New Mexico Elk — GMU 37
New Mexico GMU 37 covers 1,054,256 acres and lies 18 miles north-east of Capitan and 28 miles north-east of Ruidoso Downs. 55% of it is public land, mostly state trust land (24%) and national forest (20%). In 2025, 384 people hunted elk here and took 273 — 52% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 5 tags here for 0 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 37, 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 0% as 2nd choice
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3% Long shot <1% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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4% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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10% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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2% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-2-407 Unit 37 — antler-point-restricted bull (6+ points) — Bow — Dec. 5-9 3 tags · 5 applicants · Standard20% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-2-407 Unit 37 — antler-point-restricted bull (6+ points) — Bow — Dec. 5-9 5 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter100% No first-choice applicants 50% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-404 ↗ Unit 37 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 Rifle | <1% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 157 | Standard | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-404 ↗ Unit 37 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 Rifle | 1% Long shot | 0% | — | 3 / 297 | Outfitter | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-405 ↗ Unit 37 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 20 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-405 ↗ Unit 37 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 3% Long shot | <1% | — | 3 / 34 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-406 ↗ Unit 37 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 28-Dec. 2 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Nov 28 – Dec 2, 2026 |
| ELK-1-406 ↗ Unit 37 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 28-Dec. 2 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Nov 28 – Dec 2, 2026 |
| ELK-2-402 ↗ Unit 37 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 4% Long shot | 3% | — | 2 / 28 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-402 ↗ Unit 37 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 10% Long shot | 2% | — | 4 / 20 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-403 ↗ Unit 37 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 0% Long shot | 2% | — | 1 / 28 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-403 ↗ Unit 37 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 2% Long shot | 0% | — | 3 / 87 | Outfitter | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-407 ↗ Unit 37 — antler-point-restricted bull (6+ points) — Bow — Dec. 5-9 Archery | 20% Long shot | 0% | — | 3 / 5 | Standard | Dec 5–9, 2026 |
| ELK-2-407 ↗ Unit 37 — antler-point-restricted bull (6+ points) — Bow — Dec. 5-9 Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | 50% | — | 5 / 0 | Outfitter | Dec 5–9, 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 247,947 ac · 24%
- National Forest 210,941 ac · 20%
- BLM 121,170 ac · 11%
- State land 545 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 473,652 ac · 45%
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 | 384 | 273 | 52% |
| 2024 | 437 | 251 | 44% |
| 2023 | 360 | 225 | 40% |
| 2022 | 370 | 198 | 41% |
| 2021 | 370 | 183 | 40% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 48 · 100% · 82 hunters, 59% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 37: Beginning at the intersection of US 380 and US 54 at Carrizozo and running north along US 54 to its junction with NM 462 west of Ancho, then east along NM 462 to its intersection with the Southern Pacific railroad tracks, then north along the railroad tracks to Hasparos canyon, then east down Hasparos canyon to the east boundary of Lincoln county, then south along the east boundary of...
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