Unit 43 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,903 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 43 is like
Unit 43 is gentle, rolling country, with the vast majority of its ground classed as gentle slope and almost nothing that qualifies as steep or rugged. Elevations run from 4,500 feet up to 8,200 feet, with most hunting happening around the 6,400-foot mid-range. Lower elevations are dominated by shrub and brush with only small pockets of grass and meadow and conifer and pinyon-juniper, while mid elevations open up with more grass and meadow mixed through the shrub and brush. Higher elevations shift toward conifer and pinyon-juniper and shrub and brush in close to even measure, with grass and meadow filling the rest. Because the slope is so consistently mild across the unit, this is foot country in the sense that distance, not elevation gain, is the main physical challenge — a hunter can cover a lot of ground without much climbing, but open cover at lower elevations means limited concealment.
Only about 26% of Unit 43, roughly 501 square miles, is public land by ownership, split between State Trust land, National Forest, and BLM. State Trust land making up 16% of the unit can be hunted only during a hunter's own hunt, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads, and some parcels are withdrawn from access entirely, so checking the State Land Office's access map matters before setting foot on it. Ownership alone does not guarantee access, since some parcels carry restrictions regardless of designation. The remaining roughly 74% of the unit is private land requiring written permission to hunt.
The one public draw hunt available in Unit 43 is a random draw, not a first-come system, and New Mexico does not use preference or bonus points of any kind for elk — none accumulate, and none can be built or held. Landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System separately issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk license, a licensing route distinct from the public draw.
Elk hunts in Unit 43 (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 39 | 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 is easing out of its most intense stretch, and mature bulls may begin pulling away from cow groups to isolate, with the larger bulls often the first to peel off on their own. Smaller satellite bulls can still be found near cows, since some cows are cycling again and breeding continues in pockets even as the broader pattern winds down. Bulls that have been through the rut can show up worn down and battered, sometimes carrying broken antlers, so a hunter after a clean rack should look bulls over carefully before deciding. Given the open, gentle terrain here, the better approach is searching out secluded pockets where feeding, bedding, and water sit close together, since that's where isolating bulls and lingering cow groups are most likely to hold. This hunt allows any legal weapon and any elk is legal game, and it draws under very long odds for both resident and nonresident applicants without an outfitter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,500–8,200 ft, typically around 6,400 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 91% gentle · 7% moderate · 2% steep · 0% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~501 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 brush87%
- Grass and meadow7%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper4%
- Other cover2%
Mid elevations
- Shrub and brush60%
- Grass and meadow25%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper12%
- Other cover3%
Higher elevations
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper43%
- Shrub and brush39%
- Grass and meadow17%
- Other cover1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 26% of Unit 43 is public land by ownership — State Trust land, National Forest and BLM. Ownership is not the same as legal access: some parcels are closed or restricted.
- State Trust land16%
- National Forest9%
- BLM1%
- Unclassified ownership<1%
- Private74%
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.
Fall weather
- August — highs around 85°F, lows around 54°F
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 47°F
- October — highs around 68°F, lows around 36°F, about 0.4 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 57°F, lows around 26°F, about 0.9 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 47°F, lows around 19°F, about 3.1 in of snowfall
Unit 43 elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 43?
A hunter applies for the public draw hunt by its hunt code through the state's random draw process. Separately, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System issue authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk license, which is a different licensing route than the draw.
How hard is this hunt to draw, and does it differ by pool?
The any-legal-weapon, any-elk hunt in Unit 43 carries very long odds for both residents and nonresidents applying without an outfitter. No band is available for the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents who apply through a registered outfitter.
Can a nonresident hunt Unit 43?
Yes, a nonresident can apply for the public draw hunt in Unit 43, either without an outfitter or through the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents. By law residents receive the large majority of licences issued for the unit.
Does New Mexico use preference or bonus points for elk?
No, New Mexico has no points system of any kind for elk. There is nothing to build or hold from one application to the next; every application enters the random draw on its own.
How much of Unit 43 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
About 26 percent of Unit 43, roughly 501 square miles, is public land by ownership, consisting of State Trust land, National Forest, and BLM. State Trust land makes up 16 percent of the unit and can be used only during a hunter's own hunt plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads, and some parcels are withdrawn from access.
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.