ELK-1-389 · BullRES + NR
Unit 53 elk,Unit 53: excluding Cerro portion
Season Any Legal - Excluding Cerro portion Oct 24–Oct 28·Units: 53·131 tags in 2026·Who can apply: residents and nonresidents
Odds for:Nonresident · 0 pts
Answer card2026 draw · Nonresident
131 tags, 73 applied, 48% drew in 2026. 455th hardest of 521 New Mexico elk draws in 2026.
Draw result · 2026
13%
3 of 23 drew
Harvest success
5–12%
Range, 2023–2025
Tags · 2026
131
Applicants · 2026
73
0.6 per tag
Draw results · whole hunt
| Year | Who | Applicants | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nonresident | 23 | 3 |
| 2026 | Resident | 50 | 32 |
| 2025 | Outfitter | 8 | 4 |
New Mexico prints whole-hunt figures, not results by point level.
Draw history
| Year | Who | Draw | Applicants | Drew | Share drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Nonresident | 3 of 23 drew | 23 | 3 | 13% |
| 2026 | Resident | 32 of 50 drew | 50 | 32 | 64% |
| 2025 | Nonresident | 4 of 17 drew | 17 | 4 | 24% |
| 2025 | Outfitter | 4 of 8 drew | 8 | 4 | 50% |
| 2025 | Resident | 31 of 38 drew | 38 | 31 | 82% |
| 2024 | Nonresident | 2 of 15 drew | 15 | 2 | 13% |
| 2024 | Resident | 35 of 40 drew | 40 | 35 | 88% |
| 2023 | Nonresident | 1 of 10 drew | 10 | 1 | 10% |
| 2023 | Outfitter | 8 of 8 drew | 8 | 8 | 100% |
| 2023 | Resident | 30 of 43 drew | 43 | 30 | 70% |
Other applicant tracks
| Track | Year | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outfitter | 2025 | 8 | 4 |
Draws that run alongside the general one, from the latest results.
What it is
- Hunt
- Unit 53: excluding Cerro portion
- Weapon
- Any Legal - Excluding Cerro portion
- Tags
- 131 (2026)
- Who can apply
- Residents and nonresidents
Season dates, 2026
- Any Legal - Excluding Cerro portion: Oct 24–Oct 28
Check the regulations for boundaries and restrictions.
Harvest success, ELK-1-389
2023–20252312%247%255%
Other elk hunts in Unit 53
Ask FarWide
Answers use the same figures as this page.
Before you apply
- Leftovers
- “Licenses remaining after 14 days shall be available to any youth hunter eligible to purchase an elk license, whether they applied for draw hunts or not. Hunts will only be offered online on a first-come, first-served basis.”
- Tag fee
- “A $70 Not issued”
- Tag fee
- “ES $100 $998”
- Points
- “New Mexico does not grant preference to previously unsuccessful applicants.”
Rules for 2026.
Source: NMDGF · Updated Nov 13, 2026