Unit 47 Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · 1,206 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 47 is like
Unit 47 is gentle and rolling country by New Mexico elk-unit standards, with mean slope under five degrees and the large majority of the ground classed as gentle or moderate. Elevation runs from about 4,400 feet up to 7,300 feet, and the cover is split mainly between grass and meadow and shrub and brush in roughly equal measure, with a smaller share of conifer and pinyon-juniper timber scattered through. It is country that rewards a hunter who can cover ground on foot and glass open flats and brushy draws rather than someone looking for rugged, broken terrain to hide in.
Only about 24% of the unit is public land by ownership, a mix of State Trust land, National Forest and BLM, and that ownership share does not mean all of it is open — some parcels are closed or restricted, and State Trust land can only be used during a hunter's own hunt plus up to a week of scouting beforehand, entered by public or established roads. The other roughly 76% is private and requires written permission to hunt. The Mogote Hill fire burned about 17,000 acres on the unit's southwest side in 2025, and every season discussed here falls within the first year after that burn; hunters should check for current fire closures before heading out.
All three seasons listed are drawn hunts requiring an application, and separate from that process landowners in the Elk Private Lands Use System also issue authorizations letting 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 of any kind, so every application stands on its own in a random draw each year.
Elk hunts in Unit 47 (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-2-411 Also valid in Units 42 and 59 | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Fair odds | — | — | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Archery ELK-2-412 Also valid in Units 42 and 59 | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Fair odds | Long odds | — | Primary Rut |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-413 Also valid in Units 42 and 59 | October 1 – October 5 | Any elk | Very long odds | 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.
Archery · Any elk · September 1 – September 14
Archery hunters in the first two weeks of September are working the Rut Onset and Primary Rut phases, when bull activity is building toward breeding. The open, gentle terrain and the mix of grass and meadow with shrub and brush make for good glassing but also mean elk can see or wind a hunter from a long way off, so using what timber exists in the conifer and pinyon-juniper patches for cover is worthwhile. Because the unit lies within the first year after the Mogote Hill fire, elk may be concentrated on ground that still holds water and feed rather than where they were seen in past summers, and green-up in the burned ground can draw animals back through it between pockets of standing timber. Any elk is legal, and the hunt carries Fair odds for residents.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
The second archery season falls entirely in the Primary Rut phase, putting hunters into the heart of breeding activity on the same open, rolling ground. The shrub and brush and grass and meadow cover dominates the walking here, so still-hunting or glassing from a rise and working toward timber patches tends to pay off better than trying to sneak through open flats. With the unit still inside its first year after the Mogote Hill fire, elk sign from prior seasons may not hold, and fresher sign in or near the burn is worth more trust than old sign. Any elk is legal, and the hunt draws Fair odds for residents while nonresidents applying without an outfitter face Long odds.
Any legal weapon · Any elk · October 1 – October 5
By the first days of October the unit has moved into the Late Rut / Early Post-Rut phase, and breeding activity is winding down. Mature bulls may be pulling away from cow groups to isolate on their own, often with the larger bulls leaving first, while smaller satellite bulls can stick with cows that are still cycling; bulls coming off the rut can be worn down and carrying broken antlers, so hunters focused on trophy quality should look them over carefully. The gentle, open terrain favors searching out secluded pockets where feed, bedding cover, and water sit close together, and the unit's first-year post-fire conditions mean such pockets may be in or near the Mogote Hill burn rather than where elk summered. Any legal weapon may be used for any elk, and the hunt carries Very long odds across all three pools — residents, nonresidents without an outfitter, and those applying with a registered outfitter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 4,400–7,300 ft, typically around 5,900 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 87% gentle · 9% moderate · 4% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~288 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.
Across the unit
- Grass and meadow45%
- Shrub and brush45%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper9%
- Other cover1%
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 47. 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.
- Mogote Hill fire, 2025 — about 17,000 acres in the unit (2%), mostly on its southwest side.
Fire perimeters from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Land & access
About 24% of Unit 47 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 land18%
- National Forest4%
- BLM1%
- Private76%
Public land includes State Trust land (18% 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 84°F, lows around 55°F
- September — highs around 79°F, lows around 48°F
- October — highs around 68°F, lows around 37°F, about 0.7 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 57°F, lows around 26°F, about 1 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 48°F, lows around 19°F, about 2.5 in of snowfall
Unit 47 elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 47?
A hunter applies for one of the public draw hunts by its hunt code, such as the archery or any-legal-weapon seasons listed for the unit. Separately, landowners enrolled in the Elk Private Lands Use System issue their own authorizations that let a hunter buy a private-land elk licence, which is a different route onto private ground in the unit.
How hard are the Unit 47 hunts to draw, and does it differ by pool?
Yes, odds are given separately for residents, nonresidents applying without an outfitter, and applicants applying with a registered outfitter, and they can differ sharply. The early archery hunt shows Fair odds for residents, the second archery hunt shows Fair odds for residents but Long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and the October any-legal-weapon hunt shows Very long odds across all three pools.
Can a nonresident hunt elk in Unit 47?
Yes, nonresidents can apply for the same draw hunts as residents, either without an outfitter or through the outfitter pool, which is open to both residents and nonresidents. Draw odds for nonresidents without an outfitter are shown separately and run from Long odds to Very long odds depending on the hunt.
Does New Mexico use preference or bonus points for elk?
No, New Mexico has no points system of any kind for elk. Every application in Unit 47 is assigned a random sequence number each year and stands on its own in that draw.
How much of Unit 47 is public land, and what is the rule on State Trust land?
About 24% of the unit, roughly 288 square miles, is public land by ownership, split among State Trust land, National Forest, and BLM; the remaining roughly 76% is private ground requiring written permission. State Trust land, which makes up 18% of the unit, can only be used during a hunter's own hunt plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads.
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.