New Mexico Pronghorn Mule Deer

Unit 40 (Unit 40 — Eastern Plains)

New Mexico Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Mule Deer

Unit 40 covers the eastern New Mexico shortgrass plains between Tucumcari and the Texas state line. Open grassland and yucca flats from 4,000 to 5,500 feet hold solid pronghorn numbers with occasional 80-class bucks. Over three cycles, 129 tags were issued against 659 applicants — a competitive but not impossible draw.

View Draw Odds New Mexico Hunting Guide

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 40

Where to Find Pronghorn in Unit 40

Unit 40 is almost entirely private land — access drives success.

A-PLUS Ranches

Most Unit 40 pronghorn tags come through NMDGF's A-PLUS program attached to enrolled ranches. The ranch you're drawn on dictates where you hunt.

Playa/Waterhole Edges

Ephemeral playa lakes and windmill-fed stock tanks concentrate pronghorn in late summer through early fall hunts.

CRP and Winter Wheat

CRP fields and winter wheat edges are magnets during late-summer seasons.

How to Hunt Unit 40 Pronghorn

Most Unit 40 hunts are ranch-based driving/glassing operations.

Drive and Glass

Cover ranch roads at 10–15 mph glassing every high spot. Once a quality buck is located, plan a stalk using terrain breaks.

Decoy the Rut

Late September hunts catch pre-rut. A buck decoy pulled aggressive herd bulls into bow range on open ground.

Waterhole Sits

Blind sits on the few active tanks during hot, dry seasons work for archery hunters.

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Rifle78%

Archery45%

Unit 40 pronghorn rifle success runs 85%+ on A-PLUS ranches; archery 30–40%. With 129 tags over three cycles against 659 applicants, overall draw odds are ~20%.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Draw	19	198	9.6%
Archery— Draw	5	11	45.5%
Rifle— Draw	18	207	8.7%
Archery— Draw	5	14	35.7%
Rifle— Draw	5	11	45.5%

Data from 2021 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Pure random draw. Nonresidents are capped at 6% / 10% outfitter-guided. Unit 40 A-PLUS tags specify the ranch — research ranch quality before applying.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 40

Unit 40 sits in eastern New Mexico's high-plains country, offering mule deer hunting across pinyon-juniper breaks, canyon draws, and irrigated agricultural edges. Three-year data shows 392 tags drawn against 337 applicants — this is one of NM's higher-odds mule deer tags.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 40

Unit 40 mule deer hold in the canyon-break country and pinyon-juniper mosaic.

Canyon Heads and Side Draws

Bucks bed in thick juniper cover inside side draws and feed out onto rims at dawn and dusk. Target canyon systems visible from county-road vantage points.

Ag-Edge Transitions

Alfalfa and winter-wheat edges near canyon country pull in mature bucks at night and dawn. Public fence-line access adjacent to these fields is limited — check state trust parcels.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Unit 40

We hunt Unit 40 with a combination of canyon glassing and PJ still-hunting.

Glass the Rims at First Light

Park at a canyon rim before daylight, glass the opposite slope, and pick bedded or feeding bucks. A tripod-mounted 15x binocular beats a handheld pair every time.

Still-Hunt PJ Benches

Midday, slow-walk benches with fresh sign. Wind in your face and a focus on 50-100 yard lanes through cedar is the formula.

Late-Season Rut Action

Unit 40 bucks move hard in mid-to-late November. Glassing open ag-edges at sunrise produces cruising bucks that otherwise hide in timber.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle25%

Archery16%

Muzzleloader20%

Tag-heavy unit: 392 tags / 337 applicants over three years means essentially any applicant draws. Rifle success on eastern-NM mule deer in this region typically sits in the 30-45% range depending on rut timing.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %
Rifle— Draw	94	117	80.3%
Archery— Draw	25	14	100.0%
Muzzleloader— Draw	22	8	100.0%
Rifle— Draw	94	96	97.9%
Archery— Draw	17	11	100.0%
Muzzleloader— Draw	11	3	100.0%

Data from 2021 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

New Mexico's pure random draw combined with Unit 40's high tag count makes this an essentially assured tag — three-year data shows more tags than applicants. Nonresidents still fall under the 6% (10% outfitter) statutory cap.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

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RV Sites

Ute Lake SP and Tucumcari private RV parks.

⛺

Camp Sites

Ute Lake State Park has developed camping; most hunters stay in Tucumcari hotels.

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Trailer Access

Yes — paved and improved dirt roads throughout.

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Water

Limited in the open country — plan for ranch-provided water or carry.

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Road Conditions

Paved I-40 and US-54; ranch roads mostly improved dirt.

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Terrain Difficulty

Easy — gently rolling grassland/yucca flats.

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Hunting Pressure

Low — A-PLUS system spreads hunters across enrolled ranches.

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Weather

Warm days (80–95°F early season) with strong wind; afternoon thunderstorms in August.

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Cell Service

Good — Verizon and AT&T cover most of the region.

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Nearest Town

Tucumcari or Logan for fuel/food/lodging.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the A-PLUS program?

Antelope Private Land Use System — NMDGF's program that allocates a portion of pronghorn tags to enrolled private landowners, giving hunters guaranteed access when drawn.

Is Unit 40 an easy mule deer tag to draw?

Yes. Unit 40 issued more tags than applicants over the last three draw cycles, making it effectively a guaranteed tag under NM's pure random draw.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

2026-2027 NM Hunting Rules and Info — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Unit 40 boundary, Pronghorn hunt codes, Season dates · accessed 2026-04-17
NMDGF Pronghorn Species Info — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Pronghorn management, Private-land access requirements · accessed 2026-04-17
NMDGF Applications and Draw Information — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Pure random draw, A-PLUS pronghorn private-land program · accessed 2026-04-17
NMDGF Deer Species Info — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Mule deer management statewide · accessed 2026-04-17