Unit 24 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,512 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 24 is like
Unit 24 covers 1,512 square miles of rolling country with some steeper breaks — mean slope runs around 11.6 degrees, and only a small share of the ground qualifies as steep or rugged, so most of the unit is walkable on foot. Elevation runs from 4,300 feet up to 10,000 feet, and cover shifts with it: the lower country is mostly grass and meadow with shrub and brush, the mid elevations lean more into shrub and brush mixed with conifer and pinyon-juniper, and the high country is dominated by timber. A hunter working this unit can expect open glassing ground low down and tighter, treed cover as the elevation climbs.
About 63% of Unit 24 is public land under National Forest, BLM, or State Trust ownership, though that figure describes who owns the ground, not whether a hunter can walk onto it — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land may only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt (plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand), entered by public or established roads. The remaining 37% is private and requires written permission. On the unit's north side, the Trout fire burned roughly 47,000 acres in 2025, and the Black fire burned about 12,000 acres in 2022; on the northwest side, the Tadpole fire burned about 11,000 acres in 2020 and the Turkey fire burned about 5,600 acres in 2023. Hunters working near any of these burns should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Deer in Unit 24 can be pursued two ways: through the draw hunts listed below, each tied to a specific hunt code, or through a private-land-only deer licence sold outside the draw, valid solely on private land with written landowner permission and never on any public ground, State Trust included. New Mexico has no points system for deer of any kind — there is nothing to build or hold, just the draw itself, which assigns each application a random sequence number before working through choices in that order.
Deer hunts in Unit 24 (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-2-261 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer | Good odds | — | — | Late Fawning / Summer Pattern |
| Archery DER-2-259 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered mule deer | Good odds | Fair odds | — | Late Fawning / Velvet Shed |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-264 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer | Good odds | — | — | Hard-Antler Fall / Security Pattern |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-263 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered mule deer | Good odds | — | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-254 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered mule deer | Fair odds | Long odds | Good odds | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-255 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | November 14 – November 18 | Fork-antlered mule deer | Good odds | Long odds | Good odds | Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-256 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | November 21 – November 25 | Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer | Fair odds | Long odds | Long odds | Pre-Rut / Early Breeding |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-258 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | December 5 – December 13 | Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer | Fair odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Pre-Rut / Early Breeding |
| Archery DER-2-260 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered mule deer | Fair odds | Very long odds | — | Primary Rut / Late Rut |
| Archery DER-2-262 Excluding Fort Bayard management area | January 16 – January 31, 2027 | Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer | Good odds | Long odds | — | Primary Rut / Breeding, Late Rut / Post-Rut Transition |
"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 Coues white-tailed deer · September 1 – September 24
This early-season archery hunt for Coues deer falls in the late fawning and summer pattern phase, before any rut behavior sets in. The unit's lower-elevation grass and meadow mixed with shrub and brush gives way to shrub and timber as elevation rises, and a hunter willing to cover ground on foot across the unit's mostly gentle to moderate slopes has room to work. The hunt is restricted to fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer, and it falls outside the excluded Fort Bayard management area, with resident applicants seeing good odds in the draw.
Archery · Fork-antlered mule deer · September 1 – September 24
Archery hunters chasing mule deer in early September are working the late fawning and velvet shed phase, a time before the rut when deer activity is shaped more by terrain and cover than any seeking behavior. The unit's elevation range puts hunters into open grass and meadow lower down and denser conifer and pinyon-juniper timber higher up, with shrub and brush covering much of the middle ground. Only fork-antlered mule deer are legal here, outside the Fort Bayard management area, and residents draw this hunt at good odds while nonresidents without an outfitter see fair odds.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer · October 31 – November 4
Muzzleloader hunters after Coues deer in this late-October to early-November window are hunting the hard-antler fall and security pattern phase, well ahead of any rut activity. The unit's mix of open lower terrain and thicker upper-elevation timber rewards hunters who can move between cover types on foot, since steep and rugged ground makes up only a small share of the unit. The legal animal is fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer only, with the hunt excluding the Fort Bayard management area, and residents face good odds in the draw.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered mule deer · October 31 – November 4
This muzzleloader mule deer hunt also falls in the hard-antler fall and security pattern phase, a stretch where deer are settled into established patterns rather than moving for breeding purposes. Hunters can work the unit's gentler lower ground or push into the pinyon-juniper and conifer timber higher up, depending on where deer are holding. The hunt is limited to fork-antlered mule deer outside the Fort Bayard management area, and residents see good odds here.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered mule deer · November 7 – November 11
Early November any-legal-weapon hunters targeting mule deer are still in the hard-antler fall and security pattern phase, ahead of the rut's onset. The unit's rolling terrain, with just a small steep-and-rugged share, keeps most of the ground accessible to a hunter on foot, moving between open lower cover and timbered high ground. Fork-antlered mule deer are the only legal animal, the hunt excludes the Fort Bayard management area, and the draw splits sharply by pool — residents see fair odds, nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds, while those applying with a registered outfitter see good odds.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered mule deer · November 14 – November 18
By mid-November, mule deer hunters move into the pre-rut and seeking build-up phase, when activity may be building as deer begin shifting out of their settled fall patterns. The unit's terrain still favors foot access across gentle-to-moderate slopes, with timbered high country offering cover as deer begin moving more. Only fork-antlered mule deer are legal outside the Fort Bayard management area, and the draw favors residents and outfitted applicants with good odds, while nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer · November 21 – November 25
Late-November Coues deer hunters enter the pre-rut and early breeding phase, where activity may be building ahead of the breeding season proper. The unit's blend of open lower terrain and denser upper timber gives hunters options for still-hunting or working edges between cover types. The legal animal is fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer only, excluding the Fort Bayard management area, and the draw shows fair odds for residents with long odds for both nonresident pools, outfitted or not.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer · December 5 – December 13
This December Coues deer hunt also falls in the pre-rut and early breeding phase, with activity possibly building as the season progresses, and it comes with real winter weather — December averages around 1.2 inches of snowfall and lows near 24°F. If snow has accumulated by the time of the hunt, concentrating effort on lower ground may pay off, while milder conditions could keep deer spread through the mid and upper elevations. Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer are the only legal animal outside the Fort Bayard management area, and this is the toughest draw of the unit's Coues hunts, with very long odds for both nonresident pools and only fair odds for residents.
