Unit 13 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 4,450 sq mi
Draw hunts — random, no points
New Mexico has no preference or bonus points: every hunt here with draw odds is a random draw, with its own hunt code. Residents, nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and applicants applying with a registered outfitter (a pool open to residents and nonresidents) are drawn in separate pools, and the table gives each pool's odds in words. A Private-Land Only Deer License, sold outside the draw, covers private land only, with the landowner's written permission; it is never valid on public land, State Trust land included.
What hunting Unit 13 is like
Unit 13 is gentle and rolling country, with gentle slopes making up the large majority of the terrain and almost nothing that qualifies as rugged. Elevation ranges from around 4,600 feet up to 9,500 feet, and cover shifts with it: lower ground runs mostly to shrub and brush with some grass and meadow, mid elevations carry that same shrub and brush base with a growing share of conifer and pinyon-juniper, and the highest ground is closer to half timber mixed with shrub and brush and a smaller grass component. With slopes this mild, most of the unit is walkable foot country, and the hunting challenge is more about finding deer and legal access than fighting terrain.
About 38% of the unit is public land under BLM, National Forest and State Trust ownership, though ownership is not the same as guaranteed access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (8% of the unit) can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. A further 3.8% falls under National Park Service management, where hunting is allowed only in some designated areas and hunters need to check specifically where that applies. About 25% of the unit is tribal or military land closed to state-licensed hunting, 30% is private land requiring written permission, and a small remaining share is unclassified. Beyond the draw hunts, a Private-Land Only Deer License is available outside the draw process, valid solely on private land with the landowner's written permission and never on any public ground, State Trust included.
Five deer hunts run through Unit 13 across the year, from early archery in September through two November any-legal-weapon seasons and into a January archery season during the rut. Every draw hunt is a random draw rather than a first-choice system, and draw difficulty varies considerably by pool and by hunt code, so matching weapon choice and willingness to use an outfitter to the right season matters here.
Deer hunts in Unit 13 (2026–27)
Each row is a hunt a hunter selects by its hunt code. Draw difficulty is a band in words from the 2026 first-choice results — good, fair, long or very long odds — for each pool; a dash means too few applicants to give a fair band. It is not a published percentage. The outfitter pool is open to both residents and nonresidents.
| Hunt | Dates | Legal deer | Resident | Nonresident, no outfitter | With an outfitter | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery DER-2-183 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | Fair odds | Good odds | Late Fawning / Velvet Shed |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-185 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | Good odds | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-180 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | Good odds | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-181 | November 14 – November 18 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Fair odds | Good odds | Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up |
| Archery DER-2-184 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | Long odds | Primary Rut / Late Rut |
"Residents only" hunts (antlerless elk, and hunts held only on state wildlife areas) are closed to nonresidents. "Unlimited" hunts are private-land hunts: no quota, no draw, valid on private land only with the landowner's written permission. A "Quality hunt" is a State Wildlife Commission designation for hunts meant to improve the chance of a successful harvest, offer a wider selection of mature animals, or give a better experience through timing or hunter density. Youth, mobility-impaired, military and other special-eligibility hunts are not listed.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · September 1 – September 24
Archery hunters in this early September season are working country in the Late Fawning / Velvet Shed phase, when deer are typically found in the shrub and brush that dominates the lower and mid elevations of Unit 13. The gentle, rolling terrain makes for easy walking and good visibility across the grass and meadow openings mixed through that cover, which can help with locating deer at a distance before closing the final yards with a bow. This hunt carries Good odds for residents, Fair odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with an outfitter, making it one of the more approachable archery draws in the unit. The legal animal is any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
The late-October into early-November muzzleloader season falls in the Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern phase, with deer carrying hardened antlers across the mix of shrub and brush and timbered conifer and pinyon-juniper found at mid and higher elevations. November brings modest average snowfall and lows near 25°F, and if snow has accumulated by hunt dates it is worth concentrating effort on lower, more sheltered ground where shrub and brush cover is thickest. Both resident and nonresident-without-outfitter applicants see Good odds for this hunt, making it one of the stronger draws on the calendar for fork-antlered deer. Terrain here stays gentle enough that covering ground on foot across elevation bands is practical.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
This early-to-mid November any-legal-weapon season also sits in the Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern phase, so deer behavior mirrors the muzzleloader hunt that precedes it, though the wider range of legal weapons changes the approach. Average snowfall for November is light but present, with lows around 25°F, and any accumulated snow is worth using to narrow search efforts toward lower shrub and brush country. The draw here is notably tighter than the muzzleloader hunt: Long odds for both residents and nonresidents without an outfitter, while applying with an outfitter brings Good odds. The legal animal remains any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, across the unit's gentle, foot-friendly terrain.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 14 – November 18
By the time this mid-to-late November any-legal-weapon season opens, deer have moved into the Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up phase, when activity may be building ahead of the rut proper. November's average snowfall and lows near 25°F remain in play, and hunters working the unit's timbered higher elevations or the shrub and brush lower down should let actual accumulated snow guide where to concentrate. Draw difficulty splits sharply by pool: Long odds for residents, Fair odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with an outfitter. The hunt allows any legal weapon on any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
The January archery season lands squarely in the Primary Rut / Late Rut phase, the only hunt in Unit 13 that falls during the rut, which can change how deer use the gentle terrain and mixed cover across the unit's elevation bands. January's average snowfall is modest but colder, with lows near 18°F, and any snow on the ground is worth factoring into where deer concentrate rather than assuming conditions from the monthly average alone. Draw odds here are Fair for residents but Long for both nonresidents without an outfitter and those applying with one, making this a tougher pull outside the resident pool. The legal animal is any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, taken by archery equipment only.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–9,500 ft, typically around 6,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 80% gentle · 17% moderate · 3% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~1,686 sq mi
Habitat & cover
What grows here, by elevation. Each band adds to 100% on its own — these are shares of that band, not of the unit.
