Unit 45 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,525 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 45 is like
Unit 45 runs from low country near 5,600 feet up to high peaks topping 13,100 feet, with most of the hunting falling in the typical 8,400-foot range. The ground is rolling to moderately steep overall, with gentle and moderate slopes making up the bulk of the unit and only a small share truly steep or rugged. Timber and pinyon-juniper woodland dominate the mid and higher elevations, with shrub and brush and some grass and meadow mixed in; lower elevations carry a heavier mix of shrub and brush alongside conifer and pinyon-juniper. Deciduous forest shows up only in small amounts at mid and higher elevations. Most of this is foot country, best covered by glassing from vantage points and working the timber edges and draws on foot.
Roughly three-quarters of Unit 45 is public land under National Forest, BLM and State Trust ownership, though that figure describes ownership rather than guaranteed access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (1% of the unit) can only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to a week of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. A small sliver is Park Service land where hunting is allowed only in certain areas, not in parks or monuments outright. Tribal and military land, about 4.6% of the unit, is closed to state-licensed hunting without separate tribal permission. Private land covers about 18% and requires written permission. The Calf Canyon fire (2022) burned about 17% of the unit, mostly on the east side, and the smaller Hermits Peak fire (2022) burned about 1% of the unit, also on the east side; both are now two to four years past burning. The Frijoles fire (2026) burned about 2% of the unit on the northwest side and is within its first year. Hunters should check for current fire closures before heading out.
Beyond the draw hunts, 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 public land of any kind, State Trust included.
Deer hunts in Unit 45 (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-2-373 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | — | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-374 | September 27 – October 3 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | Good odds | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-369 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | Long odds | Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-371 | November 7 – November 11 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Very long odds | Fair odds | Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
"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 working Unit 45 from September 1 through September 24 are hunting the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase, when bucks still hold fairly predictable daily habits. Bucks feed into the morning before bedding in shade for most of the day, so glassing shady pockets and north-facing slopes in the timber and woodland is the way to locate one, then closing the distance while he is bedded at midday. Evening glassing often serves better to mark a buck for a morning return than for an immediate stalk. Once velvet sheds, bucks may bed earlier and stay put later into the evening, and a buck that seems to vanish is usually still nearby in a crevice or draw. This hunt draws Long odds for both resident and nonresident applicants without an outfitter.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · September 27 – October 3
The muzzleloader hunt from September 27 through October 3 catches the tail end of the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase sliding into the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, and bucks begin shifting toward more nocturnal habits through this stretch. Early in the season the same glassing approach applies — work shady pockets and north-facing slopes near where bucks spent the summer, stalking a bedded buck at midday or returning to a marked buck the next morning. As October opens, most bucks are still near their summer ground but harder to catch moving in daylight, so the first days of the hunt may offer the best looks. October brings modest average snowfall and cooling lows, which can be worth watching if accumulation builds enough to shift animals. Draw odds run Long for residents and nonresident applicants without an outfitter, but Good for those applying with a registered outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
Running October 31 through November 4, this any-legal-weapon hunt falls in the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, when deer may be starting to move toward rutting ground. The approach shifts from set-bedding patterns to covering the country between summer range and likely rut-season ground, glassing broadly across the timber, woodland and brush to catch deer in transit. Average snowfall is still light into early November, so movement is more likely driven by the seasonal shift itself than by weather pushing animals. On the unit's east side, hunters can work ground inside the Calf Canyon and Hermits Peak fire perimeters, both now two to four years past burning, where open sightlines and new feed can draw deer to the edges at dawn and dusk. Draw odds sit at Long for residents, nonresidents without an outfitter, and those applying with an outfitter alike.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · November 7 – November 11
The November 7 through 11 any-legal-weapon hunt also falls within the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, with deer potentially still working toward rutting ground rather than concentrated there yet. The same strategy of glassing the country between summer range and likely rut destinations applies, watching migration routes where deer migrate rather than assuming a fixed pattern. November's average snowfall and colder lows can matter here if accumulation has been substantial, in which case concentrating effort on lower, more sheltered ground makes sense; in milder conditions deer may still be working higher terrain. Draw odds are Long for residents, Very long for nonresidents without an outfitter, and Fair for applicants using a registered outfitter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,600–13,100 ft, typically around 8,400 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 34% gentle · 47% moderate · 18% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~1,164 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
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper50%
- Shrub and brush42%
- Other cover7%
- Grass and meadow2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper84%
- Shrub and brush11%
- Other cover3%
- Grass and meadow2%
- Deciduous forest1%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper79%
- Shrub and brush11%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Deciduous forest4%
- Other cover1%
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 45. 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.
- Calf Canyon fire, 2022 — about 161,000 acres in the unit (17%), mostly on its east side.
- Frijoles fire, 2026 — about 16,000 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its northwest side.
- Hermits Peak fire, 2022 — about 6,800 acres in the unit, mostly on its east side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 76% of Unit 45 is public land by ownership — National Forest, BLM and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- National Forest66%
- BLM9%
- State Trust land1%
- National Park Service<1%
- tribal land5%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private18%
Public land includes State Trust land (1% 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.
Hunting is allowed on some National Park Service land (a national preserve, for example) but not in national parks, monuments or historical parks — check where it is allowed.
Tribal land requires the tribe's own permission and licence — a New Mexico deer licence is not valid there.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 75°F, lows around 48°F
- September — highs around 69°F, lows around 42°F
- October — highs around 60°F, lows around 33°F, about 1.7 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 49°F, lows around 23°F, about 4.1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 41°F, lows around 17°F, about 9.8 in of snowfall
Unit 45 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 45 without going through the draw?
Yes. Alongside 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 public land, including State Trust land.
How hard is it to draw a deer hunt in Unit 45, and does it differ by pool?
All four draw hunts run Long odds for resident applicants, and three of the four also run Long odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter, with the November 7-11 hunt running Very long odds for that pool. Applying with a registered outfitter improves the band on two hunts — Good odds for the muzzleloader hunt and Fair odds for the November 7-11 hunt — and that outfitter pool is open to residents and nonresidents alike, not nonresidents only.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 45?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for any of the four draw hunts, though the bands for nonresidents without an outfitter range from Long odds to Very long odds depending on the hunt. A nonresident can also obtain a Private-Land Only Deer License outside the draw, valid solely on private land with written permission.
Does New Mexico use preference or bonus points for deer hunts in Unit 45?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer. Every application for a Unit 45 draw hunt is given a random sequence number and processed in that order regardless of application history.
Which Unit 45 deer seasons fall during the rut?
None of the four listed seasons fall during the rut. The two November hunts, October 31-November 4 and November 7-11, fall in the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, while the archery and muzzleloader hunts fall earlier in the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition and Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck phases.
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.