Unit 34 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,696 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 34 is like
Unit 34 is rolling country, with some steeper breaks across most of its ground; mean slope sits under 11 degrees and the bulk of the acreage is gentle to moderate walking, with only a small steep-and-rugged fraction to work around. Lower elevations run heavy to shrub and brush with pockets of grass and meadow, the mid-elevation band stays mostly shrub and brush with some conifer and pinyon-juniper and grass and meadow mixed in, and the higher country turns to conifer and pinyon-juniper timber with some shrub and brush. Most of the hunting here is foot and glassing country, with elevation ranging from around 4,000 feet up to nearly 9,700 feet giving hunters real vertical to work if they want to climb away from pressure.
About seven in ten of the unit's 1,696 square miles sits in public ownership — National Forest, BLM, and State Trust land combined — but ownership is not the same as guaranteed access; some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land can only be used during a hunter's own hunt (plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering on public or established roads). The remaining roughly 29 percent is private and requires written permission to hunt. Beyond the public draw hunts, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System separately issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence, a distinct route from the draw.
New Mexico has no points system for elk of any kind. Every draw hunt here is filled through a random sequence draw: each application gets a random number, and applications are processed in that order, with an application's first, second, and third choices all checked before the next application in line is processed. Earlier-sequenced applications are worked first regardless of whether they are using a first, second, or third choice. Odds bands differ sharply by pool and by hunt, and hunters should check Unit 34's chronic wasting disease carcass rules before moving an elk out of the unit.
Elk hunts in Unit 34 (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-2-345 | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Archery ELK-2-346 | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| Muzzleloader ELK-3-350 | October 17 – October 21 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-351 | October 24 – October 28 | Any elk | Very long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-352 | November 28 – December 2 | Antlerless elk | Long odds | Residents only | Residents only | Migration Transition |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-353 | December 5 – December 9 | Antlerless elk | Long odds | Residents only | Residents only | Winter Range |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-354 | December 12 – December 16 | Antlerless elk | Fair odds | Residents only | Residents only | Winter Range |
| Archery ELK-2-355 | December 19 – December 23 | Six-point bull or antlerless elk | Fair odds | Very long odds | Fair odds | Winter Range |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-356 | January 23 – January 27, 2027 | Antlerless elk | Fair odds | Residents only | Residents only | — |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-357 | February 6 – February 10, 2027 | Antlerless elk | Fair odds | Residents only | Residents only | — |
"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
This early-September hunt opens right as elk move through the rut onset phase and on into the primary rut, so activity may be building through the two weeks. Archery hunters can work the shrub and brush and grass and meadow at lower and mid elevations early and late, then push into conifer and pinyon-juniper timber higher up as the days go on. Any elk is legal, which gives bowhunters flexibility while working this gentle-to-moderate terrain on foot. Draw odds run Long for residents and Very long for both nonresident pools, including those applying with an outfitter.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
Running through the heart of the primary rut phase, this second archery season offers the same broad legal-animal rule — any elk — across the same mix of shrub and brush lower down and timber up high. Hunters covering ground on foot can use the unit's gentle-to-moderate slopes to move between elevation bands as conditions dictate. Draw odds stay Long for residents and Very long for nonresidents, whether or not they apply with an outfitter.
Muzzleloader · Any elk · 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 may settle into secluded areas where they meet their needs without traveling far, so this muzzleloader hunt plays more like a mule deer hunt than a rut hunt. Glassing feeding openings in shrub and brush and grass and meadow early and late pays off, and during the slower midday hours walking likely cover looking for tracks and droppings can turn up where elk are holding. Any elk is legal, and once sign shows elk using an area, the better move is to keep hunting it rather than move on. Draw odds run Long for residents and Very long for both nonresident pools.
