Unit 40 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 3,776 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 40 is like
Unit 40 is gentle and rolling country, with mean slope under two degrees and almost none of the unit classed as steep or rugged. That makes it foot-friendly ground, but the cover is thick enough to hide deer close by: shrub and brush dominates at 73%, with pockets of grass and meadow at 8% breaking it up. Hunting here is mostly a glassing-and-walking proposition across long, open-feeling flats and low rises rather than a climb.
Only about 10% of Unit 40 is public land by ownership, a mix of State Trust land and BLM, and that figure describes ownership, not guaranteed access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land can only be used during a hunter's own hunt (plus up to a week of scouting beforehand), entered by public or established roads. The remaining roughly 89% is private, and written permission is required to hunt it. Two fires burned in 2026, the Mimms fire near the unit's middle and the Sparks fire on its northwest side, each covering under 1% of Unit 40; hunters working those areas should check for current fire closures before heading out.
New Mexico has no points system for deer, so every application in Unit 40's draw hunts is treated the same way each year regardless of history. Beyond the draw, a Private-Land Only Deer License is sold outside the draw to residents and nonresidents alike, valid only on private land with written landowner permission and never on any public land, State Trust included.
Deer hunts in Unit 40 (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-2-350 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-352 | October 24 – October 28 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Early Pre-Rut |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-348 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | Fair odds | — | Early Pre-Rut |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-349 | November 21 – November 25 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | — | — | Early Pre-Rut |
| Archery DER-2-351 | January 1 – January 15, 2027 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good 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
This early archery season falls in the velvet shed and early fall transition phase, when bucks still follow a predictable daily rhythm — feeding into the morning, then bedding in shade for much of the day. In Unit 40's shrub and brush country, that means glassing shady pockets and any north-facing relief at first light to locate a buck, then either stalking him while bedded or watching him until dark to return in the morning. Once velvet is shed, habits hold steady but bucks may bed earlier and stay put longer, so a buck that seems to vanish is often still tucked in a nearby draw or crevice. The hunt is open to archery equipment only, for fork-antlered mule deer or white-tailed bucks, and residents face Good odds in the draw.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 24 – October 28
Running late October, this short muzzleloader hunt sits in the early pre-rut phase, as bucks begin shifting out of their summer patterns. The gentle, rolling terrain and dense shrub and brush cover mean most of the hunting is done on foot, working the open flats and low rises where sign and movement can be picked up at distance. Access is the real variable here, since only a slice of Unit 40 is public land and the rest requires written permission from private landowners. The hunt covers fork-antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer with a muzzleloader, and residents see Good odds in the draw.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
The first November any-legal-weapon hunt also falls in the early pre-rut phase, giving hunters a slightly longer five-day window to work Unit 40's open, low-relief ground. With shrub and brush cover dominating the unit and grass and meadow breaking it up in patches, long-range glassing across the gentle slopes is the practical way to locate deer before closing the distance. Both weapon choice and legal animal are wide open — fork-antlered mule deer or white-tailed buck, any legal weapon — and the draw shows Fair odds for residents and Fair odds for nonresidents hunting without an outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 21 – November 25
Held in late November, this second any-legal-weapon hunt remains within the early pre-rut phase, so deer behavior here carries the same uncertainty as the earlier November hunt without yet reaching the rut itself. The terrain stays easy underfoot across Unit 40, and the shrub and brush cover that dominates the unit gives deer plenty of places to hole up within easy walking distance of open ground. As with the other draw hunts, the limiting factor is less the walking than the access, since private land makes up the large majority of the unit and public ownership is a small, restricted share. This hunt is any legal weapon for fork-antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, and residents face Fair odds in the draw.
Archery · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · January 1 – January 15, 2027
Opening the new year, this archery hunt runs into the winter concentration and post-rut recovery phase, after the regional rut has passed. January in Unit 40 averages modest snowfall with lows near freezing, and if snow has accumulated in any given year it is worth concentrating effort on lower ground rather than assuming deer have stayed put higher up. The gentle slopes and shrub and brush cover remain the same walking and glassing proposition as earlier seasons, but with a slimmer window and colder mornings. The hunt is archery-only for fork-antlered mule deer or white-tailed deer, and residents see Good odds in the draw.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 3,800–5,600 ft, typically around 4,500 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 1% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~394 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 brush73%
- Other cover19%
- Grass and meadow8%
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 40. 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.
- Mimms fire, 2026 — about 6,600 acres in the unit, toward the middle of the unit.
- Sparks fire, 2026 — about 5,600 acres in the unit, mostly on its northwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 10% of Unit 40 is public land by ownership — State Trust land and BLM. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- State Trust land10%
- BLM<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private89%
Public land includes State Trust land (10% 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 90°F, lows around 61°F
- September — highs around 83°F, lows around 55°F
- October — highs around 72°F, lows around 43°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 61°F, lows around 31°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 51°F, lows around 24°F, about 1.5 in of snowfall
Unit 40 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 40 without going through the draw?
Yes. Besides the draw hunts, New Mexico sells a Private-Land Only Deer License 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, including State Trust land.
How hard are the Unit 40 deer hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
It depends on the hunt and the pool. Residents see Good odds for the September archery hunt, the October muzzleloader hunt, and the January archery hunt, and Fair odds for both November any-legal-weapon hunts; nonresidents without an outfitter see Fair odds listed only for the first November hunt. The outfitter pool, open to both residents and nonresidents, has no quota or random draw for these particular hunts.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 40?
Yes. Nonresidents can apply for the draw hunts, either on their own or through a registered outfitter, and the first November any-legal-weapon hunt lists Fair odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter. A nonresident can also obtain a Private-Land Only Deer License to hunt private land with written permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer in Unit 40?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer, so there is nothing to build or hold from year to year. Every application in a given year's draw is assigned a random sequence number and processed in that order.
How much of Unit 40 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
About 10% of the unit is public land by ownership, a mix of State Trust land and BLM, with the remaining roughly 89% private and requiring written permission to hunt. State Trust land can be used only 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.
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.