Unit 16D Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · Part of Unit 16 · 471 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 16D is like
Unit 16D is rolling to moderately steep country, with elevations running from about 5,600 feet up to nearly 9,800 feet and most of the ground falling in the gentle-to-moderate range. Cover shifts with elevation: lower slopes are mostly conifer and pinyon-juniper mixed with shrub and brush, mid elevations carry more conifer and pinyon-juniper with a bit more grass and meadow mixed in, and the higher country opens up with more grass and meadow alongside conifer and pinyon-juniper and shrub and brush. With only 8% of the unit classed as steep and none rugged, it is foot country that rewards hunters willing to work the timbered draws and brushy benches rather than technical climbing.
About 90% of Unit 16D is public land under National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, though that figure describes ownership, not guaranteed access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (3% of the unit) can only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. The remaining 10% is private and requires written permission. Two fires have reshaped parts of the unit's cover: the Buzzard fire burned about 17% of the unit toward its middle in 2018, and the Davis fire burned about 2% of the unit's south side in 2023; hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
Deer hunters here have two routes: the draw hunts described below, each tied to a specific hunt code and all written for the whole of Unit 16, or a Private-Land Only Deer License sold outside the draw, valid only on private land with written landowner permission and never on any public land, State Trust included. New Mexico has no point system of any kind for deer, so every draw application stands on its own each year.
Deer hunts in Unit 16D (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 16D 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 / Velvet Shed phase, before any rut activity has begun. The terrain here is mostly gentle to moderate, so still-hunting or glassing the mix of conifer and pinyon-juniper and shrub and brush at lower and mid elevations is physically manageable, and the open grass and meadow patches at higher elevation give some visibility. This hunt is written for all of Unit 16 and draws Fair odds for residents, Long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with a registered outfitter. Any deer taken must be a fork-antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
The muzzleloader hunt at the end of October falls in the Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern phase, well ahead of any rut behavior. November temperatures average lows near 26°F with roughly an inch of snowfall for the month, and if snow has accumulated by the hunt's dates it is worth watching how deer use the timbered cover for shelter. The unit's gentle-to-moderate slopes keep still-hunting through the conifer and pinyon-juniper practical, and the area inside the 2018 Buzzard fire perimeter is now five to eight years post-fire, meaning thick regrowth and brush that can hide animals well along with scattered deadfall. This hunt is written for all of Unit 16, with Fair odds for residents and Long odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
The first November any-legal-weapon hunt also sits in the Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern phase, so deer behavior here is similar to the muzzleloader season just before it. Average lows run near 26°F with about an inch of snowfall for the month, conditions worth factoring in if snow has built up by the hunt dates. Ground inside the Davis fire perimeter, burned in 2023 on the unit's south side, is now two to four years post-fire and offers easier glassing with new grass and brush drawing deer to feed near the timber edges early and late in the day. This hunt is written for all of Unit 16 and carries Long odds for residents, Very long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and Fair odds for those applying with an outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 14 – November 18
By mid-November the second any-legal-weapon hunt moves into the Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up phase, when activity among deer may be building ahead of the rut. Snowfall for the month still averages only about an inch with lows near 26°F, so hunters should plan around whatever snow has actually accumulated by the hunt's dates rather than expect a given amount. The unit's mostly gentle-to-moderate slopes make covering ground between timbered and brushy cover types feasible on foot across both lower and higher elevations. This hunt is written for all of Unit 16, with Long odds for residents, Very long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with a registered outfitter.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
The January archery hunt falls squarely in the Primary Rut / Late Rut phase, the only season here that coincides with rut activity. January averages about 4.7 inches of snowfall with lows near 19°F, and if substantial snow has piled up by the hunt's dates, concentrating effort on lower-elevation conifer and pinyon-juniper and shrub and brush may be worthwhile, while in milder conditions deer may still be using higher ground. The unit's rolling to moderately steep terrain keeps most of this ground walkable for archery hunters covering country on foot. This hunt is written for all of Unit 16 and draws Fair odds for residents, Long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with an outfitter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,600–9,800 ft, typically around 7,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 46% gentle · 45% moderate · 8% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~423 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-juniper60%
- Shrub and brush30%
- Grass and meadow9%
- Other cover1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper65%
- Shrub and brush19%
- Grass and meadow16%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper63%
- Grass and meadow25%
- Shrub and brush12%
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 16D. 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.
- Buzzard fire, 2018 — about 50,000 acres in the unit (17%), toward the middle of the unit.
- Davis fire, 2023 — about 6,100 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its south side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 90% of Unit 16D is public land by ownership — National Forest, BLM and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- National Forest82%
- BLM5%
- State Trust land3%
- Private10%
Public land includes State Trust land (3% 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 50°F
- September — highs around 73°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 65°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 55°F, lows around 26°F, about 1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 46°F, lows around 19°F, about 4.7 in of snowfall
Unit 16D deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 16D outside the draw?
Yes. New Mexico sells a Private-Land Only Deer License outside the draw to residents and nonresidents alike. It is valid only on private land with the landowner's written permission and cannot be used on any public land, including State Trust land, even if a landowner leases it.
How hard are the Unit 16D deer hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, odds differ by pool. For example, the September archery hunt (DER-2-198) runs Fair odds for residents, Long odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with a registered outfitter, while the November 7-11 any-legal-weapon hunt (DER-1-194) runs Long odds for residents and Very long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 16D?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for any of the draw hunts written for 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 License for use on private land with written permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer like some other states?
No. New Mexico has no point system of any kind for deer hunts, so there is nothing to build or hold from year to year. Every application for a Unit 16D draw hunt is assigned a random sequence number each time a hunter applies.
How much of Unit 16D is public land, and does State Trust land work like the rest of it?
About 90% of Unit 16D is public land under National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, though ownership alone does not guarantee access since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land makes up about 3% of the unit and can only be hunted 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.