New Mexico Elk — GMU 45
New Mexico GMU 45 covers 976,072 acres and lies 18 miles north of Pecos. 78% of it is public land, mostly national forest (67%) and BLM (9%). In 2025, 659 people hunted elk here and took 188 — 27% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 14 tags here for 19 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 45, 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-
4% Long shot 1% as 2nd choice
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32% Long shot 33% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 13% as 2nd choice
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5% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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15% Long shot 6% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot <1% as 2nd choice
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8% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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9% Long shot 3% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 0% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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100% Undersubscribed
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-369 ↗ Unit 45 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 4% Long shot | 1% | — | 8 / 81 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-369 ↗ Unit 45 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 32% Long shot | 33% | — | 14 / 19 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-370 ↗ Unit 45 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 4% | — | 8 / 39 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-370 ↗ Unit 45 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 13% | — | 14 / 8 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-2-366 ↗ Unit 45 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 5% Long shot | 2% | — | 5 / 39 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-366 ↗ Unit 45 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 15% Long shot | 6% | — | 7 / 26 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-367 ↗ Unit 45 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 0% Long shot | <1% | — | 4 / 96 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-367 ↗ Unit 45 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 8% Long shot | 4% | — | 7 / 38 | Outfitter | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-3-368 ↗ Unit 45 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 Muzzleloader | 9% Long shot | 3% | — | 8 / 45 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-3-368 ↗ Unit 45 — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 Muzzleloader | 100% Likely draw | 0% | — | 13 / 12 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-3-371 ↗ Unit 45 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Nov. 14-18 Muzzleloader | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| ELK-3-371 ↗ Unit 45 — antlerless — Muzzle - NM — Nov. 14-18 Muzzleloader | 100% Undersubscribed | — | — | 2 / 1 undersubscribed | Outfitter | Nov 14–18, 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 653,377 ac · 67%
- BLM 91,114 ac · 9%
- Tribal 44,866 ac · 5%
- State trust land 12,225 ac · 1%
- National Park Service 6,339 ac · 1%
- State land 81 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 168,069 ac · 17%
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 | 659 | 188 | 27% |
| 2024 | 651 | 178 | 27% |
| 2023 | 611 | 158 | 25% |
| 2022 | 624 | 158 | 24% |
| 2021 | 652 | 173 | 24% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 73 · 68% · 301 hunters, 24% success
- Archery 20 · 19% · 143 hunters, 14% success
- Muzzleloader 14 · 13% · 54 hunters, 26% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 45: Beginning at Glorieta on US 84, and running west and north along US 84 to its intersection with NM 68 at Espanola, then northeast along NM 68 to its intersection with NM 75 at Embudo, then east along NM 75 to its intersection with NM 518, then east along NM 518 to its intersection with the Santa Fe national forest boundary line near Holman hill, then south along the Santa Fe national...
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