Lower elevations
- Shrub and brush85%
- Grass and meadow13%
- Other cover1%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush81%
- Grass and meadow10%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper9%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper49%
- Shrub and brush42%
- Grass and meadow9%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 38% of Unit 13 is public land by ownership — BLM, National Forest and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM19%
- National Forest11%
- State Trust land8%
- National Park Service4%
- tribal land25%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- Private30%
Public land includes State Trust land (8% of this unit). You may use it only during your own hunt, plus up to 7 days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads (NM State Land Office / Game Commission easement). Some parcels are withdrawn; check the State Land Office's hunting-access map.
Hunting is allowed on some National Park Service land (a national preserve, for example) but not in national parks, monuments or historical parks — check where it is allowed.
Tribal land requires the tribe's own permission and licence — a New Mexico deer licence is not valid there.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 84°F, lows around 54°F
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 47°F
- October — highs around 69°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 57°F, lows around 25°F, about 0.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 47°F, lows around 18°F, about 2 in of snowfall
Unit 13 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 13 without going through the draw?
Yes. Alongside the draw hunts, Unit 13 offers a Private-Land Only Deer License sold outside the draw process to residents and nonresidents alike. That licence is valid only on private land with the landowner's written permission and cannot be used on any public land, including State Trust land.
How hard are the Unit 13 deer hunts to draw, and does it vary by pool?
Yes, difficulty varies a lot by hunt and by pool. Some hunts, like the September archery season and the late-October muzzleloader season, run Good odds for residents, while the two November any-legal-weapon hunts run Long odds for residents and nonresidents without an outfitter but Good odds for anyone applying with a registered outfitter. The January archery hunt flips that pattern, with Fair odds for residents but Long odds for both nonresident pools.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 13?
Yes. Nonresidents can apply for any of the draw hunts either with or without a registered outfitter, and draw bands are listed separately for each of those pools. Nonresidents can also obtain a Private-Land Only Deer License outside the draw, usable on private land with written landowner permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer draws?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer. Every application for a Unit 13 deer hunt is assigned a random sequence number and processed in that order, regardless of application history.
How much of Unit 13 is public land, and can a hunter rely on State Trust land there?
About 38% of the unit is public land under BLM, National Forest, and State Trust ownership, but that ownership figure is not a guarantee of open access since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land makes up 8% of the unit and may only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads.
Data sources & methodology
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish — Hunting Rules & Info booklet (2026-27) — season dates, legal animals, hunt codes and the rules for each hunt
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish — How the New Mexico draw works — the random draw, the choices a hunter ranks and how licences are split among the draw pools
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish — Applications and draw information — the draw results behind the draw-difficulty bands for each pool
- New Mexico Department of Game and Fish — Game management unit maps — unit boundaries and the official unit maps
- USGS / MRLC — National Land Cover Database — habitat and cover classes by elevation band
- USGS PAD-US — Protected Areas Database of the United States — land ownership and access
- Daymet daily climate, 1991–2020 (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) — fall weather
- National Interagency Fire Center — wildfire perimeters — recent fires, their size and where they burned
Draw difficulty is a qualitative band from first-choice results for each pool, not published odds. Rut phases are regional timing, not New Mexico-specific dates. Land shares are separate, non-overlapping categories. Confirm current dates and rules in the New Mexico Hunting Rules & Info booklet before you hunt. Unit data last updated October 21, 2026.