New Mexico’s 2026-2027 Big Game Hunting Rules and Information booklet is out. You can download a copy online by going to https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/home/publications/, or you can call 888-248-6866 to order a copy.

The 2026 big game applications for all species in New Mexico must be submitted online before 5:00 p.m. MDT on March 18, 2026. The draw results will be posted on the NMDGF’s website by April 22.

New Mexico has both an online and phone application process. Hunters may apply online at https://onlinesales.wildlife.state.nm.us/. The NMDGF provides a telephone call center for help in completing and submitting applications. The call center will offer extended hours March 9–13 and March 16–17 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. MDT. They will also be available on the last day to apply, March 18, until 4:30 p.m. For help in completing applications, call 888-248-6866.

Residents and non-residents may apply together on the same application. Up to four people may apply for elk, deer, antelope, and Barbary sheep; up to two people may apply for oryx and ibex; and only one applicant may apply for bighorn sheep.

An applicant cannot edit their application once it has been paid for, though they may withdraw it. If an applicant withdraws an application, they may reapply. However, they will again be charged an application fee and the full tag fee. Withdrawn applications will be refunded immediately, except for the $13 application fee.

New Mexico guarantees a minimum of 84% of its special draw hunt tags for all species to its residents. They will attempt to issue 6% of draw tags to non-residents who are not applying with an outfitter and 10% of tags to both residents and non-residents who are contracted with an outfitter. Applicants contracted to an outfitter must include their outfitter’s ID number on their application. It is extremely unlikely for an outfitted applicant to draw a hunt code with six or fewer available licenses or for a non-resident to draw a hunt code with twelve or fewer available licenses. Applicants are given three regular, limited-entry application choices when applying for any big game species. When an applicant is drawn, all three choices are considered before the next applicant is drawn. An additional fourth or fifth choice may be offered, but these application choices do not pertain to regular hunt choices; rather, they apply to leftover tags or population management tags.

All applicants are required to purchase a game hunting license and a Habitat Management and Access Validation (HMAV) stamp prior to applying. Upon submission of your application, you will be charged the entire tag, license, and application fees. Make sure the appropriate funds are available on your credit card. If unsuccessful in the draw, you will receive a refund for the full amount of the tag fee on your credit card, minus the non-refundable application fee of $13 per species. The $90 game hunting license is also non-refundable.

New Mexico’s deer and elk licenses vary in fee price depending on the specific hunt code, and they will be listed in the regulations with the license type. These types are Standard (S), Quality (Q), and High Demand (HD). Keep in mind that the fees vary greatly based on the classification. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit and debit cards are acceptable forms of payment. If successful in the draw, it is required that the hunter purchase and possess a $10 Habitat Stamp in order to use U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands in New Mexico. This may be purchased online at https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov, at NMDGF offices, from license vendors, or toll-free at 888-248-6866.

New Mexico does not have a bonus or preference point system.

If you want to see your exact draw odds based off the number of weighted points you have, you can use the research tool at research.huntinfool.com. Select the hunt you wish to apply for, enter the number of weighted points you have, and this will give your exact draw odds from the previous year. The elk, deer, and antelope odds are listed as the minimum number of preference points an applicant drew with in the 2025 draw.

New Mexico reserves some of the very best hunts and dates exclusively for youth hunters. See our tables for more information on the exclusive youth opportunities for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, elk, deer, oryx, and ibex. Youth hunting licenses are only $15, but all species fees are full price. To qualify for youth-only hunts, applicants must be seventeen years of age or younger on the opening day of the hunt.

When you look at the numbers, New Mexico quickly rises to the top as one of the most advantageous states for youth hunters in the West. Each year, the state reserves thousands of licenses specifically for youth applicants, and many of the best season dates and highest-quality units are allocated to these junior hunts. With the exception of Barbary sheep, every major big-game species offers youth-only opportunities—often with better draw odds and less competition than standard rifle seasons.

