New Mexico Elk — GMU 29
New Mexico GMU 29 covers 756,268 acres and lies 55 miles south-east of Alamogordo and 68 miles east of Anthony. 89% of it is public land, mostly BLM (70%) and state trust land (19%). The 2026 draw put up 3 tags here for 41 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 29, 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-
0% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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<1% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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3% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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7% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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3% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
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<1% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-400 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 82 | Standard | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-400 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 Rifle | <1% Long shot | 0% | — | 2 / 297 | Outfitter | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-401 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 3% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 29 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-401 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 4% | — | 3 / 41 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-398 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 7% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 14 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-398 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 3% Long shot | 5% | — | 2 / 36 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-399 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 0% Long shot | 5% | — | 1 / 21 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-399 ↗ Units 29, 30 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | <1% Long shot | 3% | — | 2 / 102 | 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
- BLM 528,504 ac · 70%
- State trust land 141,975 ac · 19%
- State land 194 ac · 0%
- Department of Defense 0 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 85,594 ac · 11%
Source: BLM_Surface_Management_2023 (BLM New Mexico State Office Surface Management Agency layer)
What the agency says about the area
GMU 29: Beginning at the junction of the NM/TX state line and the east boundary of the Fort Bliss Military Reservation and running northeast along the military reservation boundary to its intersection with NM 506/CR E038 leading to Pinon, then east, north and east along NM 506/CR E038 to its intersection with NM 24 at Pinon, then east on NM 24 approximately three miles to its intersection with...
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