New Mexico Elk · GMU 54
New Mexico GMU 54 covers 220,069 acres and lies 13 miles east of Angel Fire and 31 miles east of Taos. 11% of it is public land, mostly state land (11%). In 2025, 147 people hunted elk here and took 110, a 33% success rate.
No points in this draw. Every applicant has the same chance each year.
12 licenses · NR capped at 6%
first choice, NR
2025, all licenses
100% State
220,069 acres
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only. The written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Every License in GMU 54
| What | Season | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-428 Standard | Unit 54/55: Colin Neblett WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 | not open | |
| ELK-1-428 Outfitter | Unit 54/55: Colin Neblett WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 | not open | |
| ELK-1-429 Standard | Unit 54/55: Colin Neblett WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 | not open | |
| ELK-1-429 Outfitter | Unit 54/55: Colin Neblett WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 | not open | |
| ELK-1-430 Standard | Unit 54/55: Colin Neblett WMA only — antlerless — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 | not open | |
| ELK-1-430 Outfitter | Unit 54/55: Colin Neblett WMA only — antlerless — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 | not open | |
| ELK-2-425 Standard | Unit 54/55A: Colin Neblett WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | not open | |
| ELK-2-425 Outfitter | Unit 54/55A: Colin Neblett WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | not open | |
| ELK-2-426 Standard | Unit 54/55A: Colin Neblett WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | not open | |
| ELK-2-426 Outfitter | Unit 54/55A: Colin Neblett WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | not open | |
| ELK-3-427 Standard | Unit 54/55A: Colin Neblett WMA only — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 | not open | |
| ELK-3-427 Outfitter | Unit 54/55A: Colin Neblett WMA only — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 | not open |
First-choice nonresident odds, 2026 draw. No points in this draw: every applicant has the same chance.
Draw results: NMDGF 2026 Big Game Drawing Odds Complete Report, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
If you draw (2026 nonresident fees): Standard $877 ($867 to apply) · Outfitter $877 ($867 to apply). Closes Mar 17, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
Harvest
| Year | Hunters | Elk | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 147 | 110 | 33% |
| 2024 | 151 | 105 | 27% |
| 2023 | 211 | 201 | 24% |
| 2022 | 312 | 196 | 42% |
| 2021 | 321 | 215 | 43% |
| 2025 by License | Hunters | Elk | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colin neblett s (hunt 1 of 2) | 18 | 4 | 27% |
| Colin neblett s (hunt 2 of 2) | 18 | 3 | 25% |
| Es barker wma · archery (hunt 2 of 2) | 4 | 0 | 0% |
| Es barker wma · archery (hunt 1 of 2) | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Urraca wma · archery (hunt 2 of 2) | 4 | 3 | 50% |
| Urraca wma · archery (hunt 1 of 2) | 5 | 0 | 0% |
| Valle vidal · archery (hunt 1 of 2) | 25 | 5 | 20% |
| Valle vidal · archery (hunt 2 of 2) | 25 | 12 | 57% |
| Urraca wma · muzzleloader | 7 | 1 | 17% |
| Valle vidal · muzzleloader | 18 | 6 | 29% |
| Es barker wma · rifle | 8 | 4 | 38% |
| Urraca wma · rifle (hunt 2 of 2) | 7 | 1 | 14% |
| Urraca wma · rifle (hunt 1 of 2) | 10 | 1 | 10% |
2025 split: rifle 13 (33%) from 61 hunters, 21%, archery 20 (50%) from 68 hunters, 29%, muzzleloader 7 (18%) from 25 hunters, 28%
What New Mexico Department of Game and Fish publishes after each season, for everyone who hunted the area: harvest statistics, not draw odds. Source: NMDGF 2025-2026 Elk Harvest Report; NMDGF 2024-2025 Elk Harvest Report; NMDGF 2023 Elk Hunter Harvest Report.
The Ground
| State land | 23,185 ac | 11% |
| State trust land | 133 ac | <1% |
| Private or other non-public land | 196,750 ac | 89% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office 2023 BLM_Surface_Management_2023.
What the Agency Says About the Area
GMU 54: Beginning at the intersection of the south boundary of the Maxwell grant and NM 434 and running north along NM 434 to its junction with US 64, then north and east along US 64 to its junction with NM 21 west of Cimarron then south and east along NM 21 to its junction with I-25 south of Springer, then south along I-25 to its intersection with the south boundary of the Maxwell grant, then...
▸ Sources 10
- NMDGF 2026 Big Game Drawing Odds Complete Report draw results, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- NMDGF 2026-2027 Draw Hunt License Fees / Draw… fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- NMDGF 2026-2027 Over-the-Counter License Fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- NMDGF 2025-2026 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2024-2025 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2023 Elk Hunter Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2022 Elk Hunter Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2021 Elk Hunter Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- NMDGF 2026 NM Game Management Units, layer 0 boundary, area description, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office 2023 BLM_Surface_Management_2023 land ownership, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's published results. They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. How we compute these.
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We don't take applications: check New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish's results, not a forecast · Methodology · All New Mexico elk hunts