New Mexico Unit 5B: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 5B covers 264,652 acres (414 square miles) of Northwest New Mexico; 81% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (205,516 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 10 elk and 4 deer hunt codes valid here, with 734 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 5B, which count public and private-land hunters, show 191 elk and 60 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 landMilitary landTribal landUnit 5BNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 264,652 acres (414 square miles) |
| Public land | 81% (214,294 acres) |
| Military land | 2,452 acres (0.9%), closed except NMDOW's listed hunts |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 10 (674 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (60 draw licenses) |
| Elk private-land zone | Primary Management Zone |
| Towns in and near it | Gallina, Youngsville and Cuba |
How much public land is in Unit 5B?
81% of Unit 5B is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 214,294 of 264,652 acres. The largest share is national forest, 205,516 acres or 77.7% of the unit.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 5B |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 205,516 | 77.7% |
| BLM | 6,046 | 2.3% |
| State trust land | 2,732 | 1% |
| Military land | 2,452 | 0.9% |
| Tribal land | 17 | 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 5B?
14 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 5B. 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 | 674 | Sep 1 to Dec 23 | 191 (2025-26) |
| Deer | 4 | 60 | Sep 1 to Nov 29 | 60 (2025-26) |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 56 to 92. 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 5B?
Highways through the unit: NM 96 (about 15 miles inside it) and NM 112 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Gallina and Youngsville. Nearby: Cuba (17 miles).
Which units border Unit 5B?
Unit 5B 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 3 | 1,320 | 0.2% | |||
| Unit 4 | 693 | 11.7% | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| Unit 5A | 229 | 16.3% | 10 | 3 | |
| Unit 6A | 1,321 | 47.8% | 8 | 4 | |
| Unit 6C | 1,215 | 53.4% | 9 | 4 | |
| Unit 51A | 796 | 86.4% | 11 | 2 | |
| Unit 51B | 197 | 66% | 11 | 3 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 5B?
81% of Unit 5B, 214,294 of its 264,652 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 (205,516 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 5B?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 10 elk and 4 deer hunt codes valid in Unit 5B. 13 of them are drawn hunts with 734 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 5B?
Gallina and Youngsville are inside the unit. Just outside: Cuba (17 miles).
Is Unit 5B in New Mexico's elk primary management zone?
Yes. NMDOW's elk management zone map puts Unit 5B 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 4 Unit 5A Unit 6A Unit 6C Unit 51A Unit 51B