New Mexico Elk — GMU 56
New Mexico GMU 56 covers 1,140,738 acres and lies 34 miles south-east of Raton and 49 miles west of Clayton. 28% of it is public land, mostly state trust land (28%). In 2025, 347 people hunted elk here and took 456 — more than one animal per hunter. The 2026 draw put up 1 tag here for 18 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 56, 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-
— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
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6% Long shot 0% 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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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-416 ↗ Unit 56 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | 0% | — | 0 / 5 | Standard | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-416 ↗ Unit 56 — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 1-5 Rifle | 6% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 18 | Outfitter | Oct 1–5, 2026 |
| ELK-1-417 ↗ Unit 56 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-417 ↗ Unit 56 — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-2-414 ↗ Unit 56 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-414 ↗ Unit 56 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-415 ↗ Unit 56 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 1 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-415 ↗ Unit 56 — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 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
- State trust land 318,725 ac · 28%
- State land 5,007 ac · 0%
- BLM 470 ac · 0%
- National Forest 40 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 816,495 ac · 72%
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 | 347 | 456 | 58% |
| 2024 | 301 | 402 | 62% |
| 2023 | 280 | 382 | 45% |
| 2022 | 259 | 358 | 75% |
| 2021 | 300 | 346 | 72% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 3 · 60% · 9 hunters, 33% success
- Archery 2 · 40% · 12 hunters, 17% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 56: Beginning at the junction of US 56 and I-25 at Springer and running north along I-25 to its junction with US 64 at Raton, then east along US 64 to its junction with US 56 at Clayton, then west along US 56 to its junction with I-25.
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