Unit 16D Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · Part of Unit 16 · 471 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 16D is like
Unit 16D is rolling to moderately steep country, with elevations running from around 5,600 feet up to nearly 9,800 feet and most of the unit sitting near 7,600 feet. Gentle and moderate slopes make up the bulk of the ground, and only a small share is steep, so most of this is country a hunter can cover on foot, though distances and elevation change add up over a day. Timber and pinyon-juniper woodland dominate every elevation band, with shrub and brush and pockets of grass and meadow mixed in, more open grass and meadow showing up as elevation climbs and more shrub and brush at the lowest elevations.
About 90 percent of Unit 16D is public land under National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, though ownership alone does not guarantee access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (3% of this unit) can only be used during a hunter's own hunt plus up to a week of scouting beforehand, entered on public or established roads. The remaining roughly 10 percent is private and requires written permission. Two fires have burned inside the unit: the Buzzard fire (2018) covered about 17 percent of the unit toward its middle, and the Davis fire (2023) burned about 2 percent of the unit on its south side; hunters should check for current fire closures before heading in.
The draw hunts listed here require an application, but landowners in the Elk Private Lands Use System separately issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence as another route into the unit. New Mexico has no points system for elk, so every applicant enters the random draw on equal footing each time, regardless of history applying.
Elk hunts in Unit 16D (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. Unit 16D is part of Unit 16; a hunt marked as written for all of Unit 16 is valid across its sub-units.
| Hunt | Dates | Legal elk | Resident | Nonresident, no outfitter | With an outfitter | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery ELK-2-291 | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| ArcheryQuality hunt ELK-2-292 | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| Any legal weaponQuality hunt ELK-1-294 | October 17 – October 21 | Mature bull | Very long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-295 | October 24 – October 28 | Mature bull | Very long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-296 | December 5 – December 9 | Antlerless elk | Very long odds | Residents only | Residents only | Winter Range |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-297 | December 12 – December 16 | Antlerless elk | Long 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
Early archery season here lands right at the start of the rut, spanning the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases, when bull activity is beginning to build toward its most active stretch. With any elk legal, the wide mix of timber, pinyon-juniper, and brush at lower and mid elevations gives bowhunters plenty of cover to work quietly through, though the foot-country terrain means covering ground to find active elk takes effort. Hunt code ELK-2-291 draws Long odds for residents and Very long odds for nonresidents whether or not they apply with an outfitter.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
This second archery season falls entirely within the Primary Rut phase, the most active stretch of elk breeding behavior the unit sees, and it carries a Quality hunt designation. Any elk is legal, and hunters willing to work the timber and woodland edges bordering grass and meadow openings, especially at mid and higher elevations, put themselves in the right kind of country for this phase. The draw bands match the first archery season — Long odds for residents, Very long odds for nonresidents both with and without an outfitter — under hunt code ELK-2-292.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 17 – October 21
By mid-to-late October the rut has given way to the Post-Rut Recovery phase, and bulls recovering from the rut tend to pull into secluded pockets where they can meet their needs without moving far, making them behave more like mule deer than rutting elk. This Quality hunt restricts harvest to mature bulls, so hunters should glass feeding openings in the early morning and late evening, then use slower daylight hours to walk likely ground checking for tracks and droppings. Where that sign shows elk are using an area, staying patient there pays off better than moving on. Hunt code ELK-1-294 draws Very long odds in every pool.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 24 – October 28
Running just a week after the first mature bull season, this hunt also falls in the Post-Rut Recovery phase, with bulls settling into secluded areas and showing themselves only briefly. The same approach applies — glass openings bordering timber and woodland at first and last light, spend the slow middle hours checking for fresh sign, and stick with ground that's producing rather than abandoning it too early. Only mature bulls are legal here as well. Hunt code ELK-1-295 carries Very long odds across residents, nonresidents without an outfitter, and those applying with one.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · December 5 – December 9
This December hunt falls in the Winter Range phase and is for antlerless elk only, open to residents alone. Wintering elk often return to the same areas across years, so checking historically productive ground for tracks, droppings, or direct sightings is the way to narrow down where elk are currently concentrated before committing time to a spot. December averages around 19°F for lows and roughly 4.7 inches of snowfall for the month; if snow has piled up by the hunt dates, concentrating effort on lower-elevation ground makes sense. Hunt code ELK-1-296 draws Very long odds for residents, and nonresidents are ineligible to apply for this residents-only hunt.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · December 12 – December 16
A week later in December, this hunt again sits in the Winter Range phase and is restricted to antlerless elk and to resident applicants only. The same winter pattern applies — elk often reuse the same wintering ground year after year, so hunters should lean on historical sign to find a starting point, then confirm current activity with fresh tracks or droppings before settling in to hunt it patiently. With the same seasonal averages of about 19°F lows and 4.7 inches of snowfall for December, accumulated snow by the hunt dates can be a reason to focus lower rather than higher. Hunt code ELK-1-297 draws Long odds for residents, with nonresidents ineligible.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 5,600–9,800 ft, typically around 7,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 46% gentle · 45% moderate · 8% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~423 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-juniper60%
- Shrub and brush30%
- Grass and meadow9%
- Other cover1%
Mid elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper65%
- Shrub and brush19%
- Grass and meadow16%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper63%
- Grass and meadow25%
- Shrub and brush12%
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 16D. 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.
- Buzzard fire, 2018 — about 50,000 acres in the unit (17%), toward the middle of the unit.
- Davis fire, 2023 — about 6,100 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its south side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 90% of Unit 16D 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 Forest82%
- BLM5%
- State Trust land3%
- Private10%
Public land includes State Trust land (3% 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 78°F, lows around 50°F
- September — highs around 73°F, lows around 44°F
- October — highs around 65°F, lows around 34°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 55°F, lows around 26°F, about 1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 46°F, lows around 19°F, about 4.7 in of snowfall
Unit 16D elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 16D?
A hunter applies for one of the specific public draw hunts by its hunt code, since each hunt is awarded through a random draw. Separately, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence, which is another way to hunt the unit outside the draw.
How hard are the hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, each pool is scored separately. Residents see Long odds on both archery hunts and on the later antlerless hunt (December 12-16), with the earlier antlerless hunt (December 5-9) at Very long odds for residents; both mature bull hunts sit at Very long odds for residents. Nonresidents, whether applying with or without an outfitter, face Very long odds on every hunt they're eligible for, and are ineligible entirely for the antlerless hunts.
Can a nonresident hunt every season offered here?
No. Nonresidents can apply for both archery any-elk hunts and both mature bull hunts, but the two antlerless elk hunts in December are restricted to residents only, making nonresidents ineligible for the draw on those two.
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 enters the random draw on its own each time a hunter applies, with no credit carried from prior years.
How much of Unit 16D is public land, and what's the rule on State Trust land?
About 90 percent of the unit is public land under National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, though that ownership share doesn't mean every acre is open — some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land makes up 3 percent of the unit and can only be used during a hunter's own hunt dates, 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.