Any legal weapon · Any elk · October 24 – October 28
Also falling in the post-rut recovery phase, this any-legal-weapon hunt rewards the same patient approach: bulls recovering from the rut may hold in secluded pockets rather than travel far, so glassing openings morning and evening and walking cover at midday for fresh sign is the way to find them. Any elk is legal here, and once an area shows current sign it is worth staying on rather than chasing fresher ground. This is the toughest draw of the fall, with Very long odds across all three pools, resident and nonresident alike.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · November 28 – December 2
Moving into the migration transition phase in late November and early December, elk are shifting toward wintering country and large cow groups may become less concentrated than earlier in the fall. Antlerless hunters should work the transition zones between higher timber and lower shrub and brush and grass and meadow, using sign from previous years to pick likely spots and then confirming with fresh tracks or droppings before committing time to an area. December averages around 2.5 inches of snowfall with lows near 24°F, and if snow has accumulated by the hunt's dates, concentrating effort lower can pay off. This hunt is Residents only, with Long odds for resident applicants.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · December 5 – December 9
Early December puts this antlerless hunt into the winter range phase, when wintering areas can show repeated use from year to year. The approach is to use historical sign to narrow down likely country, then confirm current activity with fresh tracks, droppings, or sightings before settling in. With snowfall averaging around 2.5 inches and lows near 24°F this month, a hunter who finds real accumulation on the ground should look to lower shrub and brush and grass and meadow where elk are more likely to be holding. This hunt is Residents only, with Long odds for resident applicants.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · December 12 – December 16
Also in the winter range phase, this mid-December antlerless hunt works the same wintering pattern: areas used in past years are worth checking first, but fresh sign is what confirms elk are actually there now. Patience pays here — spending time in a spot with current tracks, droppings, or sightings beats moving on too quickly. Snowfall still averages around 2.5 inches with lows near 24°F, so where snow has piled up, lower shrub and brush and grass and meadow country is worth a look. This hunt is Residents only, and draw odds improve to Fair for resident applicants.
Archery · Six-point bull or antlerless elk · December 19 – December 23
This late-December archery hunt falls in the winter range phase, when bulls may be grouped together with other bulls rather than scattered individually. The legal animal here is a six-point bull or antlerless elk, giving bowhunters a choice depending on what shows up. As with other winter-range hunts, historical sign narrows the search and fresh sign confirms current use, so patience in a productive spot beats covering new ground. Draw odds run Fair for residents and for those applying with an outfitter, but Very long for nonresidents applying without one.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · January 23 – January 27, 2027
By late January, this antlerless hunt falls outside the named rut and recovery phases, with elk settled into whatever wintering pattern the season holds. Snowfall averages a modest 1.4 inches with lows near 24°F, and if any meaningful snow has accumulated by the hunt dates, working lower shrub and brush and grass and meadow cover is a reasonable approach for finding animals. This is a Residents-only hunt, with Fair odds for resident applicants.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · February 6 – February 10, 2027
This early-February hunt closes out the antlerless calendar with no named phase attached, so hunters are working late-winter cover on its own terms. February averages only about 0.5 inches of snowfall with lows near 27°F, so conditions on the ground at hunt time should guide whether to work lower or higher cover. This hunt is Residents only, with Fair odds for resident applicants.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,000–9,700 ft, typically around 6,200 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 52% gentle · 40% moderate · 8% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~1,197 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 brush72%
- Grass and meadow20%
- Other cover8%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush75%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper17%
- Grass and meadow8%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper82%
- Shrub and brush16%
- Other cover2%
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 34 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 Forest44%
- BLM19%
- State Trust land8%
- military land<1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private29%
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.
Military land is closed to hunting except where a specific hunt says otherwise.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 83°F, lows around 57°F
- September — highs around 78°F, lows around 51°F
- October — highs around 70°F, lows around 41°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 59°F, lows around 31°F, about 0.1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 51°F, lows around 24°F, about 2.5 in of snowfall
Unit 34 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 34 without going through the draw?
Yes. Landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System separately issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence, which is a different route from applying for the public draw hunts listed for the unit. The draw hunts and the EPLUS route are managed separately, and this guide covers the public draw hunts.
How hard is it to draw an elk hunt in Unit 34, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, draw difficulty varies a lot by pool and by specific hunt. Resident odds range from Long to Fair depending on the hunt, nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long to Very long odds on the hunts open to them, and several antlerless hunts are closed to nonresidents entirely. Odds are given in words only and apply per application, not per person.
Can a nonresident hunt every season offered in Unit 34?
No. Nonresidents may apply for the two archery any-elk hunts, the muzzleloader any-elk hunt, the any-legal-weapon any-elk hunt, and the archery six-point-bull-or-antlerless hunt. The antlerless-only hunts in this unit are residents-only, making nonresidents ineligible for those draws regardless of pool.
Does New Mexico use preference points for elk in Unit 34?
No. New Mexico has no points system for elk at all, no preference points and no bonus points. Every hunt here is awarded through a random sequence draw instead, where each application's position in a randomly assigned sequence determines the outcome.
How much of Unit 34 is public land, and is State Trust land treated differently?
About 71 percent of the unit's 1,696 square miles is public land under National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, with the remaining 29 percent private and requiring written permission to hunt. State Trust land can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, and some parcels may be withdrawn from access entirely.
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.