New Mexico Unit 52: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 52 covers 268,854 acres (420 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 92.1% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (203,355 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 12 elk, 4 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 1,869 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 52, which count public and private-land hunters, show 488 elk and 79 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 52Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 268,854 acres (420 square miles) |
| Public land | 92.1% (247,713 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 12 (1,464 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (285 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 (120 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Commission land | Rio De Los Pinos WMA (855 acres) |
| Towns in and near it | Chama |
How much public land is in Unit 52?
92.1% of Unit 52 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 247,713 of 268,854 acres. The largest share is national forest, 203,355 acres or 75.6% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 52 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 203,355 | 75.6% |
| BLM | 37,484 | 13.9% |
| State trust land | 6,019 | 2.2% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 855 | 0.3% |
| Tribal land | 3 | 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 52: Rio De Los Pinos WMA (855 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 52?
21 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 52. 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 | 12 | 1,464 | Sep 1 to Dec 9 | 488 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 4 | 285 | Sep 1 to Nov 11 | 79 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn (Units 50 and 52) | 5 | 120 | Aug 1 to Aug 24 | with other units |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 66 to 103. 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 52?
Highways through the unit: US 64 (about 22 miles inside it). Nearby: Chama (9 miles).
Which units border Unit 52?
Unit 52 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 4 | 693 | 11.7% | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| Unit 50 | 923 | 68% | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 51A | 796 | 86.4% | 11 | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 52?
92.1% of Unit 52, 247,713 of its 268,854 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 (203,355 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 52?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 12 elk, 4 deer and 5 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 52. 19 of them are drawn hunts with 1,869 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 52?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Chama (9 miles).
Is Unit 52 in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 52 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 52?
NMDOW's Commission land map shows Rio De Los Pinos (855 acres here) in Unit 52. 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 4 Unit 50 Unit 51A