New Mexico Unit 8: public land, hunts and harvest
Game Management Unit 8 covers 590,059 acres (922 square miles) of Northwest New Mexico; 16.1% of it is public land, the largest share national forest (61,131 acres), by the BLM's New Mexico land status map (2026). NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet lists 6 deer and 2 pronghorn hunt codes valid here, with 145 draw licenses. NMDGF's 2025-26 totals for Unit 8, which count public and private-land hunters, show 61 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 landState parkMilitary landTribal landUnit 8Neighboring unitsLake or riverHighway
| Quadrant | Northwest New Mexico |
|---|---|
| Size | 590,059 acres (922 square miles) |
| Public land | 16.1% (95,157 acres) |
| Tribal land | 63,570 acres (10.8%); a state license does not cover it |
| Military land | 2,460 acres (0.4%), closed except NMDOW's listed hunts |
| Deer hunt codes, 2026-27 | 6 (130 draw licenses) |
| Pronghorn hunt codes, 2026-27 | 2 (15 draw licenses) |
| Towns in and near it | Edgewood, Placitas, La Madera, Tijeras, Moriarty and Albuquerque |
How much public land is in Unit 8?
16.1% of Unit 8 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 95,157 of 590,059 acres. The largest share is national forest, 61,131 acres or 10.4% of the unit. 63,570 acres are tribal land, where a state license is not valid.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Unit 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Tribal land | 63,570 | 10.8% |
| National forest | 61,131 | 10.4% |
| BLM | 21,800 | 3.7% |
| State trust land | 12,226 | 2.1% |
| Military land | 2,460 | 0.4% |
| State park | 1,102 | 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. 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).
Open Gate properties in Unit 8: King Ranch (dove, sandhill crane). Source: NMDOW Open Gate table (updated 09-15-2026).
What can you hunt in Unit 8?
8 hunt codes in NMDOW's 2026-27 booklet are valid in Unit 8. 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 | 6 | 130 | Sep 1 to Jan 15 | 61 (2025-26) |
| Pronghorn (Units 8 and 43) | 2 | 15 | Aug 15 to Aug 31 | with other units |
Hunts: NMDOW 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information, pages 54, 56 and 103. Harvest: 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 8?
Highways through the unit: I-25 (about 91 miles inside it), US 85 (about 90 miles inside it), NM 14 (about 44 miles inside it), NM 556 (about 23 miles inside it) and I-40 (about 17 miles inside it). Towns and places inside: Edgewood, Placitas, La Madera, Cedar Grove, San Pedro and Golden. Nearby: Tijeras (on the line), Moriarty (on the line), Albuquerque (on the line) and Bernalillo (on the line).
Which units border Unit 8?
Unit 8 touches 6 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 6A | 1,321 | 47.8% | 8 | 4 | |
| Unit 6C | 1,215 | 53.4% | 9 | 4 | |
| Unit 9 | 3,328 | 26.7% | 11 | 6 | 3 |
| Unit 14 | 1,656 | 17% | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Unit 39 | 2,638 | 18.2% | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| Unit 43 | 1,903 | 26.3% | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Unit 8?
16.1% of Unit 8, 95,157 of its 590,059 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 (61,131 acres).
What can you hunt in Unit 8?
NMDOW's 2026-27 Hunting Rules and Information lists 6 deer and 2 pronghorn hunt codes valid in Unit 8. 4 of them are drawn hunts with 145 licenses in all.
What is the closest town to Unit 8?
Edgewood, Placitas and La Madera are inside the unit. Just outside: Tijeras (on the line), Moriarty (on the line) and Albuquerque (on the line).
New Mexico hunting Northwest New Mexico Deer Pronghorn Unit 6A Unit 6C Unit 9 Unit 14 Unit 39 Unit 43