New Mexico Deer — GMU 52
New Mexico GMU 52 covers 268,846 acres and lies 32 miles west of Questa and 45 miles north-west of Taos. 95% of it is public land, mostly national forest (78%) and BLM (15%). In 2025, 258 people hunted deer here and took 79 — 31% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 9 tags here for 15 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every deer license type on offer in GMU 52, 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-
DER-1-394 Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov.4 5 tags · 28 applicants · Standard14% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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DER-1-394 Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov.4 9 tags · 15 applicants · Outfitter47% Real chance 14% as 2nd choice
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9% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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29% Long shot 18% as 2nd choice
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9% Long shot 8% as 2nd choice
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73% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
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DER-3-397 Unit 52: restricted muzzleloader only — fork-antlered deer — Muzzle - Restricted — Sept. 27-Oct.3 2 tags · 12 applicants · Standard17% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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DER-3-397 Unit 52: restricted muzzleloader only — fork-antlered deer — Muzzle - Restricted — Sept. 27-Oct.3 0 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DER-1-394 ↗ Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov.4 Rifle | 14% Long shot | 2% | — | 5 / 28 | Standard | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| DER-1-394 ↗ Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov.4 Rifle | 47% Real chance | 14% | — | 9 / 15 | Outfitter | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| DER-1-395 ↗ Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | 9% Long shot | 2% | — | 5 / 46 | Standard | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| DER-1-395 ↗ Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | 29% Long shot | 18% | — | 9 / 14 | Outfitter | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| DER-2-396 ↗ Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Bow — Sept. 1-24 Archery | 9% Long shot | 8% | — | 4 / 22 | Standard | Sep 1–24, 2026 |
| DER-2-396 ↗ Unit 52 — fork-antlered deer — Bow — Sept. 1-24 Archery | 73% Real chance | 0% | — | 8 / 11 | Outfitter | Sep 1–24, 2026 |
| DER-3-397 ↗ Unit 52: restricted muzzleloader only — fork-antlered deer — Muzzle - Restricted — Sept. 27-Oct.3 Muzzleloader | 17% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 12 | Standard | Sep 27 – Oct 3, 2026 |
| DER-3-397 ↗ Unit 52: restricted muzzleloader only — fork-antlered deer — Muzzle - Restricted — Sept. 27-Oct.3 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Sep 27 – Oct 3, 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
- National Forest 209,657 ac · 78%
- BLM 39,929 ac · 15%
- State trust land 3,650 ac · 1%
- State land 857 ac · 0%
- Tribal 1 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 14,751 ac · 5%
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 | 258 | 79 | 31% |
| 2024 | 263 | 74 | 28% |
| 2023 | 276 | 84 | 30% |
| 2022 | 251 | 87 | 35% |
| 2021 | 256 | 79 | 31% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 86 · 80% · 163 hunters, 53% success
- Archery 22 · 20% · 85 hunters, 26% success
- Muzzleloader 0 · 0% · 3 hunters, 0% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 52: Beginning at the intersection of US 64 and the east boundary of the Tierra Amarilla grant and running north along the eastern boundary of the grant to the Colorado-New Mexico state line, then east along the state line to its intersection with US 285, then south along US 285 to its junction with US 64 at Tres Piedras, then west along US 64 to its intersection with the east boundary of...
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