Archery · Fork-antlered mule deer · January 1 – January 15, 2027
This January archery mule deer hunt falls squarely in the primary rut and late rut phase, the only mule deer season here that overlaps breeding activity. January brings roughly 1.1 inches of average snowfall and lows near 24°F, so a hunter who finds significant snow accumulated on arrival may do better working lower elevations, while lighter accumulations could leave deer using the full range of cover from grass and meadow up through timber. Only fork-antlered mule deer are legal outside the Fort Bayard management area, and the draw gives residents fair odds while nonresidents without an outfitter face very long odds.
Archery · Fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer · January 16 – January 31, 2027
Running through the primary rut and breeding phase into the late rut and post-rut transition, this late-January archery hunt is the latest Coues deer season on the calendar and the one most likely to catch deer during active breeding. With January snowfall averaging around 1.1 inches and lows near 24°F, a hunter who encounters real accumulation might concentrate on lower ground, while lighter snow could leave deer distributed across the unit's grass, brush, and timber bands. The hunt is limited to fork-antlered Coues white-tailed deer outside the Fort Bayard management area, and residents see good odds in the draw while nonresidents without an outfitter face long odds.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,300–10,000 ft, typically around 6,000 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 53% gentle · 35% moderate · 12% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~954 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
- Grass and meadow49%
- Shrub and brush43%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper5%
- Other cover3%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush57%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper34%
- Grass and meadow6%
- Other cover3%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper77%
- Shrub and brush19%
- Grass and meadow2%
- Other cover2%
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 24. 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.
- Trout fire, 2025 — about 47,000 acres in the unit (5%), mostly on its north side.
- Black fire, 2022 — about 12,000 acres in the unit (1%), mostly on its north side.
- Tadpole fire, 2020 — about 11,000 acres in the unit (1%), mostly on its northwest side.
- Turkey fire, 2023 — about 5,600 acres in the unit, mostly on its northwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 63% of Unit 24 is public land by ownership — National Forest, State Trust land and BLM. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- National Forest31%
- State Trust land18%
- BLM15%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private37%
Public land includes State Trust land (18% 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 83°F, lows around 56°F
- September — highs around 78°F, lows around 50°F
- October — highs around 70°F, lows around 40°F
- November — highs around 59°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 51°F, lows around 24°F, about 1.2 in of snowfall
Unit 24 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 24 without going through the draw?
Yes. New Mexico sells a private-land-only deer licence outside the draw process, open 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, even where a landowner leases it.
How hard is it to draw a deer hunt in Unit 24, and does it differ by pool?
Odds vary a great deal by hunt and by which of the three pools an applicant falls into — resident, nonresident without an outfitter, or applicant with a registered outfitter. Several archery and muzzleloader hunts show good odds for residents, while some of the November and December any-legal-weapon and Coues hunts drop to long or very long odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter. The outfitter pool, open to both residents and nonresidents, sometimes shows notably better odds than the nonresident no-outfitter pool on the same hunt.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 24?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for any of the draw hunts listed for the unit, either without an outfitter or through the outfitter pool, and can also obtain a private-land-only licence outside the draw. Odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter run noticeably longer on several hunts, particularly the later Coues and any-legal-weapon seasons.
Does New Mexico use preference or bonus points for deer hunters applying to Unit 24?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer, so there is nothing to accumulate from one year to the next. Every application for a Unit 24 deer hunt is assigned a random sequence number, and the draw works through applications in that order rather than by any points history.
How much of Unit 24 is public land, and does State Trust land work like national forest or BLM ground?
About 63% of the unit is public land under National Forest, BLM, or State Trust ownership, with the remaining 37% private and requiring written permission to hunt. State Trust land is different from the other public categories — it can only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entered by public or established roads, and some parcels are withdrawn from hunting 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.