Unit 13 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 4,450 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. Some hunts here are for New Mexico residents only; a nonresident is not eligible for them.
What hunting Unit 13 is like
Unit 13 is gentle and rolling country, with a mean slope of about 6 degrees and almost none of it steep or rugged. Lower and mid elevations run heavy to shrub and brush with pockets of grass and meadow, while the higher country shifts toward conifer and pinyon-juniper mixed with shrub and brush and some open grass and meadow. Most of the ground is walkable, which makes it foot-hunting country rather than a place that demands technical climbing, though the open shrub and brush at lower elevations offers little cover to close distance on elk without using terrain and timing well.
About 38% of the unit is public land under BLM, National Forest and State Trust ownership, but that figure describes ownership, not guaranteed access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (8% 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. A further 3.8% falls under National Park Service administration, where hunting is allowed only in some types of areas and a hunter must check before assuming access. About 25% is tribal land closed to state-licensed hunting without the tribe's own permission, roughly 30% is private land requiring written permission, and a small remainder is unclassified. Beyond the public draw hunts listed here, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System separately issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence.
New Mexico has no preference or bonus points for elk; every hunt below is awarded through a random draw. Each application receives a random sequence number, and the computer works through applications in that order. Each application's first, second, and third choices are checked before the next application is processed, so an earlier-sequenced applicant's second or third choice can be awarded before a later-sequenced applicant's first choice is even considered. Draw bands differ sharply by pool and by hunt, and residents consistently see better odds than nonresidents applying without an outfitter.
Elk hunts in Unit 13 (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 elk | Resident | Nonresident, no outfitter | With an outfitter | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery ELK-2-256 | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Fair odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| ArcheryQuality hunt ELK-2-257 | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| MuzzleloaderQuality hunt ELK-3-259 | October 17 – October 21 | Mature bull | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Muzzleloader ELK-3-260 | October 24 – October 28 | Mature bull | Fair odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Muzzleloader ELK-3-261 | November 21 – November 25 | Mature bull | Good odds | Long odds | Long odds | Migration Transition |
| Muzzleloader ELK-3-262 | December 5 – December 9 | Antlerless elk | Fair odds | Residents only | Residents only | Winter Range |
| Muzzleloader ELK-3-263 | December 12 – December 16 | Antlerless elk | Good odds | Residents only | Residents only | Winter Range |
"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 · Any elk · September 1 – September 14
Archery hunting opens with elk in the Rut Onset phase moving into the Primary Rut phase, so bull activity is building through the two weeks. The open shrub and brush and grass and meadow at lower and mid elevations make for good glassing but little concealment, so working the edges where conifer and pinyon-juniper begins at higher elevation can offer better stalking cover. Any elk is legal, giving archers the choice of a bull or a cow. Draw odds run Fair for residents, Long for those applying with an outfitter, and Very long for nonresidents applying without one, under hunt code ELK-2-256.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
This Quality hunt falls entirely within the Primary Rut phase, putting archers into the heart of the fall's bull activity across the same gentle, rolling terrain. The mix of shrub and brush, grass and meadow, and conifer and pinyon-juniper by elevation band gives a hunter room to still-hunt or set up near feeding areas, though the mostly open lower country still rewards careful approach. Any elk may be taken under hunt code ELK-2-257. Odds are Long for residents and Very long for both nonresident pools, including those applying with an outfitter.
Muzzleloader · Mature bull · October 17 – October 21
By the time this Quality muzzleloader hunt opens, bulls have moved into the Post-Rut Recovery phase and tend to settle into secluded areas where they can meet their needs without traveling far, making them harder to catch in the open and more like hunting mule deer. Glassing feeding openings in the grass and meadow and shrub and brush early and late gives the best look, while slower midday hours are better spent walking likely ground for tracks and droppings. When sign turns up, the better play is to stay patient and keep hunting that spot rather than moving on. Only a mature bull is legal, and draw odds run Long for residents and Very long for both nonresident pools, under hunt code ELK-3-259.
