New Mexico Elk · GMU 55A
New Mexico GMU 55A spans 1,006,928 acres, centered 31 miles west of Raton. 13% of it is public land, mostly national forest (10%) and state land (3%). Its most applied-for hunt, ELK-1-444, put up 2 tags (all residencies) in the 2026 draw for 206 nonresident first-choice applicants, 2 of whom drew.
No points in this draw. Every applicant has the same chance each year.
44 licenses · NR capped at 6%
first choice, NR
not published
77% Forest Service
1,006,928 acres
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only. The written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Every License in GMU 55A
| What | Season | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-433 Standard | Unit 55A: ES Barker WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 | not open | |
| ELK-1-433 Outfitter | Unit 55A: ES Barker WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 | 100% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-437 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 | not open | |
| ELK-1-437 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 | not open | |
| ELK-1-438 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 | not open | |
| ELK-1-438 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — mature bull — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 | not open | |
| ELK-1-439 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — antlerless — Any Legal — Nov. 14-18 | not open | |
| ELK-1-439 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — antlerless — Any Legal — Nov. 14-18 | not open | |
| ELK-1-440 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — antlerless — Any Legal — Nov. 28-Dec. 2 | not open | |
| ELK-1-440 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — antlerless — Any Legal — Nov. 28-Dec. 2 | not open | |
| ELK-1-444 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 | <1% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-444 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 | 3% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-445 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 | 0% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-445 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 | 6% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-446 Standard · youth | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only, youth only — mature bull — Any Legal - Youth — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 | 1% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-446 Outfitter · youth | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only, youth only — mature bull — Any Legal - Youth — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 | 0% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-447 Standard · youth | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only, youth only — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 7-11 | not open | |
| ELK-1-447 Outfitter · youth | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only, youth only — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 7-11 | 100% (small sample) | |
| ELK-1-448 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 14-18 | not open | |
| ELK-1-448 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 14-18 | not open | |
| ELK-1-449 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 21-25 | not open | |
| ELK-1-449 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 21-25 | 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-2-431 Standard | Unit 55A: ES Barker WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | not open | |
| ELK-2-431 Outfitter | Unit 55A: ES Barker WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | not open | |
| ELK-2-432 Standard | Unit 55A: ES Barker WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | not open | |
| ELK-2-432 Outfitter | Unit 55A: ES Barker WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | not open | |
| ELK-2-434 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | not open | |
| ELK-2-434 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | not open | |
| ELK-2-435 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | not open | |
| ELK-2-435 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | not open | |
| ELK-2-441 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | 1% (small sample) | |
| ELK-2-441 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 | 6% (small sample) | |
| ELK-2-442 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | 0% (small sample) | |
| ELK-2-442 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 | 3% (small sample) | |
| 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 | |
| ELK-3-436 Standard | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 | not open | |
| ELK-3-436 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Urraca WMA only — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 | not open | |
| ELK-3-443 Standard | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 | <1% (small sample) | |
| ELK-3-443 Outfitter | Unit 55A: Valle Vidal only — mature bull — Muzzle — Oct. 10-14 | 6% (small sample) |
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.
The Ground
| National Forest | 99,706 ac | 10% |
| State land | 29,794 ac | 3% |
| Tribal | 74 ac | <1% |
| Private or other non-public land | 877,353 ac | 87% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office 2023 BLM_Surface_Management_2023.
What the Agency Says About the Area
GMU 55A: That portion of GMU 55 beginning at the junction of NM 58 and US 64 at Cimarron and running west and south along US 64 to the Colfax-Taos county line at Palo Flechado pass; then north along the Colfax county line to the south boundary of the Sangre de Cristo grant; then north and west along the Sangre De Cristo grant’s south boundary to NM 522 then north along NM 522 to the...
▸ Sources 5
- 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 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