Unit 20 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 2,550 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 20 is like
Unit 20 is gentle and rolling country, with mean slope of only a few degrees and almost none of the ground qualifying as steep or rugged. Shrub and brush covers most of the unit, with grass and meadow making up much of the rest and a small sliver of riparian ground scattered through. Elevation runs from around 4,000 feet up to about 7,600 feet, but the low relief means hunting here is mostly a matter of covering ground on foot and glassing open shrub and grassland rather than climbing in and out of drainages.
Public land under BLM and State Trust ownership makes up about 59% of Unit 20, but that figure is ownership, not a guarantee of access — some parcels are closed or otherwise restricted, and a hunter should not count on all of it being open. State Trust land (12% 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entering by public or established roads under the State Land Office and Game Commission easement; some parcels are withdrawn, so checking the State Land Office's access map matters. About 26% of the unit is private land requiring written permission, and another 15% is unclassified and should not be treated as either public or private. A Private-Land Only Deer License is also available outside the draw to residents and nonresidents alike, valid solely on private land with written landowner permission and never on any public land, State Trust included.
Deer hunting in Unit 20 runs through a random draw for most seasons, with a separate private-land option for those who can line up permission. Odds vary considerably by season and weapon, so a hunter weighing which hunt to apply for should look closely at the band attached to each hunt code rather than assume one season is easier than another.
Deer hunts in Unit 20 (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-2-218 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Late Fawning / Velvet Shed |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-220 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-216 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-217 | November 14 – November 18 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | — | Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up |
| Archery DER-2-219 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | 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
The early archery season falls in the Late Fawning / Velvet Shed phase, a time before the rut when deer are still settled into late-summer patterns. In Unit 20's gentle, open shrub-and-brush and grass-and-meadow country, this means long-range glassing and patient still-hunting across rolling ground rather than working steep terrain. The hunt runs under hunt code DER-2-218 for fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, with resident applicants seeing Good odds in the draw. The low relief makes stalking into bow range a deliberate, open-country challenge with little cover to close the distance quickly.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
By the muzzleloader season in late October and early November, deer are in the Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern phase, with bucks carrying hardened antlers. Hunters in Unit 20 are working the same gentle and rolling terrain, where shrub and brush dominate the cover and grass and meadow openings offer visibility across long distances. This hunt, DER-3-220, is open to fork-antlered deer of either species and carries Good odds for resident applicants. The flat-to-moderate ground favors hunters willing to cover distance on foot to locate animals using the available cover.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
The first November any-legal-weapon season, DER-1-216, also falls in the Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern phase, putting hunters after fork-antlered bucks still on established late-fall patterns. Both resident and nonresident-without-outfitter applicants face Long odds for this hunt, making it one of the tougher draws in Unit 20 regardless of residency. The terrain stays gentle and rolling throughout, so success depends more on covering the shrub-and-brush and grassland country methodically than on physical terrain challenges. Any legal weapon is permitted, giving hunters flexibility in how they approach the open ground.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 14 – November 18
The second November season, running November 14–18, shifts into the Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up phase, when buck activity may be building ahead of the rut. Resident applicants see Fair odds for this hunt, DER-1-217, while nonresidents without an outfitter face Long odds. Any legal weapon is legal for fork-antlered deer, and the same low-relief shrub, brush, and grassland terrain that defines the rest of the unit applies here, rewarding hunters who can move efficiently across open ground. This phase offers a window where deer behavior may be starting to change from the settled patterns of earlier fall.
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 Unit 20 deer season that falls during the rut. January carries an average snowfall of about 0.2 inches and lows near 26°F; if any snow has accumulated on the ground, concentrating effort where sign is fresh in the open shrub-and-brush and grass-and-meadow terrain is a reasonable plan, while in drier conditions deer may be spread more evenly across the gentle terrain. Both resident and nonresident-without-outfitter applicants face Long odds for this hunt, coded DER-2-219. Archery-only equipment combined with rut-phase timing makes this a distinct, lower-odds opportunity compared to the unit's other seasons.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,000–7,600 ft, typically around 4,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 89% gentle · 9% moderate · 2% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~1,497 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.
Across the unit
- Shrub and brush62%
- Grass and meadow32%
- Other cover3%
- Riparian2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 59% of Unit 20 is public land by ownership — BLM and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM46%
- State Trust land12%
- military land<1%
- Unclassified ownership15%
- Private26%
Public land includes State Trust land (12% 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.
Military land is closed to hunting except where a specific hunt says otherwise.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 91°F, lows around 63°F
- September — highs around 85°F, lows around 56°F
- October — highs around 76°F, lows around 45°F
- November — highs around 64°F, lows around 33°F
- December — highs around 54°F, lows around 26°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
Unit 20 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 20 without going through the draw?
Yes. Besides the draw hunts, Unit 20 offers a Private-Land Only Deer License sold 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.
How hard are the Unit 20 deer hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, odds vary by hunt and by pool. Residents see Good odds on the September archery and October-November muzzleloader hunts, Long odds on the first November any-legal-weapon hunt and the January archery hunt, and Fair odds on the second November hunt; nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds on every hunt where a band is given for that pool.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 20?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for the draw hunts in the nonresident-without-outfitter pool or the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents, and a nonresident may also obtain a Private-Land Only Deer License for private ground with written permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer draws like Unit 20?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer. Every application for a Unit 20 deer hunt is assigned a random sequence number and processed in that order regardless of how many times a hunter has applied before.
How much of Unit 20 is public land, and does State Trust land work like national forest?
Public land under BLM and State Trust ownership covers about 59% of Unit 20, but that is an ownership figure, not a promise of open access, since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land, which makes up 12% 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, and some parcels are withdrawn from access entirely.
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.