New Mexico Unit 53: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 53 covers 438,091 acres (685 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 47.6% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (160,245 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk, 3 deer and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 868 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 53, which count public and private-land hunters, show 156 elk and 120 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 53Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 438,091 acres (685 square miles) |
| Public land | 47.6% (208,437 acres) |
| Tribal land | 96,912 acres (22.1%); a state license does not cover it |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 9 (574 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (270 draw licenses) |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | Questa, Taos Ski Valley, Red River, Taos, Eagle Nest and Angel Fire |
How much public land is in Unit 53?
47.6% of Unit 53 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 208,437 of 438,091 acres. The largest share is national forest, 160,245 acres or 36.6% of the unit. 96,912 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 53 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 160,245 | 36.6% |
| Tribal land | 96,912 | 22.1% |
| BLM | 37,305 | 8.5% |
| State trust land | 10,494 | 2.4% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 393 | 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).
What can you hunt in Unit 53?
13 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 53. 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 | 9 | 574 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | 156 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 3 | 270 | Sep 1 to Nov 11 | 120 (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 53?
Highways through the unit: NM 522 (about 34 miles inside it), NM 38 (about 17 miles inside it), NM 150 (about 15 miles inside it), US 64 (about 12 miles inside it) and NM 578 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Questa, Taos Ski Valley, Red River, Taos Pueblo, San Cristobal and Arroyo Seco. Nearby: Taos (on the line), Eagle Nest (5 miles) and Angel Fire (6 miles).
Which units border Unit 53?
Unit 53 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 49 | 425 | 79.9% | 7 | 3 | |
| Unit 50 | 923 | 68% | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 55A | 1,573 | 13.2% | 25 | 14 | 5 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 53?
47.6% of Unit 53, 208,437 of its 438,091 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 (160,245 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 53?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 9 elk, 3 deer and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 53. 11 of them are drawn hunts with 868 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 53?
Questa, Taos Ski Valley and Red River are inside the unit. Just outside: Taos (on the line), Eagle Nest (5 miles) and Angel Fire (6 miles).
Is Unit 53 in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 53 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 49 Unit 50 Unit 55A