New Mexico Elk — GMU 15
New Mexico GMU 15 covers 1,045,580 acres and lies 87 miles south-west of Grants. 82% of it is public land, mostly national forest (60%) and BLM (17%). In 2025, 2,135 people hunted elk here and took 744 — 40% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 35 tags here for 116 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 15, 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-
3% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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8% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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<1% Long shot <1% as 2nd choice
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4% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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ELK-3-266 Unit 15 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 75 applicants · Standard3% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-3-266 Unit 15 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 61 applicants · Outfitter3% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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1% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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7% Long shot <1% as 2nd choice
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5% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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3% Long shot 6% as 2nd choice
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13% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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22% Long shot 10% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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100% Undersubscribed
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-2-264 ↗ Unit 15 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 3% Long shot | 2% | — | 21 / 348 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-264 ↗ Unit 15 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 8% Long shot | 3% | — | 35 / 116 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-265 ↗ Unit 15 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | <1% Long shot | <1% | — | 15 / 651 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-265 ↗ Unit 15 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 4% Long shot | 2% | — | 25 / 388 | Outfitter | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-3-266 ↗ Unit 15 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 Muzzleloader | 3% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 75 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-3-266 ↗ Unit 15 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 Muzzleloader | 3% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 61 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-3-267 ↗ Unit 15 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 17-21 Muzzleloader | 1% Long shot | 3% | — | 12 / 399 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-3-267 ↗ Unit 15 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 17-21 Muzzleloader | 7% Long shot | <1% | — | 20 / 193 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-3-268 ↗ Unit 15 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 24-28 Muzzleloader | 5% Long shot | 2% | — | 15 / 66 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-3-268 ↗ Unit 15 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 24-28 Muzzleloader | 3% Long shot | 6% | — | 24 / 29 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-3-269 ↗ Unit 15 — mature bull — Muzzle — Nov. 14-18 Muzzleloader | 13% Long shot | 3% | — | 15 / 87 | Standard | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| ELK-3-269 ↗ Unit 15 — mature bull — Muzzle — Nov. 14-18 Muzzleloader | 22% Long shot | 10% | — | 25 / 41 | Outfitter | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| ELK-3-270 ↗ Unit 15 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 5-9 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-3-270 ↗ Unit 15 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 5-9 Muzzleloader | 100% Undersubscribed | — | — | 1 / 1 undersubscribed | Outfitter | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-3-271 ↗ Unit 15 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 12-16 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 12–16, 2026 |
| ELK-3-271 ↗ Unit 15 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 12-16 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Dec 12–16, 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 | $867 | $107 | $877 |
| Outfitter license | $867 | $107 | $877 |
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 632,560 ac · 60%
- BLM 174,476 ac · 17%
- State trust land 50,039 ac · 5%
- State land 166 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 188,337 ac · 18%
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 | 2,135 | 744 | 40% |
| 2024 | 2,155 | 702 | 37% |
| 2023 | 2,092 | 611 | 35% |
| 2022 | 2,149 | 746 | 33% |
| 2021 | 2,190 | 879 | 38% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Muzzleloader 261 · 63% · 611 hunters, 43% success
- Archery 56 · 14% · 367 hunters, 15% success
- Rifle 96 · 23% · 188 hunters, 51% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 15: Beginning at the intersection of the NM/AZ state line and US 60 and running east along US 60 to its intersection with NM 603 at Pie Town, then south and east along A056 to its junction with B040, then east along B040 to its junction with NM 12 south of Datil, then southwest along NM 12 to its junction with US 180 west of Reserve, then northwest along US 180 to its intersection with the...
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 Elk Harvest Report
Harvest: 2024-2025 Elk Harvest Report