New Mexico Elk — GMU 16B
New Mexico GMU 16B covers 603,341 acres and lies 29 miles north of Silver City. 100% of it is public land, mostly national forest (100%). The 2026 draw put up 22 tags here for 50 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 16B, 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-
<1% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
-
1% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
-
0% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
-
17% Long shot 7% as 2nd choice
-
2% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
-
100% Likely draw 5% as 2nd choice
-
4% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
-
14% Long shot 17% as 2nd choice
-
2% Long shot 1% as 2nd choice
-
6% Long shot 6% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-281 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | <1% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 219 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-281 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 1% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 82 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-282 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 2% | — | 4 / 59 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-282 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 17% Long shot | 7% | — | 8 / 23 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-283 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 2% Long shot | 5% | — | 7 / 57 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-283 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 5% | — | 12 / 11 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-2-279 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 4% Long shot | 2% | — | 14 / 185 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-279 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 14% Long shot | 17% | — | 22 / 50 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-280 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 2% Long shot | 1% | — | 10 / 260 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-280 ↗ Unit 16B/22 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 6% Long shot | 6% | — | 16 / 64 | Outfitter | Sep 15–24, 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.
What the agency says about the area
GMU 16B: That portion of GMU 16 beginning at the junction of USFS road 152 and the Grant-Sierra county line southwest of Board Gate Saddle, then north along the Grant-Sierra county line to Reeds Peak and the Continental Divide, thence north along the Continental Divide to its intersection with USFS trail 42, then west along FT 42 to its junction with FT 40 at Diamond creek, then west along FT...
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