New Mexico Deer · GMU 23
New Mexico GMU 23 spans 1,874,149 acres, centered 18 miles west of Silver City. 74% of it is public land, mostly state trust land (33%) and national forest (24%). In 2025, 2,030 people hunted deer here and took 578, a 28% success rate (sum of published weapon rows). Its most applied-for hunt, DER-1-246, put up 2 tags (all residencies) in the 2026 draw for 180 nonresident first-choice applicants, 2 of whom drew.
No points in this draw. Every applicant has the same chance each year.
38 licenses · NR capped at 6%
first choice, NR
2025, all licenses
44% State
1,874,149 acres
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only. The written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Best Bets
Ranked by your odds times how often that license type's hunters filled their tag in 2025. Nonresident, first choice, 2026 draw; licenses with at least 10 tags that anyone can buy.
- Success
- 28%
- Season
- Nov 7–11
- Tags / Apps
- 24 / 1
- If Drawn
- $502
- Success
- 28%
- Season
- Nov 14–18
- Tags / Apps
- 10 / 3
- If Drawn
- $502
- Success
- 28%
- Season
- Nov 21–25
- Tags / Apps
- 10 / 6
- If Drawn
- $502
- Success
- 28%
- Season
- Sep 1–24
- Tags / Apps
- 45 / 26
- If Drawn
- $502
Every License in GMU 23
| What | Season | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| DER-1-234 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Any Legal — Nov.… | 21% | |
| DER-1-234 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Any Legal — Nov.… | 100% | |
| DER-1-235 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Any Legal — Nov.… | 25% | |
| DER-1-235 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Any Legal — Nov.… | 100% | |
| DER-1-236 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Any… | 6% | |
| DER-1-236 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Any… | 100% | |
| DER-1-237 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Any… | 1% (small sample) | |
| DER-1-237 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Any… | 11% | |
| DER-1-238 Standard · youth | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area, youth only — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal… | 7% | |
| DER-1-238 Outfitter · youth | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area, youth only — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal… | 100% | |
| DER-1-245 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered mule deer — Any Legal — Nov. 7-15 | 5% (small sample) | |
| DER-1-245 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered mule deer — Any Legal — Nov. 7-15 | 6% (small sample) | |
| DER-1-246 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Any Legal… | 1% (small sample) | |
| DER-1-246 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Any Legal… | 3% (small sample) | |
| DER-1-247 Standard · youth | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only, youth only — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal… | 10% (small sample) | |
| DER-1-247 Outfitter · youth | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only, youth only — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal… | 14% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-239 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Bow — Sept. 1-24 | 100% | |
| DER-2-239 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Bow — Sept. 1-24 | 100% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-240 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Bow — Jan. 1-15… | 21% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-240 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Bow — Jan. 1-15… | 100% | |
| DER-2-241 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow… | 100% | |
| DER-2-241 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow… | not open | |
| DER-2-242 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow… | 15% | |
| DER-2-242 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow… | 100% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-248 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered mule deer — Bow — Jan. 1-15, ‘27 | 11% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-248 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered mule deer — Bow — Jan. 1-15, ‘27 | 8% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-249 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow — Sept.… | 100% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-249 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow — Sept.… | 100% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-250 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow — Jan.… | 13% (small sample) | |
| DER-2-250 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Bow — Jan.… | 100% (small sample) | |
| DER-3-243 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Muzzle — Oct.… | 100% | |
| DER-3-243 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered mule deer — Muzzle — Oct.… | not open | |
| DER-3-244 Standard | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Muzzle… | 100% | |
| DER-3-244 Outfitter | Unit 23: except the Burro mountains hunt area — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Muzzle… | not open | |
| DER-3-251 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered mule deer — Muzzle — Oct. 31-Nov.4 | 17% (small sample) | |
| DER-3-251 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered mule deer — Muzzle — Oct. 31-Nov.4 | 100% (small sample) | |
| DER-3-252 Standard | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Muzzle — Oct.… | 17% (small sample) | |
| DER-3-252 Outfitter | Unit 23: Burro mountains hunt area only — fork-antlered white-tailed deer — Muzzle — Oct.… | 100% (small sample) |
First-choice nonresident odds, 2026 draw. No points in this draw: every applicant has the same chance.
