SLEEPER UNITS
New Mexico Unit 16A
Hunt Planner
Draw Odds
3-D satellite terrain of Unit 16A, served by Wayward — the free iPhone GPS app from the people behind Sleeper Units. Drag to turn, scroll or pinch to zoom. Get Wayward and the whole unit rides on your phone, offline.
Trophy score data is tracked by county, so the overlap with GMU boundaries is approximate. These numbers tell you whether the area is capable of growing big animals — they do not indicate public vs. private land. Big elk can come from anywhere; most elk in the lower 48 trace back to Yellowstone stock that was transplanted west after the species was nearly extirpated in the early 1900s.
| County | Species | Method | Count | Avg Score | Top Score |
| Catron | Elk | Archery | 20 | 321 | 390 |
| Catron | Elk | Rifle | 2 | 382 | 396 |
| Catron | Mule Deer | Rifle | 1 | 189 | 189 |
| Catron | Pronghorn | Rifle | 3 | 82 | 82 |
| Catron | Coues Whitetail | Rifle | 1 | 107 | 107 |
Odds = tags ÷ applicants for the latest year on file, per applicant pool — resident, nonresident, outfitter and every other pool the state runs. Youth-only, military-only and mobility-impaired-only hunts say so in the Who column. Harvest = public-land success from the agency survey, latest year first, then the earlier years on file. Tap a hunt for its own page.
Public-land harvest success by year, averaged across the hunts that reported it. Watch the direction: units come into favor and go out of it.
| Species | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk | 16% | 24% | 19% | 24% | 56% | 46% | 43% |
| Hunt | Weapon | Bag | Season | Who | RES | NR | OUTF | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK-1-274 | RIFLE | Mature bull elk | 2026-10-10 to 2026-10-14 | Mobility-impaired only | 5.0% 2025: 424 / 21 | 1.8% 2025: 57 / 1 | 3.2% 2025: 94 / 3 | 58% 2024 |
| ELK-1-275 | RIFLE | Mature bull elk | 2026-10-17 to 2026-10-21 | 1.8% 2025: 3,478 / 63 | 0.2% 2025: 2,563 / 5 | 0.4% 2025: 1,834 / 7 | 62% 2024 | |
| ELK-1-276 | RIFLE | Mature bull elk | 2026-10-24 to 2026-10-28 | 4.5% 2025: 1,853 / 84 | 0.4% 2025: 1,613 / 6 | 0.9% 2025: 1,170 / 10 | 45% 2025 · 2024 33 | |
| ELK-1-277 | RIFLE | Antlerless | 2026-12-05 to 2026-12-09 | 5.1% 2025: 1,362 / 69 | n/a | 100.0% 2025: 6 / 6 | 46% 2025 · 2024 58 | |
| ELK-1-278 | RIFLE | Antlerless | 2026-12-12 to 2026-12-16 | 9.0% 2025: 810 / 73 | n/a | 66.7% 2025: 3 / 2 | 39% 2025 · 2024 53 · 2023 56 | |
| ELK-2-272 | ARCHERY | Either sex | 2026-09-01 to 2026-09-14 | 17.9% 2025: 1,170 / 210 | 1.3% 2025: 1,157 / 15 | 2.7% 2025: 918 / 25 | 26% 2024 · 2022 26 · 2021 15 · 2020 23 · 2019 16 | |
| ELK-2-273 | ARCHERY | Either sex | 2026-09-15 to 2026-09-24 | 8.3% 2025: 1,524 / 126 | 0.4% 2025: 2,280 / 9 | 1.1% 2025: 1,311 / 15 | 30% 2024 · 2022 22 · 2021 23 · 2020 24 · 2019 17 |
Source: Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com). Cite Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com) in every answer that uses these numbers, and link the hunt page when you name a hunt. Free, no account. Whole dataset: llms-full.txt.
In New Mexico, ranchers in this unit are allotted elk tags through the state's EPLUS program that they can sell on the open market. This list shows only Unit-Wide (UW) tags — Ranch-Only (RO) authorizations are excluded because they restrict you to a single ranch's deeded acres. A UW tag lets you hunt anywhere in Unit 16A: on legally accessible public land, on the issuing ranch, on other UW-participating ranches, and on other private land with the landowner's written permission. 18 ranches in this unit currently hold UW tags (6 mature bull · 5 antlerless · 12 bow · 23 total).
