New Mexico Elk — GMU 39
New Mexico GMU 39 covers 1,688,070 acres and lies 31 miles south-west of Santa Rosa and 49 miles east of Estancia. 36% of it is public land, mostly state trust land (33%) and BLM (2%). The 2026 draw put up 3 tags here for 1 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 39, 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-
7% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
-
100% Likely draw 0% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-410 ↗ Units 39, 43 — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 | 7% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 15 | Standard | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-410 ↗ Units 39, 43 — either sex — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 | 100% Likely draw | 0% | — | 3 / 1 | Outfitter | Oct 1–5, 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 564,367 ac · 33%
- BLM 33,280 ac · 2%
- Bureau of Reclamation 10,506 ac · 1%
- State land 2,241 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 1,077,674 ac · 64%
Source: BLM_Surface_Management_2023 (BLM New Mexico State Office Surface Management Agency layer)
What the agency says about the area
GMU 39: Beginning at the junction of US 60 and NM 41 west of Willard and running north along NM 41 to its intersection with I-40 at Moriarty, then east along I-40 to its junction with US 84 east of Santa Rosa, then southeast along US 84 to its junction with US 60 at Fort Sumner, then west along US 60 to its junction with NM 41 west of Willard.
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