New Mexico Unit 56: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 56 covers 1,140,738 acres (1,782 square miles) of Northeast New Mexico; 21.7% of it is public land, the largest share state trust land (246,651 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 4 elk, 6 deer and 6 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 269 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 56, which count public and private-land hunters, show 456 elk and 40 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.
BLMState trust landUnit 56Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northeast New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 1,140,738 acres (1,782 square miles) |
| Public land | 21.7% (247,202 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (30 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (75 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (164 draw licenses) |
| Towns in and near it | Springer, Grenville, Des Moines, Maxwell and Raton |
How much public land is in Unit 56?
21.7% of Unit 56 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 247,202 of 1,140,738 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 246,651 acres or 21.6% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 56 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 246,651 | 21.6% |
| BLM | 551 | 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).
What can you hunt in Unit 56?
16 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 56. 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 | 4 | 30 | Sep 1 to Oct 21 | 456 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 6 | 75 | Sep 1 to Dec 9 | 40 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn | 6 | 164 | Aug 15 to Oct 5 | 252 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 67, 91 and 104. 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 56?
Highways through the unit: US 64 (about 54 miles inside it), NM 193 (about 42 miles inside it), US 87 (about 38 miles inside it), US 56 (about 33 miles inside it) and US 85 (about 27 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Springer and Grenville. Nearby: Des Moines (on the line), Maxwell (on the line), Raton (on the line) and Clayton (2 miles).
Which units border Unit 56?
Unit 56 touches 7 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 55B | 375 | 2.1% | 6 | 5 | |
| Unit 57 | 429 | 15.5% | 7 | 7 | 3 |
| Unit 58 | 1,531 | 20.8% | 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Unit 59 | 1,889 | 24.6% | 3 | 7 | 6 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 56?
21.7% of Unit 56, 247,202 of its 1,140,738 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 state trust land (246,651 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 56?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 4 elk, 6 deer and 6 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 56. 16 of them are drawn hunts with 269 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 56?
Springer and Grenville are inside the unit. Just outside: Des Moines (on the line), Maxwell (on the line) and Raton (on the line).
New Mexico hunting Northeast New Mexico Elk Deer Pronghorn Unit 47 Unit 54 Unit 55A Unit 55B Unit 57 Unit 58 Unit 59