New Mexico Elk — GMU 16C
New Mexico GMU 16C covers 306,857 acres and lies 45 miles west of Truth or Consequences. 94% of it is public land, mostly national forest (78%) and state trust land (15%). In 2025, 630 people hunted elk here and took 105 — 23% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 14 tags here for 4 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 16C, 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-
ELK-1-286 Unit 16C youth only — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 57 applicants · Standard0% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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ELK-1-286 Unit 16C youth only — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 34 applicants · Outfitter3% Long shot 1% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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10% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 22% 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
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6% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 30% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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17% Long shot 6% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-286 ↗ Unit 16C youth only — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 2% | — | 2 / 57 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-286 ↗ Unit 16C youth only — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 3% Long shot | 1% | — | 2 / 34 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-287 ↗ Unit 16C — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 59 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-287 ↗ Unit 16C — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 10% Long shot | 2% | — | 3 / 10 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-288 ↗ Unit 16C — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 2% Long shot | 3% | — | 4 / 48 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-288 ↗ Unit 16C — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 22% | — | 6 / 6 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-289 ↗ Unit 16C — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Dec. 5-9 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-1-289 ↗ Unit 16C — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Dec. 5-9 Rifle | 100% Undersubscribed | — | — | 1 / 1 undersubscribed | Outfitter | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-1-290 ↗ Unit 16C — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Dec. 12-16 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 12–16, 2026 |
| ELK-1-290 ↗ Unit 16C — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Dec. 12-16 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Dec 12–16, 2026 |
| ELK-2-284 ↗ Unit 16C — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 6% Long shot | 2% | — | 9 / 67 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-284 ↗ Unit 16C — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 100% Likely draw | 30% | — | 14 / 4 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-285 ↗ Unit 16C — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 2% Long shot | 4% | — | 6 / 97 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-285 ↗ Unit 16C — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 17% Long shot | 6% | — | 10 / 36 | 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.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest 239,290 ac · 78%
- State trust land 46,283 ac · 15%
- BLM 1,250 ac · 0%
- State land 133 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 19,899 ac · 6%
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 | 630 | 105 | 23% |
| 2024 | 635 | 182 | 36% |
| 2023 | 653 | 125 | 28% |
| 2022 | 654 | 144 | 21% |
| 2021 | 646 | 148 | 21% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 121 · 85% · 352 hunters, 34% success
- Archery 21 · 15% · 140 hunters, 15% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 16C: That portion of GMU 16 beginning at the road junction of FR 150 and FR 30 in Railroad Canyon, then northeast along FR 150 to its junction with NM 163/FR 150, then northeast along NM 163 to the Continental Divide, then south along the Continental Divide to FT 42, then south along FT 42 to FT 40, then west on FT 40 to and across FR 150 to FR 225 (old FR 19), then southwest along FR 225...
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