Unit 37 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,647 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 37 is like
Unit 37 is gentle and rolling country, with mean slope of just 7 degrees and nearly four-fifths of the ground classed as gentle terrain. Lower elevations run to grass and meadow with shrub and brush filling the rest, mid elevations mix shrub and brush with grass and meadow and a touch of conifer and pinyon-juniper, and the higher country carries the most timber along with shrub and brush and some grass and meadow. With so little steep or rugged ground, most of the unit is foot-country that does not punish a hunter for covering miles, though open grass and meadow stretches mean elk can see a long way before a hunter gets close.
About 40% of the unit is public land under National Forest, BLM and State Trust ownership, but that figure overstates what is usable: it still includes State Trust and BLM ground inside the unit's unitized Armstrong ranch, which is closed to hunting even though it is counted in the total. State Trust land itself (7% of the 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 roughly 60% of the unit is private and requires written permission. Two fires have burned in the middle of the unit: the Seven Cabins fire (2026), covering about 32,000 acres, and the Pine Lodge fire (2019), covering about 13,000 acres; hunters should check for current fire closures before heading out.
The draw hunts listed here require an application, while 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 year to year, and odds vary widely by hunt and pool.
Elk hunts in Unit 37 (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-2-402 | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Archery ELK-2-403 | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-404 | October 1 – October 5 | Mature bull | Very long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-405 | October 17 – October 21 | Mature bull | Very long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-406 | November 28 – December 2 | Antlerless elk | Long odds | Residents only | Residents only | Migration Transition |
| Archery ELK-2-407 | December 5 – December 9 | Bull with six or more antler points on one side | Good odds | Long odds | — | 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 opens with elk moving into the Rut Onset phase and pushing into the Primary Rut phase as the two weeks progress, so activity is building toward full breeding behavior. The gentle terrain and mixed grass, meadow, and brush cover make for good visibility but also mean elk can spot movement from a distance, rewarding careful stalking over open ground. This hunt is open to any elk, and the draw is a long shot for residents and those applying with an outfitter, and a very long shot for nonresidents without one.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
This second archery season sits fully within the Primary Rut phase, so breeding activity should be in full swing across the unit. Hunters can work the mix of shrub and brush and grass and meadow at lower and mid elevations, using the open sight lines to locate elk before closing the distance on foot. Any elk is legal here, though the draw is long for residents and very long for both nonresidents and those applying through an outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 1 – October 5
By the first week of October the rut is winding down into the Late Rut and Early Post-Rut phase, and mature bulls may begin pulling away from cow groups to isolate while smaller satellite bulls often stay behind to keep breeding. Bulls coming off the rut can be worn down and carrying broken antlers, so it pays to look for secluded pockets where feeding, bedding, and water sit close together, and to check antlers carefully for damage. Only mature bulls are legal under any legal weapon, and the draw is a very long shot across every pool.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 17 – October 21
Mid-October brings the Post-Rut Recovery phase, when bulls tend to settle into secluded areas that meet their needs without much travel, making them behave more like mule deer in their limited daylight appearances. Glassing feeding openings early and late, then walking likely ground during the slower hours to look for tracks and droppings, is the better approach here, and once sign shows elk are using an area it is worth staying patient rather than moving on. This is a mature-bull-only hunt under any legal weapon, and the draw remains a very long shot in every pool.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · November 28 – December 2
Late November into early December falls in the Migration Transition phase, when elk begin shifting toward wintering country and large cow groups may spread out and become less concentrated. This hunt is for antlerless elk only, so the job is locating current sign along that transition zone, using older sign mainly to identify places worth checking and relying on fresh sign to confirm elk are actually there now. With December averaging around 3.1 inches of snowfall and lows near 23°F, any accumulated snow is worth using to narrow down where elk have pulled to; the hunt is open to residents only, with long odds in the draw, and nonresidents are ineligible for it.
Archery · Bull with six or more antler points on one side · December 5 – December 9
The December archery hunt falls in the Winter Range phase, when bulls may be grouped together with other bulls rather than scattered among cows. Wintering areas can see the same use pattern year after year, so historical sign is a good starting point for narrowing the search before confirming current activity with fresh tracks, droppings, or sightings. With snowfall averaging around 3.1 inches and lows near 23°F in December, hunters should factor in how much snow has actually accumulated when deciding where to concentrate. Only a bull with six or more antler points on one side is legal, and the draw offers good odds for residents and long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,300–10,200 ft, typically around 5,800 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 77% gentle · 18% moderate · 4% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~660 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
- Grass and meadow57%
- Shrub and brush42%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush53%
- Grass and meadow43%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper4%
Higher elevations
- Shrub and brush48%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper39%
- Grass and meadow13%
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 37. 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.
- Seven Cabins fire, 2026 — about 32,000 acres in the unit (3%), toward the middle of the unit.
- Pine Lodge fire, 2019 — about 13,000 acres in the unit (1%), toward the middle of the unit.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 40% of Unit 37 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. That figure still counts State Trust and BLM land inside the unit's unitized ranch (Armstrong), which is closed to hunting — so the dependably open share is lower.
- National Forest21%
- BLM12%
- State Trust land7%
- Private60%
Public land includes State Trust land (7% 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. Unitized ranch in this unit: Armstrong. State Trust and BLM land inside them is treated as private and closed to hunting — it is still counted in the huntable figure above — while the ranch's private land in the agreement is open to public hunters. See NMDOW's unitized-ranch maps.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 85°F, lows around 57°F
- September — highs around 80°F, lows around 51°F
- October — highs around 70°F, lows around 41°F, about 0.2 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 60°F, lows around 30°F, about 0.5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 51°F, lows around 23°F, about 3.1 in of snowfall
Unit 37 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get a elk licence for Unit 37 without going through the draw?
Yes, in addition to 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. This is a distinct licensing route from the draw hunts, and access rights differ by ranch. The draw hunts listed for this unit remain the primary public application process.
How hard are the Unit 37 elk hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, odds vary both by hunt and by which of the three pools an application falls into: residents, nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and applicants applying with a registered outfitter, which is open to both residents and nonresidents. For example the December any-six-point bull archery hunt shows good odds for residents but long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, while most of the other hunts run long to very long odds across every pool. Odds are given per application, not per person, and are never guaranteed.
Can a nonresident hunt every season offered in Unit 37?
No. Nonresidents can apply for both archery any-elk hunts, both mature-bull hunts under any legal weapon, and the December any-six-point bull archery hunt. The antlerless elk hunt in late November through early December is restricted to residents only, and a nonresident is ineligible to apply for it.
Does New Mexico use preference points or bonus points for elk hunts like Unit 37?
No. New Mexico has no points system of any kind for elk, so there is nothing to build or hold from year to year. Every application for a Unit 37 hunt is simply entered into that year's random draw on its own.
How much of Unit 37 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land there?
About 40% of the unit is under public ownership through National Forest, BLM, and State Trust land, but that figure is not a measure of guaranteed access since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land specifically (7% of the 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 public-land share also still counts State Trust and BLM acreage inside the unit's unitized Armstrong ranch, which is closed to hunting despite being included in that total.
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.