New Mexico Elk — GMU 23
New Mexico GMU 23 covers 1,874,149 acres and lies 18 miles west of Silver City. 74% of it is public land, mostly state trust land (33%) and national forest (24%). In 2025, 409 people hunted elk here and took 66 — 23% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 12 tags here for 7 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 23, 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-1-333 Unit 23 youth only — either sex — Any Legal - Youth — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 40 applicants · Standard0% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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ELK-1-333 Unit 23 youth only — either sex — Any Legal - Youth — Oct. 10-14 2 tags · 33 applicants · Outfitter3% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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1% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 9% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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100% Undersubscribed
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ELK-1-338 Unit 23: south of NM 78 — antlerless — Any Legal - South — Dec. 19-27 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-338 Unit 23: south of NM 78 — antlerless — Any Legal - South — Dec. 19-27 0 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
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2% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 13% as 2nd choice
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4% Long shot 1% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 13% as 2nd choice
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20% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw
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8% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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22% Long shot 20% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-333 ↗ Unit 23 youth only — either sex — Any Legal - Youth — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 2% | — | 2 / 40 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-333 ↗ Unit 23 youth only — either sex — Any Legal - Youth — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 3% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 33 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-335 ↗ Unit 23 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 1% Long shot | 4% | — | 5 / 79 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-335 ↗ Unit 23 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 9% | — | 7 / 29 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-336 ↗ Unit 23 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Dec. 5-9 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-1-336 ↗ Unit 23 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Dec. 5-9 Rifle | 100% Undersubscribed | — | — | 1 / 1 undersubscribed | Outfitter | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-1-338 ↗ Unit 23: south of NM 78 — antlerless — Any Legal - South — Dec. 19-27 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Dec 19–27, 2026 |
| ELK-1-338 ↗ Unit 23: south of NM 78 — antlerless — Any Legal - South — Dec. 19-27 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Dec 19–27, 2026 |
| ELK-2-331 ↗ Unit 23 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 2% Long shot | 5% | — | 8 / 53 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-331 ↗ Unit 23 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 100% Likely draw | 13% | — | 12 / 7 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-332 ↗ Unit 23 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 4% Long shot | 1% | — | 5 / 74 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-332 ↗ Unit 23 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 0% Long shot | 13% | — | 7 / 13 | Outfitter | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-337 ↗ Unit 23 — mature bull — Bow — Dec. 19-23 Archery | 20% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 5 | Standard | Dec 19–23, 2026 |
| ELK-2-337 ↗ Unit 23 — mature bull — Bow — Dec. 19-23 Archery | 100% Likely draw | — | — | 1 / 1 | Outfitter | Dec 19–23, 2026 |
| ELK-3-334 ↗ Unit 23 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 17-21 Muzzleloader | 8% Long shot | 2% | — | 5 / 24 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-3-334 ↗ Unit 23 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 17-21 Muzzleloader | 22% Long shot | 20% | — | 7 / 9 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 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
- State trust land 612,097 ac · 33%
- National Forest 449,895 ac · 24%
- BLM 329,239 ac · 18%
- Department of Defense 2,140 ac · 0%
- State land 1,964 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 478,811 ac · 26%
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 | 409 | 66 | 23% |
| 2024 | 418 | 129 | 35% |
| 2023 | 423 | 122 | 44% |
| 2022 | 400 | 123 | 29% |
| 2021 | 395 | 100 | 24% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 18 · 62% · 113 hunters, 16% success
- Archery 6 · 21% · 23 hunters, 26% success
- Muzzleloader 5 · 17% · 13 hunters, 38% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 23: Beginning at the intersection of US 180 and the NM/AZ state line west of Luna, then south along the state line to its intersection with US 70, then southeast along US 70 to its junction with US 180 at Deming: then northwest along US 180 to its junction with the NM/AZ state line. Burro Mountain Hunt Area: The Big Burro Mountain portion of the Gila National Forest in GMU 23,...
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