Unit 50 Deer Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 923 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 50 is like
Unit 50 is gentle, rolling country more than it is anything a hunter would call rugged — the overwhelming majority of the ground is gentle slope, with only a sliver falling into the steep category. Shrub and brush dominates at every elevation band, from the low country up through the high end near 9,500 feet, with conifer and pinyon-juniper timber and some grass and meadow mixed in, more so at the higher elevations. It is foot country for the most part: open, low-angle terrain that rewards walking and glassing rather than technical climbing, with pockets of timber and brush to check for bedded deer.
About 70% of the unit is public land under BLM, National Forest, and State Trust ownership, but that figure describes who owns the ground, not how open it is to walk onto — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (10% of the unit) can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads under the state's hunting-access easement. A little under 2% of the unit is tribal land closed to state-licensed hunting, and the remaining roughly 29% is private, which requires written permission from the landowner. Hunters without a drawn tag can also pursue a private-land-only deer licence sold outside the draw, valid solely on private land with permission and never on any public ground.
Three archery and general seasons cover fork-antlered deer here, each drawn separately by hunt code rather than stacked on points, since New Mexico has none for deer.
Deer hunts in Unit 50 (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-2-388 | September 1 – September 24 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Fair odds | — | — | Velvet Shed / Early Fall Transition |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-386 | October 24 – October 28 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Fair odds | — | Early Pre-Rut / Migration Corridor Staging |
| Any legal weapon DER-1-387 | October 31 – November 4 | Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) | Long odds | Long 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 season opens while bucks are still working through the velvet shed and early fall transition, holding to patterns similar to summer rather than shifting into rut behavior. The best approach is to glass at first light across the shrub and brush flats and any timbered pockets to find a buck, mark where he beds for the day, and either stalk him at midday or wait and watch until dark to return at first light. Bucks tend to feed into the morning then bed in shade, so working north-facing slopes and shaded draws pays off, and a buck that seems to vanish is usually still tucked into a nearby crevice or draw. This is a resident-only draw hunt by the numbers, with fair odds for residents applying for hunt code DER-2-388, and it rewards hunters willing to cover gentle, rolling ground on foot.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 24 – October 28
By late October the early pre-rut and migration corridor staging phase is underway, and deer may be starting to move from their summer range toward the ground they will use during the rut. The country to focus on is the stretch between where bucks spent the summer and where they are headed, glassing the shrub and brush and timbered edges along the way rather than assuming deer are static. This any-legal-weapon hunt, DER-1-386, draws long odds for residents but fair odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter, a notable reversal worth weighing when deciding where to apply. The gentle terrain here makes covering that transitional ground on foot realistic, provided access to the public and private pieces in between has been worked out beforehand.
Any legal weapon · Fork-antlered deer (mule deer or white-tailed) · October 31 – November 4
This early-November hunt falls in the same early pre-rut and migration corridor staging phase as the late-October season, so the same logic applies: watch the travel country between summer range and rut range rather than a single fixed spot, since some deer may still be shifting. By this point average lows are down near 22°F with modest monthly snowfall, so where snow has actually accumulated, checking lower pockets and drainages for concentrated deer sign makes sense, while in lighter conditions deer may still be scattered on higher ground. Both resident and nonresident pools face long odds for this any-legal-weapon hunt, DER-1-387, making it one of the tighter draws on the unit's deer calendar. Covering ground matters here, and the gentle, rolling terrain lets a hunter move efficiently between likely staging areas without technical obstacles slowing the pace.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,600–9,500 ft, typically around 7,300 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 89% gentle · 9% moderate · 2% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~644 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 brush81%
- Other cover11%
- Grass and meadow5%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper3%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush93%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper5%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush80%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper17%
- Grass and meadow2%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 70% of Unit 50 is public land by ownership — BLM, National Forest and State Trust land. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- BLM45%
- National Forest15%
- State Trust land10%
- tribal land2%
- Private29%
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.
Tribal land requires the tribe's own permission and licence — a New Mexico deer licence is not valid there.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 81°F, lows around 49°F
- September — highs around 75°F, lows around 42°F
- October — highs around 64°F, lows around 32°F, about 0.8 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 51°F, lows around 22°F, about 2 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 40°F, lows around 14°F, about 5.7 in of snowfall
Unit 50 deer hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a deer licence for Unit 50 without going through the draw?
Yes. Alongside the draw hunts, Unit 50 offers a private-land-only deer licence sold outside the draw to both residents and nonresidents. 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 is it to draw a deer hunt in Unit 50, and does it differ by pool?
It depends on the hunt and the pool. The archery hunt (DER-2-388) shows fair odds for residents, the late-October any-legal-weapon hunt (DER-1-386) shows long odds for residents but fair odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and the early-November hunt (DER-1-387) shows long odds for both residents and nonresidents without an outfitter. Odds are given in words only, apply per application, and are never guaranteed.
Can a nonresident hunt deer in Unit 50?
Yes, nonresidents can apply for the draw hunts in the nonresident pool or the outfitter pool, and the outfitter pool is open to both residents and nonresidents together. Nonresidents can also purchase the private-land-only deer licence outside the draw, provided they have written landowner permission.
Does New Mexico use points for deer in Unit 50?
No. New Mexico has no preference points or bonus points system for deer at all, in Unit 50 or any other unit. Every application goes into the same random draw regardless of how many times a hunter has applied before.
How much of Unit 50 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
About 70% of the unit is public land under BLM, National Forest, and State Trust ownership, with roughly 29% private and under 2% tribal land closed to state-licensed hunting. State Trust land makes up 10% of the unit and can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads.
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.