New Mexico Unit 55B: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 55B covers 240,287 acres (375 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 2.1% of it is public land, the largest share national wildlife refuge (2,747 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 24 draw licenses.
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.
Wildlife Commission landNational wildlife refugeBureau of ReclamationUnit 55BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 240,287 acres (375 square miles) |
| Public land | 2.1% (4,979 acres) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 5 |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Towns in and near it | Cimarron, Maxwell, Springer, Raton and Angel Fire |
How much public land is in Unit 55B?
2.1% of Unit 55B is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 4,979 of 240,287 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 2,747 acres or 1.1% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 55B |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 2,747 | 1.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 1,772 | 0.7% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 460 | 0.2% |
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.
Open Gate properties in Unit 55B: Stubblefield and Laguna Madre Lakes (dove, waterfowl, fishing) and Springer Lake (fishing). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 55B?
12 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 55B. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer (Units 55A and 55B) | 6 | none drawn | Sep 1 to Nov 29 | with other units |
| Pronghorn (Units 55A and 55B) | 5 | none drawn | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | 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 54, 97 and 107. Harvest: 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 55B?
Highways through the unit: US 85 (about 46 miles inside it), I-25 (about 46 miles inside it), US 64 (about 27 miles inside it), NM 21 (about 13 miles inside it) and NM 505 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Cimarron and Maxwell. Nearby: Springer (on the line), Raton (5 miles), Angel Fire (17 miles) and Eagle Nest (18 miles).
Which units border Unit 55B?
Unit 55B touches 4 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 47 | 1,206 | 23.7% | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| Unit 54 | 344 | 10.6% | 6 | 9 | 5 |
| Unit 55A | 1,573 | 13.2% | 25 | 14 | 5 |
| Unit 56 | 1,782 | 21.7% | 4 | 6 | 6 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 55B?
2.1% of Unit 55B, 4,979 of its 240,287 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 wildlife refuge (2,747 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 55B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 6 deer, 5 pronghorn and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 55B. 1 of them are drawn hunts with 24 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 55B?
Cimarron and Maxwell are inside the unit. Just outside: Springer (on the line), Raton (5 miles) and Angel Fire (17 miles).
New Mexico hunting Northeast New Mexico Deer Pronghorn Bighorn Sheep Unit 47 Unit 54 Unit 55A Unit 56