Unit 22 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 392 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.
What hunting Unit 22 is like
Unit 22 is mixed country, with substantial steep ground, running from lower elevations near 4,500 feet up to ridges topping 10,900 feet, with most of the hunting happening around 6,200 feet. Lower ground is dominated by shrub and brush with pockets of grass and meadow, while the mid and upper elevations shift into conifer and pinyon-juniper timber mixed with shrub and brush. Roughly a third of the unit by area is steep or rugged, so hunters should expect foot travel and sustained climbing to reach the timbered benches and secluded pockets where elk hold during the day.
About 71% of Unit 22 is public land spread across National Forest, BLM, and State Trust parcels, but ownership is not the same as guaranteed access — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land (5% of this unit) can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to 7 days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. The remaining 29% is private and requires written permission to hunt. 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, a different route onto the unit's private ground.
New Mexico has no points system for elk, so every hunt here is awarded through a random draw rather than an accumulation of any kind. Each application receives a random sequence number, and the computer works through the 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 ever considered. Three pools apply for these hunts — residents, nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and applicants of either residency applying with a registered outfitter — and odds vary considerably by pool and by hunt.
Elk hunts in Unit 22 (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-2-279 Also valid in Unit 16B | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Fair odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| ArcheryQuality hunt ELK-2-280 Also valid in Unit 16B | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Fair odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| Any legal weaponQuality hunt ELK-1-281 Also valid in Unit 16B | October 10 – October 14 | Mature bull | Very long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Any legal weaponQuality hunt ELK-1-282 Also valid in Unit 16B | October 17 – October 21 | Mature bull | Long odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-283 Also valid in Unit 16B | October 24 – October 28 | Mature bull | Long odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
"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 hunters in the first two weeks of September are working through the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases, when bull activity is building and breeding behavior is beginning in earnest. The unit's mix of conifer and pinyon-juniper timber at mid and upper elevations gives bowhunters cover to work close, while the steep and rugged third of the unit rewards hunters willing to climb into secluded pockets. This hunt is any elk, so either sex is legal game, which widens opportunity compared to the bull-only hunts later in the fall. Residents see fair odds on this hunt, nonresidents without an outfitter face very long odds, and those applying with a registered outfitter see long odds.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
This Quality hunt falls entirely within the Primary Rut phase, putting archers in the unit during the most active stretch of breeding behavior for the fall. Elk are more likely to be moving between the grass and meadow openings and the surrounding conifer and pinyon-juniper timber, and the unit's steep terrain means covering less ground carefully often pays off over covering more ground quickly. Any elk is legal here as well, and the designation means the hunt is structured to offer a better overall hunting experience. Draw odds are tighter than the first archery season — fair for residents, and very long for both nonresident pools, whether or not they apply with an outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 10 – October 14
By the second week of October this Quality hunt sits in the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, when breeding is slowing and mature bulls may begin pulling away from cow groups to isolate, often with the larger bulls leaving first while smaller satellite bulls linger with cows still cycling. Bulls coming off the rut can be worn down and battered, sometimes carrying broken points or beams, so hunters who care about antler condition should look animals over carefully. The country favors hunters who start searching out secluded pockets where feeding, bedding, and water sit close together, which in this unit often means the timbered mid and upper elevations. Only mature bulls are legal, spikes excluded, and every pool faces very long odds on this hunt.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 17 – October 21
The third week of October finds elk settled into the Post-Rut Recovery phase, and bulls recovering from the rut tend to tuck into secluded areas where they can meet their needs without moving far, making them behave more like mule deer than like rutting elk. The best approach here is glassing feeding openings in the grass and meadow patches early and late, then using the slower midday hours to work through likely conifer and pinyon-juniper cover on foot checking for tracks and droppings. Once sign turns up, patience pays off more than relocating, since these bulls may stay in a small area for some time. Mature bulls only are legal; residents and outfitted applicants both see long odds, while nonresidents without an outfitter face very long odds.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 24 – October 28
The final week of October is also in the Post-Rut Recovery phase, so the same quiet, settled bull behavior applies — bulls holding tight to secluded areas rather than ranging widely. Hunters do best glassing open grass and meadow ground at the edges of the day and spending the middle hours working the timber on foot for fresh sign, then sticking with an area once elk use turns up rather than moving on too soon. This is a mature-bull hunt, so spikes remain off limits. Draw odds mirror the prior season: long for residents and for those applying with an outfitter, very long for nonresidents applying on their own.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,500–10,900 ft, typically around 6,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 36% gentle · 28% moderate · 33% steep · 3% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~278 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 brush77%
- Grass and meadow14%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper7%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper50%
- Shrub and brush38%
- Grass and meadow11%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper51%
- Shrub and brush46%
- 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 71% of Unit 22 is public land by ownership — National Forest, State Trust land and BLM. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- National Forest65%
- State Trust land5%
- BLM<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private29%
Public land includes State Trust land (5% 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 83°F, lows around 56°F
- September — highs around 78°F, lows around 50°F
- October — highs around 69°F, lows around 39°F
- November — highs around 59°F, lows around 30°F
- December — highs around 50°F, lows around 24°F, about 1.7 in of snowfall
Unit 22 elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 22?
A hunter applies for one of the specific public draw hunts by its hunt code, choosing among the archery and any-legal-weapon seasons listed for the unit. Separately, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence, which is a different route onto private ground in the unit. Both routes exist alongside each other; the draw hunts are not the only way to hunt elk here.
How hard are the Unit 22 elk hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, odds differ noticeably by pool. Residents see fair odds on the two September archery hunts and long to very long odds on the October bull hunts, nonresidents applying without an outfitter face very long odds across every hunt listed, and applicants who apply with a registered outfitter see odds ranging from long to very long depending on the hunt.
Can a nonresident hunt Unit 22?
Yes, nonresidents can apply for any of the elk hunts listed for Unit 22, either on their own or through a registered outfitter, though their odds run from long to very long depending on the hunt. None of the hunts listed here are restricted to residents only.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for elk?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for elk, so there is nothing to build or hold from one year to the next. Every hunt here is awarded through a random draw based on a randomly assigned application sequence number.
How much of Unit 22 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
About 71% of the unit, roughly 278 square miles, is public land across National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, though ownership alone doesn't guarantee access since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land makes up 5% of the unit and can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to 7 days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. The remaining 29% of the unit is private land requiring written permission to hunt.
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.