New Mexico Elk — GMU 17
New Mexico GMU 17 covers 1,054,863 acres and lies 31 miles south-west of Socorro and 42 miles north of Elephant Butte. 78% of it is public land, mostly national forest (47%) and BLM (18%). In 2025, 783 people hunted elk here and took 187 — 28% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 12 tags here for 23 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 17, 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-
4% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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22% Long shot 7% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 1% as 2nd choice
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6% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-3-307 Unit 17 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 31 applicants · Standard3% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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ELK-3-307 Unit 17 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 17 applicants · Outfitter0% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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3% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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5% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
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7% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 2% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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4% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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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-2-305 ↗ Unit 17 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 4% Long shot | 2% | — | 8 / 83 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-305 ↗ Unit 17 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 22% Long shot | 7% | — | 12 / 23 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-306 ↗ Unit 17 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 2% Long shot | 1% | — | 5 / 122 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-306 ↗ Unit 17 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 6% Long shot | 0% | — | 7 / 107 | Outfitter | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-3-307 ↗ Unit 17 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 Muzzleloader | 3% Long shot | 3% | — | 2 / 31 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-3-307 ↗ Unit 17 youth only — either sex — Muzzle - Youth Only — Oct. 10-14 Muzzleloader | 0% Long shot | 4% | — | 2 / 17 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-3-308 ↗ Unit 17 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 17-21 Muzzleloader | 3% Long shot | 2% | — | 6 / 87 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-3-308 ↗ Unit 17 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 17-21 Muzzleloader | 5% Long shot | 5% | — | 10 / 55 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-3-309 ↗ Unit 17 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 24-28 Muzzleloader | 7% Long shot | 2% | — | 6 / 27 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-3-309 ↗ Unit 17 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 24-28 Muzzleloader | 100% Likely draw | 2% | — | 10 / 8 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-3-310 ↗ Unit 17 — mature bull — Muzzle — Nov. 21-25 Muzzleloader | 2% Long shot | 2% | — | 2 / 56 | Standard | Nov 21–25, 2026 |
| ELK-3-310 ↗ Unit 17 — mature bull — Muzzle — Nov. 21-25 Muzzleloader | 4% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 55 | Outfitter | Nov 21–25, 2026 |
| ELK-3-311 ↗ Unit 17 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Nov. 21-25 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Nov 21–25, 2026 |
| ELK-3-311 ↗ Unit 17 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Nov. 21-25 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Nov 21–25, 2026 |
| ELK-3-312 ↗ Unit 17 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 5-9 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-3-312 ↗ Unit 17 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 5-9 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-3-313 ↗ Unit 17 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Dec. 12-16 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 12–16, 2026 |
| ELK-3-313 ↗ Unit 17 — 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 492,234 ac · 47%
- BLM 189,329 ac · 18%
- State trust land 138,179 ac · 13%
- National Wildlife Refuge 5,389 ac · 1%
- State land 298 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 229,433 ac · 22%
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 | 783 | 187 | 28% |
| 2024 | 792 | 168 | 25% |
| 2023 | 771 | 153 | 21% |
| 2022 | 818 | 240 | 29% |
| 2021 | 805 | 207 | 24% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Muzzleloader 42 · 71% · 278 hunters, 15% success
- Archery 10 · 17% · 107 hunters, 9% success
- Rifle 7 · 12% · 13 hunters, 54% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 17: Beginning at the junction of NM 52 and US 60 east of Datil and running east along US 60 to its junction with I-25 at Socorro, then south along I-25 to its junction with NM 52 east of Cuchillo, then west along NM 52 to its junction with NM 142, then northwest along NM 142 to its junction with Alamosa Creek at Monticello, then northwest along Alamosa Creek through Monticello Canyon to...
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