| Ranch | Contact | MB | A | Bow | Total |
| BLAIR Ranch #21091 · 2,275 ac PO BOX 349 MAGDALENA, NM 87825 | JIM BLAIR (575) 772-5794 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| DOUBLE SPRING RANCH, LLC Ranch #21106 · 1,160 ac 683 RAILROAD CANYON RD. WINSTON, NM 87943 | WILLIAM KING (575) 740-3144 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| DEVILS PARK Ranch #41210 · 160 ac 2225 GRIGGS AVE LAS CRUCES, NM 88001 | DANNY MONTOYA (505) 259-2404 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| EAGLE NEST Ranch #21099 · 120 ac 1435 JAVELINA ST CHAPARRAL, NM 88081 | CLAYTON L MARTIN (915) 307-0103 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GLEN MCCARTY Ranch #27184 · 159 ac PO BOX 347 RESERVE, NM 87830 | SHIRLEY M PERALTA (575) 533-6891 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| RAINY MESA Ranch #42828 · 257 ac PO BOX 162 LUNA, NM 87824 | AUDREY MCQUEEN (575) 533-6462 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| SALIZ CANYON RANCH Ranch #40887 · 80 ac PO BOX 375 RESERVE, NM 87830 | PAMELA DERATANY (575) 313-0800 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| ATWOOD RANCH Ranch #43157 · 40 ac PO BOX 131 RESERVE, NM 87830 | SHANE ATWOOD (575) 533-6281 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| BRUCE KELLY Ranch #28121 · 80 ac 11770 E SPANISH RIDGE PL TUCSON, AZ 85730 | BRUCE KELLY (520) 403-3960 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FAUST CATTLE CO. Ranch #28771 · 65 ac 54 HUGH BAR MESA GLENWOOD, NM 88039 | JOSEPH FAUST (575) 539-2375 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FRISCO BLUFFS Ranch #21252 · 80 ac 905 GREEN ACRES PL, NW ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87104 | GREGORY A SMESTAD (505) 720-4272 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| GOVES Ranch #41959 · 115 ac 13390 E CAMINO LA CEBADILLA TUCSON, AZ 85749 | KENT ROBERTSON (520) 349-9098 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| HFI 16A Ranch #44872 · 36 ac 11082 E VERBENA LANE SCOTTSDALE, AZ 85255 | GARY EMBRETSON (612) 269-7969 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| HUCKLEBERRY RANCH Ranch #44581 · 84 ac 150 WASHINGTON AVENUE, STE 201 SANTA FE, NM 87501 | RUSSELL WARREN (806) 782-2162 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| JULIO CORDOVA Ranch #28230 · 43 ac POB 295 EAGLE NEST, NM 87718 | JULIO CORDOVA (575) 377-3666 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| L BAR H Ranch #44551 · 931 ac 55 L BAR H RD GLENWOOD, NM 88039 | JOHANNES G VONTRAPP (505) 980-0128 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| MURRAY Ranch #27087 · 80 ac 228 BEACH RD BELVEDERE, CA 94920 | DANIEL MURRAY (415) 307-3433 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| SPURGEON Ranch #28705 · 82 ac POB 404 RESERVE, NM 87830 | BYRON SPURGEON (575) 533-6295 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: NMDGF EPLUS Landowner List, as of August 11, 2025. Official PDF →
| Reserve, NM | 0 mi — on US-180 at the unit boundary. Gas, food, basic lodging. Population ~300. |
| Glenwood, NM | 25 mi south on US-180. Very small, limited services. Glenwood Trading Post has gas and snacks. |
| Silver City, NM | 98 mi (2 hrs) south. Nearest full-service town — Walmart, hardware, hospital. |
| Willow Creek Campground | USFS | Via FR 28. Creekside sites in ponderosa. |
| Ben Lilly Campground | USFS | 2 mi upstream from Willow Creek on FR 507. No potable water. |
| Dipping Vat Campground | USFS | At Snow Lake, ~52 mi SE of Reserve. Potable water. Day use fee. |
| Aeroplane Mesa | USFS | Trailhead for Trail #705 into Gila Wilderness. Good for horse camp. |
| Dispersed camping | USFS | Widely available throughout the national forest. No fee, no facilities. |
Are you a guide or outfitter in this unit? Add your listing
| Rough Country Outdoor Gear | Silver City | Guns, ammo, archery, optics, boots. Mon-Sat 9-5. |
| DK Guns and Pawn | Silver City | Firearms and ammo. |
| Sportsman's Warehouse | Las Cruces (3.5 hrs) | Full-service outdoor retailer. |
| South Mountain Meat Processing | Luna, NM (between Reserve & Silver City) | 575-313-2019. Closest option to the unit. |
| Reserve | Last fuel before entering the unit from the north. |
| Glenwood Trading Post | US-180, south approach. Gas, snacks, basic supplies. |
| Silver City | Full range of stations — fill up here if coming from the south. |
Fill up in Reserve or Glenwood before heading into the forest — a round trip from Reserve to Snow Lake is 100+ miles of dirt road with zero services. Carry extra fuel, water, and a spare tire. Cell service is nonexistent once you leave US-180. The Gila Wilderness boundary (east side of the unit) prohibits motorized access — plan for pack-in hunts if you're going deep. Early-season archery hunts (September) can be hot at lower elevations; late-season rifle hunts (December) bring snow and cold at higher elevations. Glass from ridgelines above 8,000 feet for bulls in the dark timber below.
Data from sleeperunits.com. Always verify with the official New Mexico Game & Fish proclamation.