Unit 38 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 3,257 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 38 is like
Unit 38 is gentle, rolling country, almost none of it steep or rugged by any measure — mean slope sits at just a few degrees across the unit. That makes it foot-friendly ground where the work is less about climbing and more about covering distance and finding the cover that holds deer. Lower elevations run mostly grass and meadow with a strong shrub and brush component; moving up through the mid elevations shrub and brush takes over as the dominant cover with grass and meadow filling in behind it; the highest ground adds a modest share of conifer and pinyon-juniper timber on top of shrub and brush and grass and meadow. A hunter can expect open sightlines broken by brush pockets rather than dense timber to push through.
Only around 30% of Unit 38 is public land by ownership, split across BLM, National Forest and State Trust land, and that figure overstates what is actually available — it still counts the State Trust and BLM acreage locked inside the unit's Carey Well Ranch, which is closed to hunting as a unitized ranch, with only that ranch's private land open to hunters under the agreement. State Trust land elsewhere in the unit can be hunted, but only during a hunter's own hunt plus a short scouting window beforehand, and some parcels are withdrawn entirely. The remaining roughly 70% is private land requiring written permission. Given that split, a hunter without private ground lined up should expect to work the public fragments carefully rather than assume broad access.
Deer in Unit 38 are pursued two ways: through the random draw hunts listed for the unit, and through a private-land-only deer licence sold outside the draw that is valid solely on private land with written permission and never on any public ground, State Trust included. New Mexico has no point system of any kind for deer, so every draw application stands on its own each year regardless of history.
Deer hunts in Unit 38 (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-2-340 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-342 | October 24 – October 28 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Early Pre-Rut |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-338 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Very long odds | — | Early Pre-Rut |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-339 | November 21 – November 25 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | Fair odds | Good odds | Early Pre-Rut |
| Archery DER-2-341 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | 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 Unit 38's September season are working the tail end of summer patterns, with bucks still in the velvet-shed and early fall transition phase. The routine holds steady through this stretch: glass at first light to locate a buck and mark where he beds, then close the distance through the day while he's bedded in shade, often on north-facing ground or in brush pockets at the mid and lower elevations. Evening glassing can set up another stalk or simply confirm a bed to return to at first light. Bucks that seem to vanish are usually still tucked in a nearby draw or crevice rather than gone, so the gentle, rolling terrain rewards patient glassing over hard hiking. Draw odds for this hunt (DER-2-340) run Good for residents.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 24 – October 28
The late-October muzzleloader hunt falls in the early pre-rut phase, a period when buck movement and habits are beginning to shift from their summer routines. Unit 38's open, gently rolling mix of grass, meadow and shrub and brush offers long sightlines for spotting deer at a distance, with denser shrub and brush cover concentrated through the mid elevations providing bedding and travel cover. Access remains the deciding factor here, since most of the ground is private and the public share is thinner than it looks once the closed unitized ranch acreage is set aside. This is a short five-day hunt (DER-3-342) carrying Good odds for residents, worth applying for by hunters who already have a line on where they can walk.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
Opening in early November, this any-legal-weapon hunt also sits in the early pre-rut phase, with deer still settling into fall patterns rather than deep into breeding activity. Light average snowfall and cold overnight lows in the high-20s can start nudging deer out of the most exposed ground and into shrub and brush cover, though conditions vary year to year. The unit's gentle topography keeps the hunt more about legwork and access than elevation, and with roughly seven in ten acres in private hands, lining up permission matters as much as scouting terrain. Draw bands for this hunt (DER-1-338) run Fair for residents and Very long for nonresidents applying without an outfitter, making it a tougher draw for out-of-state hunters.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 21 – November 25
The late-November any-legal-weapon hunt again falls within the early pre-rut phase, giving hunters a slightly later window on the same general deer behavior as the hunt three weeks earlier. The same November weather pattern applies — modest snowfall and lows near 29°F — which can push deer toward brush cover at the lower and mid elevations if snow has accumulated meaningfully. This hunt (DER-1-339) draws noticeably better across the board, with Good odds for residents, Fair odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and Good odds for those applying with a registered outfitter, making it one of the more approachable draws in the unit for both residents and out-of-state hunters willing to use an outfitter.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
The January archery season runs into the winter concentration and post-rut recovery phase, when deer have settled into their winter pattern after the rut has passed. Colder temperatures and modest snowfall — lows near 22°F and over an inch of snow on average for the month — can concentrate deer in lower-elevation grass and meadow and shrub and brush rather than higher ground. Unit 38's open, gentle terrain makes it possible to glass broad stretches from a distance even in winter conditions, though access is still bound by the same private-land majority and limited public fragments found the rest of the year. This hunt (DER-2-341) carries Fair odds for residents.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–8,600 ft, typically around 6,100 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~969 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 meadow60%
- Shrub and brush39%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush61%
- Grass and meadow37%
- Other cover2%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush56%
- Grass and meadow34%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper10%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 30% of Unit 38 is public land by ownership — BLM, State Trust land and National Forest. 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 (Carey Well Ranch), which is closed to hunting — so the dependably open share is lower.
- BLM14%
- State Trust land11%
- National Forest5%
- Private70%
Public land includes State Trust land (11% 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 ranch in this unit: Carey Well Ranch. 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 85°F, lows around 57°F
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 50°F
- October — highs around 69°F, lows around 39°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 58°F, lows around 29°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 48°F, lows around 22°F, about 2.9 in of snowfall
Unit 38 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 38 without going through the draw?
Yes. Besides the random-draw hunts, New Mexico sells a private-land-only deer licence outside the draw 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 in the unit, including State Trust land.
How hard is it to draw a deer hunt in Unit 38, and does it differ by pool?
It depends on the hunt and the pool. Residents see Good odds on the September archery hunt (DER-2-340), the muzzleloader hunt (DER-3-342) and the late-November any-legal-weapon hunt (DER-1-339), with Fair odds on the November 7 hunt (DER-1-338) and the January archery hunt (DER-2-341). Nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Very long odds on the November 7 hunt but Fair odds on the late-November hunt, while applicants using a registered outfitter see Good odds on that same late-November hunt.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 38?
Yes, nonresidents can apply for the same draw hunts as residents, and bands are published for some hunts in the nonresident-without-outfitter pool and the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents. Nonresidents can also obtain the private-land-only licence sold outside the draw, provided they secure written landowner permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer in Unit 38?
No. New Mexico has no point system of any kind for deer, so there is nothing to build or hold from year to year. Every application for a Unit 38 deer hunt is evaluated fresh in that year's random draw.
How much of Unit 38 is public land, and what should a hunter know about State Trust land there?
Public land by ownership covers roughly 30% of the unit, split among BLM, National Forest and State Trust land, but that figure includes State Trust and BLM acreage locked inside the unit's unitized Carey Well Ranch, which is closed to hunting. State Trust land elsewhere can be hunted, but only during a hunter's own hunt plus a short scouting window beforehand, and some parcels are withdrawn from use 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 20, 2026.