Unit 39 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 2,638 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 39 is like
Unit 39 is low, gentle country rather than classic mountain elk ground — the mean slope runs about 2.4 degrees, and nearly all of the unit's area is gentle or moderate, with no steep or rugged terrain to speak of. Elevations stay modest too, climbing from around 4,000 feet to a high near 7,600 feet. Lower and mid elevations are dominated by shrub and brush with a little grass and meadow mixed in, while the higher ground opens into grass and meadow with patches of shrub and brush, a touch of conifer and pinyon-juniper woodland, and a sliver of riparian cover. It is walkable, open country where glassing across long sightlines matters as much as hard climbing, and a hunter can cover ground on foot without technical terrain getting in the way.
Only about 18% of Unit 39 is public land by ownership, split between BLM and State Trust land, and that figure is not the same as guaranteed access — some of it sits inside the unitized Stoval ranch, where the State Trust and BLM parcels are treated as closed even though they are still counted in that public share. State Trust land itself (about 16% of the unit) can only be used during a hunter's own hunt, plus a short scouting window beforehand, and entry is limited to public or established roads. The remaining roughly 82% of the unit is private, and written permission is required to hunt it. Beyond the public draw hunts, landowners 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.
With so little dependable public ground, getting into Unit 39 on a draw tag takes patience, and New Mexico's elk draw has no points system to lean on — every application simply gets a random sequence number that the computer works through in order.
Elk hunts in Unit 39 (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-410 Also valid in Unit 43 | October 1 – October 5 | Any elk | Very long odds | Very long odds | — | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
"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.
Any legal weapon · Any elk · October 1 – October 5
By the first days of October, breeding activity in the region is easing out of its most intense stretch and into the late rut and early post-rut phase, and mature bulls can start to peel away from cow groups to isolate on their own while smaller satellite bulls may linger with cows that are still cycling. Bulls coming off the rut can be worn down and battered, sometimes carrying broken points or beams, so a hunter after a clean rack should look animals over carefully before deciding to shoot. In Unit 39's gentle, open shrub-and-brush and grass-and-meadow country, that means searching out secluded pockets where feeding, bedding, and water sit close together rather than relying on steep terrain to pin elk down. This hunt allows any legal weapon for any elk, is also valid in Unit 43, and carries very long odds in the draw for both resident and nonresident-without-outfitter applicants under hunt code ELK-1-410.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,000–7,600 ft, typically around 5,600 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 97% gentle · 3% moderate · 0% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~468 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 brush95%
- Grass and meadow3%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush95%
- Grass and meadow4%
- Other cover1%
Higher elevations
- Grass and meadow62%
- Shrub and brush32%
- Other cover3%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper2%
- Riparian1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 18% of Unit 39 is public land by ownership — State Trust land and BLM. 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 (Stoval), which is closed to hunting — so the dependably open share is lower.
- State Trust land16%
- BLM2%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private82%
Public land includes State Trust land (16% 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: Stoval. 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 88°F, lows around 58°F
- September — highs around 81°F, lows around 50°F
- October — highs around 71°F, lows around 39°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 59°F, lows around 29°F, about 0.6 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 50°F, lows around 22°F, about 2.1 in of snowfall
Unit 39 elk hunting FAQ
Can a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 39?
Yes, through the public draw by applying for the listed hunt by its code, such as ELK-1-410 for the any-legal-weapon, any-elk hunt. A hunter may also look into Elk Private Lands Use System authorizations, which let landowners issue a separate private-land elk licence outside the draw. Both routes exist alongside each other in Unit 39.
How hard is it to draw an elk tag here, and does it differ by pool?
The any-legal-weapon, any-elk hunt (ELK-1-410) carries very long odds for residents and for nonresidents applying without an outfitter. Odds are given per application, not per person, and a band is only published when enough applicants exist to calculate one. There is also a pool for applicants using a registered outfitter, which is open to both residents and nonresidents, though no odds band is specified for it here.
Can a nonresident hunt Unit 39?
A nonresident can apply for the public draw hunt without an outfitter or choose to apply through a registered outfitter, since that pool is open to both residents and nonresidents. Nonresidents are not eligible for residents-only hunts such as antlerless elk hunts or hunts restricted to state wildlife management areas, but no such hunt is listed for Unit 39 here.
Does New Mexico use points for elk, and should a hunter save up before applying to Unit 39?
New Mexico has no preference points or bonus points system for elk at all. Every application is simply assigned a random sequence number, and the draw computer works through applications in that order rather than rewarding anyone for waiting. There is nothing to build or hold before applying.
How much of Unit 39 is public land, and does the State Trust portion work like normal public ground?
About 18% of the unit is public land by ownership, split between BLM and State Trust land, but that is a measure of ownership rather than guaranteed access, since some parcels are closed or restricted. State Trust land, which makes up about 16% of the unit, can only be used during a hunter's own hunt plus a short scouting period beforehand, entered by public or established roads. Part of that public land also falls inside the unitized Stoval ranch, where the BLM and State Trust parcels are treated as closed even though they still count toward the public-land figure.
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.