Draw results: NMDGF 2026 Big Game Drawing Odds Complete Report, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
If you draw (2026 nonresident fees): Standard $502 ($492 to apply) · Outfitter $502 ($492 to apply). Closes Mar 17, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
Harvest
| Year | Hunters | Deer | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (summed) | 2,030 | 578 | 28% |
| 2022 | 1,843 | 525 | 28% |
| 2021 | 1,816 | 411 | 23% |
| 2025 by License | Hunters | Deer | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reg · archery · 3 licenses | 0 | — | — |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 226 licenses | 185 | 23 | 13% |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 75 licenses | 60 | 8 | 14% |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 3 licenses | 0 | — | — |
| Reg · rifle · 38 licenses | 34 | 24 | 71% |
| Reg · rifle · 30 licenses | 29 | 19 | 67% |
| Reg · rifle · 3 licenses | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| Reg · rifle · 5 licenses | 5 | 3 | 67% |
| Reg · rifle · 9 licenses | 9 | 8 | 83% |
| Reg · archery · 4 licenses | 3 | 1 | 33% |
| Reg · archery · 27 licenses | 27 | 10 | 36% |
| Reg · archery · 2 licenses | 2 | 0 | 0% |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 7 licenses | 7 | 5 | 67% |
| Reg · rifle · 33 licenses | 30 | 8 | 27% |
| Reg · rifle · 40 licenses | 37 | 13 | 35% |
| Reg · rifle · 23 licenses | 20 | 15 | 75% |
| Reg · archery · 35 licenses | 30 | 13 | 43% |
| Reg · archery · 17 licenses | 13 | 3 | 23% |
| Reg · archery · 49 licenses | 38 | 8 | 21% |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 37 licenses | 35 | 15 | 43% |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 40 licenses | 35 | 3 | 9% |
| Reg · rifle · 1 license | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Reg · rifle · 50 licenses (hunt 2 of 3) | 43 | 29 | 67% |
| Reg · rifle · 400 licenses (hunt 2 of 2) | 339 | 90 | 26% |
| Reg · rifle · 400 licenses (hunt 1 of 2) | 350 | 67 | 19% |
| Reg · rifle · 100 licenses | 91 | 30 | 33% |
| Reg · rifle · 50 licenses (hunt 1 of 3) | 46 | 31 | 67% |
| Reg · rifle · 50 licenses (hunt 3 of 3) | 40 | 13 | 33% |
| Reg · archery · 135 licenses | 123 | 34 | 28% |
| Reg · archery · 85 licenses | 77 | 26 | 34% |
| Reg · archery · 60 licenses | 39 | 10 | 26% |
| Reg · archery · 40 licenses | 29 | 9 | 31% |
| Reg · muzzleloader · 288 licenses | 250 | 57 | 23% |
2025 split: archery 114 (20%) from 381 hunters, 30%, muzzleloader 111 (19%) from 572 hunters, 19%, rifle 353 (61%) from 1,077 hunters, 33%
What New Mexico Department of Game and Fish publishes after each season, for everyone who hunted the area: harvest statistics, not draw odds. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish publishes no whole-GMU line for 2025; a year's total is the sum of published weapon rows, added only where the lines do not overlap. Source: NMDGF 2025-2026 Deer Harvest Report; NMDGF 2022-2023 Deer Harvest Report; NMDGF 2021-2022 Deer Harvest Report.
The Ground
| State trust land | 612,097 ac | 33% |
| National Forest | 449,895 ac | 24% |
| BLM | 329,239 ac | 18% |
| Department of Defense | 2,140 ac | <1% |
| State land | 1,964 ac | <1% |
| Private or other non-public land | 478,811 ac | 26% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office 2023 BLM_Surface_Management_2023.
What the Agency Says About the Area
GMU 23: Beginning at the intersection of US 180 and the NM/AZ state line west of Luna, then south along the state line to its intersection with US 70, then southeast along US 70 to its junction with US 180 at Deming: then northwest along US 180 to its junction with the NM/AZ state line. Burro Mountain Hunt Area: The Big Burro Mountain portion of the Gila National Forest in GMU 23,...
▸ Sources 8
- NMDGF 2026 Big Game Drawing Odds Complete Report draw results, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- NMDGF 2026-2027 Draw Hunt License Fees / Draw… fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- NMDGF 2026-2027 Over-the-Counter License Fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- NMDGF 2025-2026 Deer Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2022-2023 Deer Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2021-2022 Deer Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2026 NM Game Management Units, layer 0 boundary, area description, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office 2023 BLM_Surface_Management_2023 land ownership, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's published results. They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. How we compute these.
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We don't take applications: check New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's results, not a forecast · Methodology · All New Mexico deer hunts