New Mexico Elk — GMU 50
New Mexico GMU 50 covers 590,490 acres and lies 20 miles south-west of Questa and 37 miles west of Angel Fire. 71% of it is public land, mostly BLM (50%) and national forest (15%). In 2025, 538 people hunted elk here and took 178 — 31% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 18 tags here for 4 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 50, 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-
11% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants 55% as 2nd choice
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11% Long shot 9% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants 100% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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100% Likely draw 33% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants
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17% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-189 ↗ Unit 50 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 11% Long shot | 2% | — | 7 / 35 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-189 ↗ Unit 50 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 100% No first-choice applicants | 55% | — | 12 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-190 ↗ Unit 50 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 11% Long shot | 9% | — | 8 / 19 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-190 ↗ Unit 50 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 100% No first-choice applicants | 100% | — | 5 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-191 ↗ Unit 50 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| ELK-1-191 ↗ Unit 50 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| ELK-1-192 ↗ Unit 50 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 21-25 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Nov 21–25, 2026 |
| ELK-1-192 ↗ Unit 50 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 21-25 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Nov 21–25, 2026 |
| ELK-2-187 ↗ Unit 50 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 100% Likely draw | 33% | — | 18 / 4 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-187 ↗ Unit 50 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 3 / 0 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-188 ↗ Unit 50 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 17% Long shot | 0% | — | 3 / 6 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-188 ↗ Unit 50 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 3 / 0 | 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 294,591 ac · 50%
- National Forest 91,507 ac · 15%
- State trust land 27,822 ac · 5%
- Tribal 9,943 ac · 2%
- State land 3,315 ac · 1%
- Private or other non-public land 163,309 ac · 28%
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 | 538 | 178 | 31% |
| 2024 | 521 | 152 | 27% |
| 2023 | 539 | 122 | 23% |
| 2022 | 586 | 186 | 28% |
| 2021 | 585 | 170 | 26% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 240 · 66% · 670 hunters, 36% success
- Archery 72 · 20% · 334 hunters, 22% success
- Muzzleloader 51 · 14% · 133 hunters, 38% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 50: Beginning at the junction of US 84 and NM 554 east of Abiquiu and US 84 and NM 554 east of Abiquiu and running north and east along NM 554 to running north and east along NM 554 to its junction with NM 111, then southeast its junction with NM 111, then southeast along NM 111 to its junction with US 285, along NM 111 to its junction with US 285, then north along US 285 to the NM/CO then...
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