Unit 25 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 3,181 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 25 is like
Unit 25 is gentle and rolling country, with almost none of it classed as steep or rugged ground. Cover across the unit splits between shrub and brush and grass and meadow, giving long sightlines in places and enough low cover elsewhere to hold deer through the day. With a mean slope of under two degrees, most of the unit is walkable, though the lack of dramatic terrain means deer have few obvious pinch points to funnel into — hunters cover ground on foot or glass from available high points rather than relying on topography to concentrate animals.
Public land accounts for about three-quarters of the unit, a mix of BLM and State Trust land, with the rest in private hands. State Trust land (16% of the unit) can be used only during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, and entry must be by public or established roads; some parcels are withdrawn, so checking the State Land Office's access map matters before setting foot on it. Public ownership here is not the same as guaranteed access, since some parcels carry restrictions. Beyond the draw hunts, a Private-Land Only Deer License is also sold 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.
The draw hunts here run from archery in early fall through rifle seasons in November and back to archery in January, giving a hunter a choice of weapon and timing across the season. Draw bands vary by hunt and by pool, and a hunter applies by hunt code rather than by a general deer tag.
Deer hunts in Unit 25 (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-2-267 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | — | — | — | Late Fawning / Velvet Shed |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-269 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-265 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | — | Early Fall / Hard-Antler Pattern |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-266 | November 14 – November 18 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | Good odds | — | Pre-Rut / Seeking Build-Up |
| Archery DER-2-268 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | 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
Early fall archery here falls in the late fawning and velvet-shed phase, when deer are moving through the shrub and brush and grass and meadow cover that defines the unit. The flat, open character of the country means still-hunting or glassing across the gentle terrain is the practical approach, since there are few steep breaks to push deer into predictable lines. This hunt is open to fork-antlered deer, either mule deer or white-tailed, under archery equipment only, across a three-and-a-half week window from September 1 through September 24.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
The muzzleloader hunt sits in the early fall, hard-antler pattern phase, a period when bucks are carrying hardened antlers but before any rut activity has begun. Hunters working this gentle, rolling ground will find the mix of shrub and brush and open grass and meadow offers both cover and visibility, useful for a muzzleloader hunter who needs a closer, more deliberate approach than a rifle allows. Draw odds for residents run good on this hunt, and it covers fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, over the short late-October into early-November window.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
This first November any-legal-weapon hunt also falls in the early fall, hard-antler pattern phase, so deer are still on a pre-rut pattern rather than showing rut behavior. The gentle terrain and open cover mean rifle hunters can use the grass and meadow areas for visibility while still checking the shrub and brush for deer holding tight. Residents face fair odds on this hunt while nonresident applicants without an outfitter face long odds, and the legal animal is fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, over the five days from November 7 through November 11.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 14 – November 18
By the second November rifle hunt, deer have moved into the pre-rut, seeking build-up phase, meaning activity may be building as bucks begin looking for does, though the rut itself has not arrived yet. The open, gentle country rewards covering ground and glassing across the grass and meadow stretches bordering shrub and brush cover. Both residents and nonresidents without an outfitter see good odds on this hunt, which covers fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, from November 14 through November 18.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
The January archery hunt lands squarely in the primary and late rut phase, the one stretch of the season here tied to rut activity, so bucks may be more active and less cautious than earlier in the fall. January in this unit runs cold, with lows averaging near 29°F, and whatever snow has actually accumulated by the hunt dates is worth factoring into where deer are holding across the gentle, open terrain. This is a bowhunter's chance to work the shrub and brush and grass and meadow cover during rut activity, with good odds for resident applicants on fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, from January 1 through January 15.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,700–7,400 ft, typically around 4,300 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 96% gentle · 3% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~2,402 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 brush57%
- Grass and meadow35%
- Other cover8%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 76% of Unit 25 is public land by ownership — BLM and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM59%
- State Trust land16%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private24%
Public land includes State Trust land (16% 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 94°F, lows around 67°F
- September — highs around 89°F, lows around 60°F
- October — highs around 80°F, lows around 48°F
- November — highs around 68°F, lows around 37°F
- December — highs around 58°F, lows around 30°F
Unit 25 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 25 without going through the draw?
Yes. Besides the draw hunts, a Private-Land Only Deer License is sold outside the draw to residents and nonresidents alike. It is valid only on private land with the landowner's written permission and is never valid on any public land, including State Trust land.
How hard is it to draw a deer hunt in Unit 25, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, odds vary by pool and by hunt. Residents see good odds on the muzzleloader hunt, the second November any-legal-weapon hunt, and the January archery hunt, and fair odds on the first November hunt. Nonresidents applying without an outfitter see good odds on the second November hunt but long odds on the first November hunt.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 25?
Yes. Nonresidents can apply for the draw hunts either without an outfitter or through the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents, and nonresidents can also obtain the Private-Land Only Deer License for hunting private land with written 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 is assigned a random sequence number and the draw computer works through applications in that order rather than by accumulated points.
Which Unit 25 deer season falls during the rut?
The January 1 through January 15 archery hunt falls in the primary and late rut phase. The earlier archery, muzzleloader, and November rifle hunts fall in the late fawning, hard-antler, or pre-rut build-up phases, none of which are the rut itself.
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.