New Mexico Deer — GMU 25
New Mexico GMU 25 covers 2,035,698 acres and lies 18 miles north-east of Columbus and 41 miles south-west of Mesilla. 79% of it is public land, mostly BLM (64%) and state trust land (14%). In 2025, 269 people hunted deer here and took 26 — 10% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 8 tags here for 1 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in GMU 25, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
15% Long shot 17% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 0% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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100% Undersubscribed
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100% No first-choice applicants
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0% Long shot 20% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants 100% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed
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— Not open to nonresidents
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DER-1-265 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | 15% Long shot | 17% | — | 6 / 13 | Standard | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| DER-1-265 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | 100% Undersubscribed | 0% | — | 2 / 2 undersubscribed | Outfitter | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| DER-1-266 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Nov. 14-18 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 0% | — | 6 / 5 | Standard | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| DER-1-266 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Nov. 14-18 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| DER-2-267 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Bow — Sept. 1-24 Archery | 100% Undersubscribed | — | — | 8 / 1 undersubscribed | Standard | Sep 1–24, 2026 |
| DER-2-267 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Bow — Sept. 1-24 Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 1 / 0 | Outfitter | Sep 1–24, 2026 |
| DER-2-268 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Bow — Jan. 1-15, ‘27 Archery | 0% Long shot | 20% | — | 1 / 4 | Standard | Jan 1–15, 2027 |
| DER-2-268 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Bow — Jan. 1-15, ‘27 Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | 100% | — | 1 / 0 | Outfitter | Jan 1–15, 2027 |
| DER-3-269 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Muzzle — Oct. 31-Nov.4 Muzzleloader | 100% Undersubscribed | — | — | 6 / 2 undersubscribed | Standard | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| DER-3-269 ↗ Unit 25 — fork-antlered deer — Muzzle — Oct. 31-Nov.4 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- As 2nd choice —
- New Mexico lets you name more than one hunt on the application. Miss on your first choice and you go into the pot for whatever tags are left, alongside everyone else's second choices. Points never help a lower choice, so this number is the same whatever you have banked — it is usually worth naming a hunt that goes undersubscribed.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard license | $492 | $107 | $502 |
| Outfitter license | $492 | $107 | $502 |
Application window: closes Mar 18, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- BLM 1,311,108 ac · 64%
- State trust land 294,435 ac · 14%
- State land 2,741 ac · 0%
- Bureau of Reclamation 98 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 427,314 ac · 21%
Source: BLM_Surface_Management_2023 (BLM New Mexico State Office Surface Management Agency layer)
How the hunting has gone
What New Mexico Department of Game and Fish publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast.
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 269 | 26 | 10% |
| 2024 | 269 | 50 | 18% |
| 2023 | 286 | 76 | 27% |
| 2022 | 257 | 27 | 9% |
| 2021 | 264 | 34 | 13% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Muzzleloader 1 · 2% · 40 hunters, 3% success
- Rifle 38 · 90% · 184 hunters, 21% success
- Archery 3 · 7% · 30 hunters, 10% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 25: Beginning at the junction of the United States-Mexico boundary with the west boundary of Luna county and running north along the county line to its intersection with NM 9, then northwest along NM 9 to its intersection with NM 146 (old NM 81) at Hachita, then north along NM 146 (old NM 81) to its junction with I-10, then east and south along I-10 to its junction with US 70, then east...
Source: NM Game Management Units (NMDGF_Game_Management_Units_I_E__v2_WFL1), layer 0
Boundary: NM Game Management Units (NMDGF_Game_Management_Units_I_E__v2_WFL1), layer 0
Harvest: 2025-2026 Deer Harvest Report
Harvest: 2024-2025 Deer Harvest Report
Harvest: 2023-2024 Deer Harvest Report