New Mexico Elk — GMU 22
New Mexico GMU 22 covers 251,154 acres and lies 37 miles north-west of Silver City. 77% of it is public land, mostly national forest (65%) and state trust land (12%). 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 22, 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
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1% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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17% Long shot 7% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 5% as 2nd choice
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4% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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14% Long shot 17% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 1% as 2nd choice
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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.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest 163,792 ac · 65%
- State trust land 28,901 ac · 12%
- BLM 1,083 ac · 0%
- State land 105 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 57,271 ac · 23%
Source: BLM_Surface_Management_2023 (BLM New Mexico State Office Surface Management Agency layer)
What the agency says about the area
GMU 22: Beginning at the intersection of the Gila River and US 180 south of Cliff running north along US 180 to its junction with Bursum Road (NM 159/FR 28), then east along Bursum Road to its junction with FT 182 at Sandy point, then south along FT 182 to its junction with FT 224 at the West Fork Saddle, then south on FT 224 down the west fork of Mogollon Creek to its junction with the main...
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