Unit 47 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,206 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 47 is like
Unit 47 is gentle, rolling country, with a mean slope under 5 degrees and gentle ground making up the large majority of the unit's area. Only small fractions qualify as steep or rugged, so most of the hunting here is a matter of walking and glassing rather than technical climbing. Cover is split mainly between grass and meadow and shrub and brush, with a smaller share of conifer and pinyon-juniper woodland offering shade and bedding cover in an otherwise open landscape. That openness makes this good glassing country, where a hunter can sit high and pick apart draws and brush pockets from a distance before committing to a stalk.
Public land by ownership covers about 24% of the unit, made up of State Trust land, National Forest, and BLM ground, while private land accounts for roughly 76%. State Trust land makes up 18% of the unit and can be hunted only during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to a week of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads; some parcels are withdrawn, so checking current access status matters. Because ownership on paper is not the same as a guaranteed way in, and because private land dominates the unit, lining up permission or confirming public parcels ahead of time is essential rather than optional. The Mogote Hill fire burned around 17,000 acres on the unit's southwest side in 2025, and hunters working that ground should expect it to still be in its first year of recovery, with deer possibly relocated to areas with better feed and water; checking for current fire closures before heading out is worthwhile.
Deer here are taken either through a random draw for one of four hunts spanning archery, muzzleloader, and any-legal-weapon seasons, or through a private-land-only licence sold outside the draw that is valid solely on private land with written landowner permission. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for deer, so every application stands on its own each year regardless of history.
Deer hunts in Unit 47 (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-2-377 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Muzzleloader DER-3-378 | September 27 – October 3 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Good odds | — | — | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition, Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-375 | October 24 – October 28 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long odds | — | Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-376 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | 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 in early September are working the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase, when bucks still hold fairly predictable patterns: feeding into the morning, then bedding in shade for most of the day. In this unit's mix of grass, brush, and pockets of conifer and pinyon-juniper woodland, glassing shady draws and north-facing pockets at first light is the way to locate a bedded buck, then closing the distance while he holds tight through the middle of the day gives the best shot opportunity. Evening glassing often serves better to pattern a buck for the next morning than to force a stalk in fading light. A buck that seems to vanish is usually still nearby, tucked into a small crevice or draw rather than gone. This hunt draws Good odds for residents.
Muzzleloader · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · September 27 – October 3
By late September into early October the muzzleloader hunt still falls partly in the Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition phase but pushes into the Early Fall Migration / Nocturnal Buck Phase, and bucks start showing more nocturnal behavior while generally staying near their summer range. The same glass-and-stalk approach from archery season still works early in the hunt, watching shady pockets and brush cover through the heat of the day, but hunters should expect bucks to move earlier in the evening and later at night than earlier in September. Most deer are still found close to the country they held through summer, so persistence on familiar glassing points pays off even as sightings get harder to time. This hunt also draws Good odds for residents.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 24 – October 28
The late-October any-legal-weapon hunt falls in the Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase, when deer may be starting to work from summer range toward rutting ground rather than holding tight to one area. Glassing the open grass and shrub country between likely summer haunts and expected rut-season ground is the right strategy here, since movement can be more unpredictable than in the earlier archery and muzzleloader seasons. This short five-day hunt draws Long odds for both resident and nonresident applicants without an outfitter, making it a tougher draw than the earlier seasons despite covering some of the same ground and legal animal.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
The early-November hunt covers the same Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging phase as the late-October season, so the same logic applies: deer may be working toward rutting ground, and glassing the corridors between summer range and expected rut areas remains the best tactic. November brings cooler conditions with modest average snowfall and lows near freezing, and if any meaningful snow has accumulated by the hunt dates, it is worth checking lower, more sheltered ground where deer may concentrate; in milder conditions deer may still be spread through the staging areas. This hunt draws Fair odds for residents, a better pull than the late-October dates despite similar country and timing.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–7,300 ft, typically around 5,900 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 87% gentle · 9% moderate · 4% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~288 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
- Grass and meadow45%
- Shrub and brush45%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper9%
- 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 47. 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.
- Mogote Hill fire, 2025 — about 17,000 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its southwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 24% of Unit 47 is public land by ownership — State Trust land, National Forest and BLM. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- State Trust land18%
- National Forest4%
- BLM1%
- Private76%
Public land includes State Trust land (18% 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 84°F, lows around 55°F
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 48°F
- October — highs around 68°F, lows around 37°F, about 0.7 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 57°F, lows around 26°F, about 1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 48°F, lows around 19°F, about 2.5 in of snowfall
Unit 47 deer hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 47?
A hunter can apply for one of the draw hunts listed for Unit 47, each identified by its own hunt code, weapon, and date range. Alternatively, a hunter can obtain 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 public land, State Trust land included.
How hard are the Unit 47 deer hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Draw difficulty varies by hunt and by pool. The archery and muzzleloader hunts both carry Good odds for residents, the early-November any-legal-weapon hunt carries Fair odds for residents, and the late-October any-legal-weapon hunt carries Long odds for both residents and nonresidents applying without an outfitter.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 47?
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. A nonresident can also obtain a private-land-only licence valid on private land with written permission.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for deer in Unit 47?
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 is evaluated on its own in the random draw regardless of past application history.
How much of Unit 47 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
Public land by ownership covers about 24% of the unit, split among State Trust land, National Forest, and BLM, while roughly 76% is private and requires written permission to hunt. State Trust land makes up 18% of the unit and can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to a week 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.