New Mexico Unit 6C: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 6C covers 777,774 acres (1,215 square miles) of Northwest New Mexico; 53.4% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (350,626 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 9 elk, 4 deer and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid here, with 1,209 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 6C, which count public and private-land hunters, show 321 elk 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 landNational Park ServiceMilitary landTribal landOther federal (closed)Unit 6CNeighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 777,774 acres (1,215 square miles) |
| Public land | 53.4% (415,553 acres) |
| Tribal land | 158,005 acres (20.3%); a state license does not cover it |
| Elk hunt codes, 2026-27 | 9 (840 draw licenses) |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 4 (345 draw licenses) |
| Bighorn Sheep hunt codes, 2026-27 | 1 (24 draw licenses) |
| Towns in and near it | Santa Fe, La Cienega, Tano Road, Española, Jemez Springs and Cuba |
How much public land is in Unit 6C?
53.4% of Unit 6C is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 415,553 of 777,774 acres. The largest share is national forest, 350,626 acres or 45.1% of the unit. 158,005 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 6C |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 350,626 | 45.1% |
| Tribal land | 158,005 | 20.3% |
| BLM | 51,945 | 6.7% |
| National Park Service | 34,010 | 4.4% |
| Other federal (closed) | 25,572 | 3.3% |
| State trust land | 12,959 | 1.7% |
| Military land | 594 | 0.1% |
| Wildlife Commission land | 23 | 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). National Park Service land is not counted as public here: it is closed to hunting.
What can you hunt in Unit 6C?
14 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 6C. 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 | 840 | Sep 1 to Dec 30 | 321 (2025-26) |
| Deer (Units 6A and 6C) | 4 | 345 | Sep 1 to Nov 11 | 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 56 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 6C?
Highways through the unit: US 84 (about 34 miles inside it), NM 502 (about 30 miles inside it), US 285 (about 26 miles inside it), NM 599 (about 26 miles inside it) and NM 4 (about 25 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Santa Fe, La Cienega, Tano Road, Los Alamos, Las Campanas and La Tierra. Nearby: Española (on the line), Jemez Springs (10 miles), Cuba (14 miles) and Pecos (16 miles).
Which units border Unit 6C?
Unit 6C touches 8 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 5B | 414 | 81% | 10 | 4 | |
| Unit 6A | 1,321 | 47.8% | 8 | 4 | |
| Unit 6B | 139 | 99.9% | 15 | ||
| Unit 8 | 922 | 16.1% | 6 | 2 | |
| Unit 43 | 1,903 | 26.3% | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| Unit 45 | 1,525 | 74.3% | 6 | 6 | |
| Unit 50 | 923 | 68% | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Unit 51A | 796 | 86.4% | 11 | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 6C?
53.4% of Unit 6C, 415,553 of its 777,774 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 (350,626 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 6C?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 9 elk, 4 deer and 1 bighorn sheep hunt codes valid in Unit 6C. 12 of them are drawn hunts with 1,209 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 6C?
Santa Fe, La Cienega and Tano Road are inside the unit. Just outside: Española (on the line), Jemez Springs (10 miles) and Cuba (14 miles).
New Mexico hunting Northwest New Mexico Elk Deer Bighorn Sheep Unit 5B Unit 6A Unit 6B Unit 8 Unit 43 Unit 45 Unit 50 Unit 51A