Unit 5B: elk, mature buck/bull, any legal weapon

Hunt code
ELK-1-186
Unit
5B
Weapon
Any weapon
Season
any legal weapon
Draw years
2023–2026

In 2026, 52 of 260 residents drew (20%).

In 2026, 5 of 66 nonresidents drew (8%).

Harvest success in 2025 was 48%.

Year by year

YearPermitsResidentsNonresidents
AppliedDrewAppliedDrew
2026–26052665
2025–25246552
2024–16039674
2023–23647995

Harvest

NMDGF counts licenses sold as hunters, and the harvest is NMDGF's estimate from hunter reports, public land only. The success rate is NMDGF's own printed figure, not harvest divided by licenses sold.

YearHuntersHarvestSuccess
2025873948%
2024872026%
2023872733%

Reading these numbers

New Mexico has no points: every application has the same chance every year. Each hunt's licenses are split by law, at least 84% to residents, 6% to nonresidents without an outfitter and 10% to applicants (resident or not) who contracted with an outfitter. Counts here are first-choice applicants and first-choice draws.

  • 202687 licenses in all; by law at least 84% go to residents, 6% to nonresidents without an outfitter, 10% to an outfitter pool. Outfitter pool (residents or nonresidents who contracted with an outfitter; not counted with the residents or nonresidents above): 59 first-choice applicants, 6 drawn.
  • 202587 licenses in all; by law at least 84% go to residents, 6% to nonresidents without an outfitter, 10% to an outfitter pool. Outfitter pool (residents or nonresidents who contracted with an outfitter; not counted with the residents or nonresidents above): 43 first-choice applicants, 5 drawn.
  • 202487 licenses in all; by law at least 84% go to residents, 6% to nonresidents without an outfitter, 10% to an outfitter pool. Outfitter pool (residents or nonresidents who contracted with an outfitter; not counted with the residents or nonresidents above): 34 first-choice applicants, 7 drawn.
  • 202387 licenses in all; by law at least 84% go to residents, 6% to nonresidents without an outfitter, 10% to an outfitter pool. Outfitter pool (residents or nonresidents who contracted with an outfitter; not counted with the residents or nonresidents above): 62 first-choice applicants, 2 drawn.

Sources

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Other hunts in unit 5B

Units listed next to it

In NMDGF's unit order, which often but not always means nearby.