Muzzleloader · Mature bull · October 24 – October 28
This second October muzzleloader hunt falls in the same Post-Rut Recovery phase, with bulls still holding to secluded pockets and limiting their time in the open. The approach is the same as the earlier muzzleloader hunt: glass feeding openings in the morning and evening, still-hunt or spot-check likely cover through the middle of the day, and stick with ground that shows sign rather than abandoning it too soon. A mature bull is required, and the draw is notably better here than in the prior hunt — Fair odds for residents and Long odds for those applying with an outfitter, with nonresidents applying without one facing Very long odds, under hunt code ELK-3-260.
Muzzleloader · Mature bull · November 21 – November 25
Late November places this hunt in the Migration Transition phase, when bulls may be re-forming bachelor groups and elk in general are starting to drift toward wintering country, with cow groups potentially less concentrated than earlier in the fall. Average November lows near 25°F and modest snowfall mean a hunter should watch for fresh sign along likely transition routes, using sign from past years only to flag places worth checking and relying on current tracks or droppings to confirm elk are actually there. A mature bull is the legal animal. This hunt carries the best resident odds of the mature-bull seasons, Good, with Long odds for nonresidents applying without an outfitter and for those applying with one, under hunt code ELK-3-261.
Muzzleloader · Antlerless elk · December 5 – December 9
By early December elk are in the Winter Range phase, and wintering ground in this unit often sees repeated use from year to year. A hunter filling an antlerless licence should use known wintering areas as a starting point but confirm current activity with fresh tracks, droppings, or sightings before committing time to a spot. With December lows averaging around 18°F and roughly two inches of monthly snowfall, patience in areas showing fresh sign matters more than covering ground. Only antlerless elk may be taken, and the hunt is open to residents only, with Fair draw odds, under hunt code ELK-3-262.
Muzzleloader · Antlerless elk · December 12 – December 16
This second antlerless hunt runs the following week, still within the Winter Range phase, and the same wintering-ground pattern applies: areas used in past years are worth checking first, but a hunter should confirm elk are currently present through fresh sign before settling in. December conditions average around 18°F lows and about two inches of snowfall, which can concentrate animals if significant accumulation has built up by the hunt dates. Only antlerless elk are legal, and this hunt is open to residents only, carrying the best odds of the antlerless seasons, Good, under hunt code ELK-3-263.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,600–9,500 ft, typically around 6,700 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 80% gentle · 17% moderate · 3% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~1,686 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 brush85%
- Grass and meadow13%
- Other cover1%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush81%
- Grass and meadow10%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper9%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper49%
- Shrub and brush42%
- Grass and meadow9%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 38% of Unit 13 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.
- BLM19%
- National Forest11%
- State Trust land8%
- National Park Service4%
- tribal land25%
- Unclassified ownership3%
- Private30%
Public land includes State Trust land (8% 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 elk licence is not valid there.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 84°F, lows around 54°F
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 47°F
- October — highs around 69°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 57°F, lows around 25°F, about 0.7 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 47°F, lows around 18°F, about 2 in of snowfall
Unit 13 elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 13?
A hunter applies for one of the public draw hunts listed for the unit by hunt code, selecting up to three choices on the application. Separately, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System issue their own authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence, which is a different route from the draw entirely.
How hard are the hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Draw difficulty is given in words for three separate pools — residents, nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and applicants applying with a registered outfitter, a pool open to both residents and nonresidents. Bands range from Good to Very long odds and vary a great deal by hunt; residents generally see better bands than nonresidents applying without an outfitter.
Can a nonresident hunt every season offered here?
No. Nonresidents may apply for the archery any-elk hunts and the three mature-bull muzzleloader hunts, but the two antlerless muzzleloader hunts are residents-only, and a nonresident is ineligible to apply for those in the draw.
Does New Mexico use preference or bonus points for elk?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for elk, so every application for a given hunt code is evaluated through the random draw without any point advantage carried from prior years.
How much of Unit 13 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
About 38% of the unit is public land under BLM, National Forest, and State Trust ownership, though that figure reflects ownership rather than guaranteed access since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land makes up 8% of the unit and may be used only 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.