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New Mexico Pronghorn

Unit 31 (South of US 380) (Unit 31 South of US 380)

New Mexico Hunting Guide — Pronghorn

The southern portion of GMU 31 below US 380 covers the open grassland basin and lava field terrain of central New Mexico's Jornada del Muerto region. This classic Chihuahuan Desert grassland unit supports pronghorn in sweeping open country with BLM and state trust public access. The NMDGF manages tags specifically for this sub-unit to address the distinct pronghorn population dynamics south of the highway.

View Draw Odds New Mexico Hunting Guide
⛰️
3,242–4,411 ft
Sampled elevation

Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 31 (South of US 380)

Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready New Mexico Unit 31 (South of US 380) guide around your hunt: three ranked spots with morning, afternoon and evening plays, a day-by-day plan, topo maps with every pin numbered, a camp and access plan, the legal and retrieval rules for this unit, shot discipline, a meat-care and pack-out plan, and a pre-trip checklist. Every coordinate sits on land recorded as public.

Pronghorn guide

Free accounts get one report a year with the top spot unlocked. ProHunt Pro includes unlimited reports, all three spots, the full camp plan, and GPX/KML downloads for onX and Google Earth. Prefer to see one first? Open the builder and pick any unit.

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 31 (South of US 380)

The southern portion of GMU 31 below US 380 covers the open grassland basin and lava field terrain of central New Mexico's Jornada del Muerto region. This classic Chihuahuan Desert grassland unit supports pronghorn in sweeping open country with BLM and state trust public access. The NMDGF manages tags specifically for this sub-unit to address the distinct pronghorn population dynamics south of the highway.

Where to Find Pronghorn in GMU 31 South of US 380

Pronghorn in the southern GMU 31 sub-unit occupy the Jornada del Muerto grassland and adjacent mesa terrain. The wide-open desert grassland makes pronghorn visible from extreme distances.

Jornada del Muerto Grassland Basin

The broad basin floor holds the highest pronghorn concentrations. BLM road access points give access to multiple glassing vantages. Glass at first light before midday heat reduces visible activity.

Lava Flow Edges and Mesa Breaks

Pronghorn use the edges of ancient lava flows and mesa breaks for shelter from wind. These structural features are reliable locations to check when glass-work on the open flats comes up empty.

Unit 31 (South of US 380) terrain and land status

Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up · figures are for GMU 31

The lay of it

  • 3,242–4,411 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 3,896 ft ; peaks can run higher.
  • 8,353.5 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.

Who owns the ground

  • State Trust — 8%
  • Private / Other — 92%

Roughly 8% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.

Water on the ground

  • 2,940 tanks
  • 2 springs
  • 650 stream segments
  • 149 lakes

Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.

How to Hunt GMU 31 (South of US 380) Pronghorn

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Unlock full tactics for GMU 31 S of US-380 pronghorn

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Pronghorn rifle success in the open desert grassland south of US 380 typically runs 55–70%. The wide-open terrain gives hunters excellent visibility and clear shooting opportunities once a successful stalk is made.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Draw odds data not available for this specific unit/species combination in our database.

Search New-mexico Draw Odds
New Mexico's random draw gives all applicants equal odds. The 31 South of US 380 sub-unit sees moderate competition. The sub-unit designation means only hunters applying for this specific hunt code are in the pool. Check NMDGF draw odds reports for current ratios.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Unlock full logistics for GMU 31 S of US-380

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between GMU 31 and GMU 31 south of US 380?
NMDGF manages the unit with separate hunt codes for the areas north and south of US 380. The southern sub-unit has its own tag quota and hunt code. Make sure you apply for and hold the correct hunt code for your intended hunting area.

Free Hunt Planning Tools

🎰 New Mexico Draw Odds Unit-level tag success rates 📅 Application Timeline Deadlines for all 9 states 🦌 Rut Forecast Peak rut timing by species 💰 Hunt Cost Calculator Budget your entire hunt

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Sources & Verification

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

  1. NMDGF Hunting — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Unit boundaries, Season dates, License quotas · accessed 2026-04-17
  2. NMDGF Hunting by Species — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Pronghorn management overview, GMU eligibility, Season structure · accessed 2026-04-17
  3. 2024 Big Game Hunt Booklet — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Hunt codes, Sub-unit boundaries at US 380, Tag quotas by sub-unit · accessed 2026-04-17