The cost of the junior hunting license is only $15, though species permit fees remain identical for both adult and youth applicants. Youth hunts receive their own tag quotas and typically operate on stand-alone season dates, giving young hunters access to less-pressured animals. One regulatory shift worth noting is that youth applicants must now be at least nine years old by the application deadline in order to apply using an out-of-state hunter education number.

New Mexico’s youth seasons consistently produce good success rates on great animals. Many of the state’s largest bulls and bucks each year come from youth hunts, a reflection of both timing and reduced hunting pressure. While the premier youth elk and deer hunts remain difficult to draw, the payoff is substantial when a young hunter pulls a tag. However, 2026 applicants should be aware that, a few years ago, most youth elk seasons were shifted roughly a week later in the year, pushing many hunts outside peak rut activity and likely reducing vocalization and rut-driven behavior. These hunts are still excellent opportunities for the lucky youth hunters who draw the tags.

Like the rest of the draw, non-resident youth hunters are subject to the non-resident and outfitter draw quotas. A unit will need to have thirteen tags or more for a non-resident tag to be available or seven for an outfitted tag. This limits youth antelope hunters to all but a few options for youth-only antelope. New Mexico also offers youth-only hunts for oryx and ibex, but the numbers are low. The youth-only ibex pool is five tags, which means non-resident youth must apply in the regular draw to have any chance at all.

Overall, New Mexico is a great state to apply in for the youth hunters in your life. The reduced-price hunting license and premier season dates are a huge advantage. Although they still face steep draw odds, the reward of drawing a tag will be a great hunt that will create memories to last a lifetime.

Muzzleloaders may shoot sabots and belted bullets and use an in-line ignition. Scopes are prohibited on muzzleloaders; they may only be equipped with open or “iron” sights. Hunters are restricted to muzzleloaders of .45 caliber or greater. There are a few “restricted muzzleloader” seasons in which this gear is not legal.

Archery sights on bows may not project light, but lighted pins are acceptable. Arrows must have broadheads with cutting edges.

In New Mexico all public-land hunting permits, outside of the very limited OTC options, are allocated through the draw. If you plan to hunt here, you’ll either need to enter that draw or purchase a landowner tag. For hunters considering that route, landowner tags can be a straightforward alternative and a way to guarantee a hunt on any given year. The prices for these tags continue to rise, but they remain available for hunters who are willing to pay.

For hunters who are less interested in trophy potential and simply looking to get out and hunt, New Mexico does have easier-to-draw tags that can be worth adding to your application. Among these, antelope, deer, and elk provide some of the most attainable draw opportunities. One of the most effective ways to boost your odds is to apply through the guide draw, which operates from a separate pool of permits.

All leftover licenses will be sold online only. The date that leftover licenses will be available for purchase will be posted on the NMDGF website after the draw. New Mexico issues transferable landowner tags for sheep and elk. Sheep tags are extremely difficult to acquire as most are bought years in advance and, in most cases, are rotated from a public draw tag to a landowner tag on a bi-yearly basis. Elk landowner tags may be good “unit wide” or “ranch only”, depending on how the landowner registered their property. For antelope, hunters must obtain a private-land-only antelope license and tag. You must hunt on private land in the unit for which the tag was issued, have written permission from the landowner, and have a Habitat Management and Access Validation stamp. Deer landowner tags are also for private land only.

New Mexico acknowledges the sacrifices our armed forces have made for this country. They offer active-duty military members the ability to apply for several special “Military Only” hunts. There is also a 50% discount for all licenses and stamps for resident active-duty military or honorably discharged veterans.

New Mexico has a Habitat Management and Access Validation program where hunters, trappers, and fishermen on any lands must purchase a $4 stamp once per year. Funds from the sale of these stamps will be used to lease private land for public use, provide public access to landlocked areas of public land, and provide for the improvement, maintenance, development, and operation of property for fish and wildlife habitat management. This validation stamp does not replace the habitat stamp.