New Mexico elk is always one that gets us excited. We saw a few true giants come out of New Mexico in 2024, and we don’t expect anything less for 2025. If you know you have the time to hunt elk this year if drawn, we recommend applying for New Mexico. With the draw being totally random, draw odds are slim, but it never hurts to try. If you are one of the lucky ones to see the green box when results are out, you are going to be in for a true treat.
The state offers a wide range of season dates to choose from to best fit your fall schedule. The season kicks off with its archery hunts in September. The peak of the rut typically starts somewhere on the last few days of the first hunt or the beginning of the second hunt, and you should be into screaming bulls sometime during your season if you draw either hunt. The second of these two hunts comes with tougher draw odds due to it being a more sought-after season, but in 2024, the rut was very hit or miss on both hunts. You could be into rutting bulls one day and the next not hear a peep, so we'd encourage you to consider applying for the first hunt. The harvest success between the two hunt dates is not very different.
If you want to have the best odds at drawing a New Mexico archery elk tag, don’t be scared to look into some of the first season hunts as well. Hunters who are looking for trophy-class bulls love the first hunt and believe it is easier to harvest a more mature bull when they are not cowed up yet and patterned to water. In 2025, most of the rifle and muzzleloader elk season dates have been pushed back a week later than they were in 2024. This could make it more difficult as the rut will most likely be over on many hunts and the bulls are in transition from rut ground to winter ground. If you are looking to draw a gun hunt in 2025, be prepared to spend a lot of time behind glass and covering a lot of country to find the upper-end bulls.
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With no point system to deal with and three choices that are considered on each application, we consider it a must-apply-for state for all elk hunters. If you are struggling to come up with a plan for your New Mexico elk application strategy or you'd like to apply with an outfitter to increase your odds of drawing this fall, give us a call. Most of us have spent a lot of time chasing elk in New Mexico.
For a hunter who isn’t lucky enough to draw a tag, be sure to check out the Huntin’ Fool Landowner Tags webpage for more information on New Mexico landowner elk tags.
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For access to all of our research and data we've collected over the last 20+ years, then join today and access the best research tools for hunting Elk in New Mexico including Draw Odds, Consultations and much more. Go on more hunts with better information!
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The New Mexico Big Game Application Deadline is March 20, 2025 at 5 P.M. MDT.
2025 Non-Resident New Mexico Elk Hunting Fees |
Fee |
|---|---|
| Adult Game Hunting License (non-refundable) | $65 |
| Junior Game Hunting License (non-refundable) | $15 |
| Elk Q, HD, or Q/HD License | $773 |
| Elk S License | $548 |
| Habitat Management and Access Validation (required) | $4 |
| Habitat Stamp (if purchased on or after April 1st) (required by all who hunt BLM or USFS land) | $10 |
| License fees include a non-refundable application $13 fee for each species. |
New Mexico Elk Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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