Unit 51B Elk Hunting, New Mexico
New Mexico hunting unit · Part of Unit 51 · 197 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 51B is like
Unit 51B sits at modest elevation for elk country, running from about 6,200 feet up to 8,100 feet, with most of the ground holding at a gentle, rolling grade rather than anything steep. The slope data bears this out: the overwhelming majority of the unit is gentle or moderate going, with only a small sliver of steep or rugged ground. Cover across the unit leans heavily toward shrub and brush, with conifer and pinyon-juniper woodland making up a secondary share and grass and meadow a minor component. That mix means a hunter spends a lot of time working brush edges and timbered pockets rather than climbing, and most of this country is walkable on foot, though the open, rolling character also means elk can see and smell a hunter from a distance if the approach is careless.
Public land covers roughly 70 percent of Unit 51B, about 137 of its 197 square miles, held across National Forest, BLM and State Trust ownership. That ownership figure is not the same as guaranteed access — some parcels carry restrictions or closures, and State Trust land (6% of the unit) can only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt dates plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. The remaining roughly 30 percent is private and requires written permission to hunt. Beyond the public draw hunts listed for this unit, 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.
Most of the hunts here are written for all of Unit 51 rather than 51B alone, so a hunter drawing one of them is hunting across a larger area than 51B's own terrain and cover figures describe. New Mexico has no points system for elk of any kind, so every application stands on its own in a random draw each year; sequence number, not points, determines who gets a choice first.
Elk hunts in Unit 51B (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. Unit 51B is part of Unit 51; a hunt marked as written for all of Unit 51 is valid across its sub-units.
| Hunt | Dates | Legal elk | Resident | Nonresident, no outfitter | With an outfitter | Rut phase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery ELK-2-193 Written for all of Unit 51 | September 1 – September 14 | Any elk | Fair odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Rut Onset, Primary Rut |
| Archery ELK-2-194 Written for all of Unit 51 | September 15 – September 24 | Any elk | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Primary Rut |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-195 Written for all of Unit 51 | October 10 – October 14 | Mature bull | Long odds | Very long odds | Very long odds | Late Rut / Early Post-Rut |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-196 Written for all of Unit 51 | October 17 – October 21 | Mature bull | Long odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-197 Written for all of Unit 51 | October 24 – October 28 | Mature bull | Long odds | Very long odds | Long odds | Post-Rut Recovery |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-198 Written for all of Unit 51 | November 7 – November 11 | Antlerless elk | Long odds | Residents only | Residents only | Migration Transition |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-199 Written for all of Unit 51 | November 14 – November 18 | Antlerless elk | Fair odds | Residents only | Residents only | Migration Transition |
| Any legal weapon ELK-1-200 Written for all of Unit 51 | November 21 – November 25 | Antlerless elk | Fair odds | Residents only | Residents only | Migration Transition |
| Muzzleloader ELK-3-201 Written for all of Unit 51 | December 5 – December 9 | Any elk | Fair odds | Long odds | Good 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
Archery hunters in the first two weeks of September are working through the rut onset and into the primary rut, a stretch when bull activity is building and movement starts increasing across the unit. With the ground mostly gentle and rolling, covering territory on foot is manageable, and the mix of shrub and brush with pockets of conifer and pinyon-juniper gives both cover to close the distance and some visibility to spot animals moving between feeding and bedding areas. This hunt is open to any elk and is written for all of Unit 51, so the area in play extends beyond 51B's own boundaries. Residents draw this hunt at fair odds, nonresidents without an outfitter face very long odds, and those applying with an outfitter see long odds.
Archery · Any elk · September 15 – September 24
The back half of September falls squarely in the primary rut, and archery hunters here are working country where bull activity should be well underway. The terrain's low relief means still-hunting and glassing across brush and woodland edges is practical without heavy climbing, though the open shrub cover also rewards a careful, downwind approach. This is again an any-elk hunt written for all of Unit 51. Draw odds are tougher in this window, with residents facing long odds and both nonresident categories facing very long odds.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 10 – October 14
By the second week of October the rut is winding down into its late and early post-rut phase, and mature bulls may be starting to pull away from cow groups to isolate, with the larger bulls often leaving first while smaller satellite bulls linger with cows still cycling. Bulls coming off the rut can be worn down and battered, sometimes carrying broken points or beams, so it pays to look them over carefully before deciding on a shot. Hunters should start checking secluded pockets where feeding, bedding, and water sit close together, something the unit's rolling terrain and mixed shrub-and-woodland cover make easy enough to find on foot. This is a mature-bull hunt — spikes are not legal — written for all of Unit 51, with long odds for residents and very long odds for both nonresident pools.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 17 – October 21
By mid-to-late October bulls have moved into post-rut recovery, often settling into secluded areas where they can meet their needs without traveling far, which can make them behave more like mule deer than rutting elk. Glassing feeding openings early and late remains productive, and during the slow midday hours walking likely ground for tracks and droppings pays off. When sign shows elk are using an area, the better move is to stay patient and keep hunting it rather than pushing on to new ground. This mature-bull hunt is written for all of Unit 51, with long odds for residents, very long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and long odds for those applying with an outfitter.
