New Mexico Elk — GMU 5A
New Mexico GMU 5A covers 146,318 acres and lies 59 miles south-east of Bloomfield. 17% of it is public land, mostly BLM (15%) and state trust land (1%). In 2025, 386 people hunted elk here and took 340 — 25% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 1 tag here for 1 first-choice applicants.
Tags (2026):4
Nonresident share:capped at 6%
Applicants:13
Hunter success (2025):25%
Public land:17%
Size:146,318 acres
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 5A, 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-
ELK-1-138 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 0 tags · 1 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-1-138 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 1 tags · 1 applicants · Outfitter100% Likely draw 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-1-139 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legal – NM — Oct. 10-14 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-139 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legal – NM — Oct. 10-14 0 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-140 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-140 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 1 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter100% No first-choice applicants 50% as 2nd choice
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ELK-1-141 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 17-21 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-141 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 17-21 0 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-142 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-142 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 1 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter100% No first-choice applicants
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ELK-1-143 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 24-28 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-143 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 24-28 0 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-144 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 0 tags · 6 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-144 Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 1 tags · 2 applicants · Outfitter0% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-1-145 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 0 tags · 0 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-1-145 Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 0 tags · 0 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-2-136 Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 0 tags · 1 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
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ELK-2-137 Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 0 tags · 1 applicants · Standard— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
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ELK-2-137 Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 0 tags · 1 applicants · Outfitter— Not open to nonresidents
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-138 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | 0% | — | 0 / 1 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-138 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 0% | — | 1 / 1 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-139 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legal – NM — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-139 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legal – NM — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-140 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-140 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | 100% No first-choice applicants | 50% | — | 1 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-141 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-141 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-142 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-142 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 1 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-143 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-143 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-144 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 6 | Standard | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| ELK-1-144 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 0% | — | 1 / 2 | Outfitter | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| ELK-1-145 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| ELK-1-145 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — antlerless — Any Legall – NM — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| ELK-2-136 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-136 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 1 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-137 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | 0% | — | 0 / 1 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-137 ↗ Unit 5A public land only — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 1 | 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
Zoomable USGS topo, aerial imagery and shaded relief, with the neighboring areas drawn on.
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- BLM 22,462 ac · 15%
- State trust land 1,771 ac · 1%
- Tribal 126 ac · 0%
- National Forest 41 ac · 0%
- State land 15 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 121,902 ac · 83%
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 | 386 | 340 | 25% |
| 2024 | 343 | 323 | 31% |
| 2023 | 346 | 318 | 33% |
| 2022 | 355 | 356 | 62% |
| 2021 | 399 | 349 | 62% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 5 · 12% · 32 hunters, 16% success
- Archery 24 · 56% · 180 hunters, 13% success
- Muzzleloader 14 · 33% · 50 hunters, 28% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 5A: That portion of GMU 5 beginning at the junction of the northwest boundary of the Santa Fe National Forest and junction with the Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation north of Lindrith and following the forest boundary south towards Lindrith, then northeasterly past Llaves: thence southerly to its intersection with NM 96, then west along NM 96 to its junction with NM 595 north of Regina,...
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