Unit 16A Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · Part of Unit 16 · 644 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 16A is like
Unit 16A is rolling to moderately steep country, with elevation running from under 5,000 feet up to 10,000 feet and a mean slope near 12 degrees. At lower and mid elevations the cover is dominated by conifer and pinyon-juniper timber mixed with shrub and brush, while higher up shrub and brush take up more ground alongside timber and a small share of grass and meadow. Most of it is foot country, with enough open timber to glass through and enough brush to make still-hunting and careful approaches pay off.
Public land makes up about 99 percent of Unit 16A, a mix of National Forest and State Trust land, so on paper access is about as open as it gets in this unit. That said, public ownership is not the same as guaranteed entry — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land 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 hunter without access to private ground also has the option of a private-land-only deer licence sold outside the draw, valid solely on private land with written landowner permission and never on public land of any kind, State Trust included. Two fires have burned through the unit recently: the Divide fire in 2023 took roughly 6 percent of the unit on the east side, and the Pasture fire the same year burned about 3 percent on the north side; both are now two to four years past in the seasons below. The Turkeyfeather fire of 2025 burned about 2 percent of the unit on the south side and is within its first year out. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
All five deer hunts listed here are written for the whole of Unit 16, not just the 16A sub-unit, and all are awarded through the random draw rather than any points system, since New Mexico does not use preference or bonus points for deer. Draw bands vary by pool and by hunt, with residents, nonresidents without an outfitter, and applicants using a registered outfitter all drawn from separate bands for the same hunt code.
Deer hunts in Unit 16A (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. Unit 16A is part of Unit 16; a hunt marked as written for all of Unit 16 is valid across its sub-units.
| Hunt | Dates | Legal deer | Resident | Nonresident, no outfitter | With an outfitter | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery DER-2-198 Written for all of Unit 16 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | Good odds | Late Fawning / Velvet Shed |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-200 Written for all of Unit 16 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-194 Written for all of Unit 16 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Very long odds | Fair odds | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-196 Written for all of Unit 16 | November 14 – November 18 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Very long odds | Good odds | Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up |
| Archery DER-2-199 Written for all of Unit 16 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | Good 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 early September are working the unit during the late fawning and velvet-shed phase, when bucks are still largely on summer patterns. The rolling to moderately steep terrain and its mix of timber and brush at the lower and mid elevations give an archer plenty of cover to work through on foot, with the small pockets of grass and meadow at higher elevations worth a look for animals that have moved up. This hunt is written for all of Unit 16, with a fork-antlered deer of either species legal, and residents draw fair odds, nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds, while those applying with an outfitter draw good odds.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
The muzzleloader hunt at the very end of October into early November falls in the early fall, hard-antler pattern phase, with bucks carrying hardened antlers and settling into fall routines. Snowfall is light this time of year, averaging under an inch for the month with lows near 26 degrees, light enough that it rarely forces animals out of the timber and brush that cover most of the unit. This is a fork-antlered deer hunt open to mule deer or white-tailed deer, written for all of Unit 16; residents draw fair odds and nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds, while too few outfitted applicants have applied to give that pool a band.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
The early-November any-legal-weapon hunt also falls within the early fall, hard-antler pattern phase, putting hunters into the same hardened-antler routines as the muzzleloader season just before it. With modest snowfall and lows around 26 degrees typical for the month, the rolling to moderately steep ground and its conifer and pinyon-juniper and brush cover stay walkable for hunters covering ground on foot. The hunt is written for all of Unit 16 for a fork-antlered deer of either species; residents face long odds, nonresidents without an outfitter face very long odds, and those applying with a registered outfitter draw fair odds.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 14 – November 18
By the time the mid-November any-legal-weapon season opens, deer have moved into the pre-rut seeking build-up phase, so activity among bucks may be building as the rut approaches. Light average snowfall and lows near 26 degrees leave the unit's timber and brush cover still passable for hunters working the rolling to moderately steep ground on foot. This fork-antlered deer hunt is written for all of Unit 16; residents and nonresidents without an outfitter face long and very long odds respectively, while outfitted applicants draw good odds.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
The January archery hunt lands squarely in the primary rut and late rut phase, the only hunt on this unit's calendar to fall during the rut. Colder conditions typically bring around 2.8 inches of snowfall for the month and lows near 20 degrees, which can push animals to use the timber for cover against the weather while they also move with rut behavior. Written for all of Unit 16 and open to fork-antlered deer of either species, residents and outfitted applicants both draw fair-to-good odds — residents fair, outfitted applicants good — while nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,900–10,000 ft, typically around 7,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 49% gentle · 39% moderate · 11% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~639 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
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper70%
- Shrub and brush29%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper70%
- Shrub and brush26%
- Grass and meadow4%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper56%
- Shrub and brush41%
- Grass and meadow2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Recent fires
Wildfires in the last several seasons that burned a meaningful share of Unit 16A. Fire perimeters show where a fire burned, not how hot — and closures change through the year, so check current fire closures and restrictions before you go.
- Divide fire, 2023 — about 27,000 acres in the unit (6%), mostly on its east side.
- Pasture fire, 2023 — about 11,000 acres in the unit (3%), mostly on its north side.
- Turkeyfeather fire, 2025 — about 6,000 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its south side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 99% of Unit 16A is public land by ownership — National Forest and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- National Forest99%
- State Trust land<1%
- Private<1%
Public land includes State Trust land (1% 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.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 78°F, lows around 51°F
- September — highs around 73°F, lows around 45°F
- October — highs around 65°F, lows around 35°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 55°F, lows around 26°F, about 0.8 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 47°F, lows around 20°F, about 4 in of snowfall
Unit 16A deer hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 16A?
A hunter can apply for one of the draw hunts written for all of Unit 16, each identified by its own hunt code, with residents, nonresidents without an outfitter, and applicants using a registered outfitter drawn from separate pools. Alternatively, a hunter can obtain a private-land-only deer licence sold outside the draw, which is valid only on private land with the landowner's written permission and never on any public land, State Trust land included.
How hard are the Unit 16A deer hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, each hunt shows a different band for each pool. For example the January archery hunt gives residents fair odds and outfitted applicants good odds, while nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds, and the November any-legal-weapon hunts run from long or very long odds for residents and non-outfitted nonresidents up to fair or good odds for those applying with an outfitter.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 16A?
A nonresident can apply for any of the draw hunts written for all of Unit 16, either without an outfitter or through the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents. A nonresident can also obtain a private-land-only deer licence outside the draw, provided it is used only on private land with written permission from the landowner.
Does New Mexico use points for deer in Unit 16A?
No, New Mexico has no preference points or bonus points system for deer of any kind. Every draw hunt in Unit 16A is awarded through a random drawing in which each application receives a random sequence number, and a hunter's place in that sequence, not any accumulated points, decides the outcome.
How much of Unit 16A is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
Public land makes up about 99 percent of Unit 16A, combining National Forest and State Trust ownership, though ownership alone does not guarantee access since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land, which accounts for about 1 percent of the unit, can only be used during a hunter's own hunt plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, and entry must be 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 20, 2026.