOW elk harvest reports and NMDOW deer harvest reports; "with other units" means NMDGF prints this unit's total together with other units.
How do you get to Unit 51A?
Highways through the unit: US 84 (about 26 miles inside it), NM 111 (about 18 miles inside it), US 285 (about 18 miles inside it), NM 519 (about 15 miles inside it) and NM 554 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: La Madera and Canjilon. Nearby: Española (17 miles), Taos (18 miles) and Chama (19 miles).
Which units border Unit 51A?
Unit 51A 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 4 | 693 | 11.7% | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| Unit 5B | 414 | 81% | 10 | 4 | |
| Unit 6C | 1,215 | 53.4% | 9 | 4 | |
| Unit 50 | 923 | 68% | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 51B | 197 | 66% | 11 | 3 | |
| Unit 52 | 420 | 92.1% | 12 | 4 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 51A?
86.4% of Unit 51A, 439,816 of its 509,195 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 (430,749 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 51A?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 11 elk and 2 deer hunt codes valid in Unit 51A. 11 of them are drawn hunts with 2,129 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 51A?
La Madera and Canjilon are inside the unit. Just outside: Española (17 miles), Taos (18 miles) and Chama (19 miles).
Is Unit 51A in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 51A 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).
Is there Commission or Open Gate land in Unit 51A?
Open Gate: Campo Alegre (deer, fall turkey). 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 Unit 4 Unit 5B Unit 6C Unit 50 Unit 51B Unit 52