New Mexico Unit 5A: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 5A covers 146,318 acres (229 square miles) of Northwest New Mexico; 16.3% of it is public land, the largest share BLM (22,402 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk and 3 deer hunt codes valid here, with 170 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 5A, which count public and private-land hunters, show 340 elk and 130 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 landTribal landUnit 5ANeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 146,318 acres (229 square miles) |
| Public land | 16.3% (23,914 acres) |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (90 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 3 (80 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | Lindrith and Cuba |
How much public land is in Unit 5A?
16.3% of Unit 5A is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 23,914 of 146,318 acres. The largest share is BLM, 22,402 acres or 15.3% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 5A |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 22,402 | 15.3% |
| State trust land | 1,455 | 1% |
| Tribal land | 105 | 0.1% |
| National forest | 57 | 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 5A?
13 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 5A. 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 | 10 | 90 | Sep 1 to Nov 4 | 340 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 3 | 80 | Sep 1 to Nov 16 | 130 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 56 and 76. 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 5A?
Highways through the unit: NM 595 (about 19 miles inside it), NM 112 (about 9 miles inside it) and NM 537 (about 4 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Lindrith. Nearby: Cuba (15 miles).
Which units border Unit 5A?
Unit 5A 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 3 | 1,320 | 0.2% | |||
| Unit 5B | 414 | 81% | 10 | 4 | |
| Unit 6A | 1,321 | 47.8% | 8 | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 5A?
16.3% of Unit 5A, 23,914 of its 146,318 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 BLM (22,402 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 5A?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 10 elk and 3 deer hunt codes valid in Unit 5A. 13 of them are drawn hunts with 170 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 5A?
Lindrith is inside the unit. Just outside: Cuba (15 miles).
Is Unit 5A in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 5A 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 Northwest New Mexico Elk Deer Unit 5B Unit 6A