Any legal weapon · Mature bull · October 24 – October 28
The late-October mature-bull hunt falls in the same post-rut recovery window as the prior one, with bulls holding tight to secluded pockets rather than ranging widely. The approach is the same patient game: glass open feeding areas at the edges of the day, and spend slower hours checking for fresh tracks and droppings rather than covering ground for its own sake. Once sign confirms elk are present, staying put and working the area thoroughly tends to beat moving on. Odds mirror the previous period — long for residents, very long for nonresidents without an outfitter, and long for those applying with an outfitter — and the hunt is again written for all of Unit 51.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · November 7 – November 11
Early November puts antlerless hunters into the migration transition, when elk begin shifting toward wintering ground and large cow groups can become less concentrated and harder to pattern. The best approach is working the transition zones between higher ground and wintering country, looking for current sign rather than relying on evidence left from past years. Average snowfall for the month runs light, but if meaningful snow has accumulated by the hunt it is worth concentrating effort lower, where elk are more likely to have settled. This antlerless hunt is restricted to residents only, who face long odds in the draw.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · November 14 – November 18
Mid-November antlerless hunters are still in the migration transition, with cow groups continuing to break up and shift toward lower wintering ground. Fresh sign is the key to finding where elk actually are, since places that held elk in past years won't necessarily hold them now. If snow has built up by this point it makes sense to focus on lower terrain where elk concentrate; in lighter conditions they may still be using higher ground. This is a residents-only antlerless hunt, and residents see fair odds in the draw.
Any legal weapon · Antlerless elk · November 21 – November 25
The late-November antlerless season closes out the migration transition window, by which point cow groups are likely well along in their shift toward wintering areas. Covering the unit's gentle, rolling terrain on foot to check for current sign remains the most reliable way to locate elk, rather than counting on sign from previous seasons. Whatever snow has accumulated by this point should guide where to concentrate — lower ground if it's been substantial, higher ground if conditions have stayed light. This residents-only antlerless hunt carries fair odds for residents.
Muzzleloader · Any elk · December 5 – December 9
The early-December muzzleloader hunt falls in the winter range phase, when bulls may be grouped together with other bulls rather than scattered individually. Wintering areas can see repeated use year after year, so historical sign is a good starting point for narrowing the search, but it still takes fresh tracks, droppings, or actual sightings to confirm elk are using a spot now. December averages meaningful snowfall and cold lows, and if snow has piled up by the hunt dates, concentrating on lower wintering ground makes sense. This any-elk hunt is written for all of Unit 51, with fair odds for residents, long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, and good odds for those applying with an outfitter.
Terrain & elevation
- Elevation
- 6,200–8,100 ft, typically around 7,400 ft
- Slope breakdown
- 82% gentle · 13% moderate · 5% steep · 1% rugged
- Public land by ownership
- ~137 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
- Shrub and brush74%
- Conifer and pinyon-juniper23%
- Other cover2%
- Grass and meadow1%
Cover classes from the USGS National Land Cover Database. “Other cover” is the remainder — bare ground, water, agriculture and developed land.
Land & access
About 70% of Unit 51B 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 Forest42%
- BLM22%
- State Trust land6%
- Private30%
Public land includes State Trust land (6% 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 81°F, lows around 50°F
- September — highs around 75°F, lows around 43°F
- October — highs around 63°F, lows around 32°F, about 0.3 in of snowfall
- November — highs around 51°F, lows around 22°F, about 1.5 in of snowfall
- December — highs around 41°F, lows around 14°F, about 5.7 in of snowfall
Unit 51B elk hunting FAQ
How does a hunter get an elk licence for Unit 51B?
A hunter applies for one of the public draw hunts listed for Unit 51, specifying the hunt by its code and choosing up to three hunt choices on the application. 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 from the draw entirely.
How hard are these 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 vary a good deal by hunt. For example, the early September archery hunt shows fair odds for residents but very long odds for nonresidents without an outfitter, while the December muzzleloader hunt shows good odds for those applying with an outfitter. Odds apply per application, not per person, and no pool's exact share of licences is published.
Can a nonresident hunt every season offered here?
No. Nonresidents may apply for both archery any-elk hunts, all three mature-bull hunts, and the muzzleloader any-elk hunt. The three antlerless elk hunts are restricted to residents only, and a nonresident is not eligible to apply for them at all.
Does New Mexico use preference points for elk?
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 in a given year's draw is assigned a random sequence number and processed in that order, independent of past application history.
How much of Unit 51B is public land, and what's the rule on State Trust ground?
About 70 percent of Unit 51B, roughly 137 of its 197 square miles, is public land under National Forest, BLM, and State Trust ownership, with the remaining 30 percent private and requiring written permission. State Trust land makes up 6% of the unit and can only be hunted during a hunter's own hunt dates, plus up to seven days of scouting beforehand, entering by public or established roads. Public ownership is not the same as guaranteed access, since some parcels are closed or restricted.
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.