New Mexico Elk — GMU 5B
New Mexico GMU 5B covers 264,652 acres and lies 45 miles north-west of Española and 64 miles north-west of Santa Fe. 98% of it is public land, mostly national forest (96%) and BLM (2%). In 2025, 656 people hunted elk here and took 191 — 35% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 8 tags here for 27 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in GMU 5B, 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-
0% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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22% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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8% Long shot 2% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 9% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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— Not open to nonresidents
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0% Long shot 9% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 15% as 2nd choice
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— Not open to nonresidents
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67% Real chance 50% as 2nd choice
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8% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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10% Long shot 6% as 2nd choice
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4% Long shot 4% as 2nd choice
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0% Long shot 25% as 2nd choice
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6% Long shot 5% as 2nd choice
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100% Likely draw 4% as 2nd choice
| Hunt | Your odds | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-180 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 0% | — | 5 / 32 | Standard | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-180 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 10-14 Rifle | 22% Long shot | 4% | — | 8 / 27 | Outfitter | Oct 10–14, 2026 |
| ELK-1-181 ↗ Unit 5B — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-181 ↗ Unit 5B — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Oct. 17-21 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 17–21, 2026 |
| ELK-1-182 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 8% Long shot | 2% | — | 5 / 39 | Standard | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-182 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Oct. 24-28 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 9% | — | 8 / 2 | Outfitter | Oct 24–28, 2026 |
| ELK-1-183 ↗ Unit 5B — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| ELK-1-183 ↗ Unit 5B — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Oct. 31-Nov. 4 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Outfitter | Oct 31 – Nov 4, 2026 |
| ELK-1-184 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | 0% Long shot | 9% | — | 5 / 20 | Standard | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| ELK-1-184 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Nov. 7-11 Rifle | 100% Likely draw | 15% | — | 8 / 4 | Outfitter | Nov 7–11, 2026 |
| ELK-1-185 ↗ Unit 5B — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 14-18 Rifle | Not open to nonresidents | — | — | 0 / 0 | Standard | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| ELK-1-185 ↗ Unit 5B — antlerless — Any Legal - NM — Nov. 14-18 Rifle | 67% Real chance | 50% | — | 5 / 6 | Outfitter | Nov 14–18, 2026 |
| ELK-1-186 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Dec. 19-23 Rifle | 8% Long shot | 0% | — | 5 / 66 | Standard | Dec 19–23, 2026 |
| ELK-1-186 ↗ Unit 5B — mature bull — Any Legal — Dec. 19-23 Rifle | 10% Long shot | 6% | — | 8 / 59 | Outfitter | Dec 19–23, 2026 |
| ELK-2-178 ↗ Unit 5B — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 4% Long shot | 4% | — | 4 / 28 | Standard | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-178 ↗ Unit 5B — either sex — Bow — Sept. 1-14 Archery | 0% Long shot | 25% | — | 8 / 13 | Outfitter | Sep 1–14, 2026 |
| ELK-2-179 ↗ Unit 5B — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 6% Long shot | 5% | — | 5 / 31 | Standard | Sep 15–24, 2026 |
| ELK-2-179 ↗ Unit 5B — either sex — Bow — Sept. 15-24 Archery | 100% Likely draw | 4% | — | 7 / 6 | 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
- National Forest 253,229 ac · 96%
- BLM 6,049 ac · 2%
- State trust land 647 ac · 0%
- Tribal 18 ac · 0%
- State land 1 ac · 0%
- Private or other non-public land 4,706 ac · 2%
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 | 656 | 191 | 35% |
| 2024 | 663 | 160 | 30% |
| 2023 | 645 | 172 | 29% |
| 2022 | 651 | 194 | 29% |
| 2021 | 641 | 194 | 28% |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Rifle 120 · 88% · 443 hunters, 27% success
- Archery 16 · 12% · 102 hunters, 16% success
What the agency says about the area
GMU 5B: (Boundary change) Beginning at the intersection of the east boundary of the Jicarilla Apache Indian reservation [and], the south boundary of the Tierra Amarilla grant and the Rio Chama, running south along the Rio Chama to its intersection with the Piedra Lumbre grant boundary line, then northeast along the Piedra Lumbre grant boundary line to its intersection with US 84, then south...
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