Unit 36 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 992 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 36 is like
Unit 36 covers rolling country with some steeper breaks, running from low shrub and brush flats up through mid-elevation benches into higher timbered ground. By area the terrain is mostly gentle to moderate, with only a modest share of steep slopes, so most of it can be covered on foot, though the higher conifer and pinyon-juniper band near 11,600 feet will test anyone's legs and lungs. Lower elevations run heavily to shrub and brush with some grass and meadow openings; mid elevations mix shrub and brush with growing bands of conifer and pinyon-juniper; the highest ground shifts to timber with shrub and brush and a little grass beneath it, giving a hunter a real choice of cover depending on elevation.
About 54% of the unit is public land under National Forest, State Trust, and BLM ownership. That ownership share is not the same as what a hunter can actually hunt: some of it, including State Trust land (usable only during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand), sits inside the unit's unitized ranches — 3 Rivers, I Bar X, and Pajarito — where the State Trust and BLM acreage is treated as private and closed, even though it is still counted in that 54%. The remaining 46% is private land that requires written permission. Four recent fires have burned inside the unit: the South Fork fire (2024), the Blue 2 fire (2024), and the Mcbride fire (2022), all toward the middle of the unit, and the Three Rivers fire (2021) on the northwest side. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Deer here are taken either through the draw hunts described below or through a private-land only deer licence sold outside the draw, which is valid solely on private land with the landowner's written permission and never on any public land, State Trust included. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer, so every application stands on its own in a random draw each year, and the outfitter pool is open to both residents and nonresidents who choose to apply that way.
Deer hunts in Unit 36 (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-2-329 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | Long odds | Good odds | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-331 | October 24 – October 28 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | Long odds | — | Early Pre-Rut |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-326 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | Good odds | Early Pre-Rut |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-327 | November 14 – November 18 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | Good odds | Early Pre-Rut |
| Archery DER-2-330 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Long odds | Fair odds | Winter Concentration / Post-Rut Recovery |
"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 work the unit during the velvet shed and early fall transition, when bucks still hold to late-summer habits: feeding into the morning, then bedding for most of the day in shade or on north-facing slopes. Glassing at first light to locate a buck and mark his bed sets up a stalk in the middle of the day, and an evening glassing session often serves to relocate him for a return the next morning rather than a same-day stalk. The lower and mid-elevation shrub and brush country offers open sightlines for this kind of glass-and-stalk approach, while bucks that seem to vanish are usually still nearby in a small crevice or draw. Residents and outfitted applicants face Good odds for this hunt, while nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 24 – October 28
The late-October muzzleloader hunt falls in the early pre-rut, with bucks still on their own but activity beginning to build ahead of the rut. Terrain ranges from the gentler shrub and brush country at lower elevations, usable only during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, to the thicker conifer and pinyon-juniper timber higher up, and hunters working the Three Rivers fire (2021) area on the northwest side will find that burn five to eight years out, now grown back in thick brush and saplings with increasing deadfall. Any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, is legal. Residents face Good odds for this hunt, while nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
The second week of November also falls within the early pre-rut, with bucks still largely independent of each other across the unit's mix of gentle lower ground and steeper mid- and high-elevation terrain. Any legal weapon may be used on any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed. This is the toughest draw of the fall for an unguided applicant: both residents and nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds, while those applying with a registered outfitter face Good odds.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 14 – November 18
The mid-November any-legal-weapon hunt again sits in the early pre-rut, giving hunters another week of bucks moving independently through the unit's shrub and brush and timbered ground before any rutting behavior sets in. Any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, is legal game for any legal weapon. Draw odds improve somewhat over the earlier November hunt: residents face Fair odds, nonresidents without an outfitter face Long odds, and those applying with an outfitter face Good odds.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
The January archery hunt runs during the winter concentration and post-rut recovery phase, after rutting activity has wound down for the year. January averages about 1.3 inches of snowfall with lows near 24°F, and where snow has actually accumulated, deer may be concentrated lower in the shrub and brush country rather than spread across the higher timber. Any fork-antlered deer, mule deer or white-tailed, may be taken with archery equipment. Residents and outfitted applicants face Fair odds, while nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,300–11,600 ft, typically around 6,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 56% gentle · 31% moderate · 12% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~536 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
- Shrub and brush91%
- Other cover5%
- Grass and meadow4%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush75%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper16%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper61%
- Shrub and brush31%
- Other cover5%
- Grass and meadow3%
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 36. 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.
- South Fork fire, 2024 — about 10,000 acres in the unit (2%), toward the middle of the unit.
- Blue 2 fire, 2024 — about 7,500 acres in the unit (1%), toward the middle of the unit.
- Three Rivers fire, 2021 — about 6,900 acres in the unit (1%), mostly on its northwest side.
- Mcbride fire, 2022 — about 6,200 acres in the unit (1%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 54% of Unit 36 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. That figure still counts State Trust and BLM land inside the unit's unitized ranch (3 Rivers, I Bar X and Pajarito), which is closed to hunting — so the dependably open share is lower.
- National Forest24%
- State Trust land16%
- BLM14%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private46%
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. Unitized ranches in this unit: 3 Rivers, I Bar X, Pajarito. State Trust and BLM land inside them is treated as private and closed to hunting — it is still counted in the huntable figure above — while the ranch's private land in the agreement is open to public hunters. See NMDOW's unitized-ranch maps.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 83°F, lows around 56°F
- September — highs around 78°F, lows around 50°F
- October — highs around 69°F, lows around 40°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 59°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 51°F, lows around 24°F, about 2.7 in of snowfall
Unit 36 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 36 without applying through the draw?
Yes. A private-land only deer licence is sold outside the draw to residents and nonresidents alike, but 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. Hunters who want to hunt public ownership within the unit need to apply for one of the draw hunts instead.
How hard is it to draw a deer hunt in Unit 36, and does it depend on which pool a hunter applies in?
Odds vary by hunt and by pool. Residents see Good odds on the September archery and October muzzleloader hunts, dropping to Long odds on the first November any-legal-weapon hunt and Fair odds on the second November hunt and the January archery hunt. Nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds on every hunt, while applicants who apply with a registered outfitter — a pool open to both residents and nonresidents — see Good odds on most hunts and Fair odds on the January archery hunt.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 36?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for any of the draw hunts, though as an unguided applicant they face Long odds across every season listed. A nonresident can also apply through the outfitter pool, which carries better odds on most hunts, or obtain a private-land only licence that is valid solely on private land with landowner permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer in Unit 36?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer. Every application in a given year's draw is assigned a random sequence number and stands on its own, regardless of how many times a hunter has applied before.
How much of Unit 36 is public land, and does the State Trust portion work like the rest of it?
About 54% of the unit falls under public ownership — National Forest, State Trust, and BLM combined — with the remaining 46% private and requiring written permission. State Trust land within that public share can only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, and some of the public ownership sits inside unitized ranches where State Trust and BLM acreage is closed and treated as private even though it is still counted in the 54% figure.
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.