Unit 38 (Unit 38)
New Mexico Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Elk
GMU 38 covers the Tularosa Basin and White Sands region of south-central New Mexico. The unit's iconic gypsum dune and creosote flats terrain south of White Sands National Park supports a pronghorn population adapted to extreme desert conditions. BLM and military reservation boundaries define the unit — understanding land ownership is essential before hunting here.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 38
Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready New Mexico Unit 38 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.
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Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 38
GMU 38 covers the Tularosa Basin and White Sands region of south-central New Mexico. The unit's iconic gypsum dune and creosote flats terrain south of White Sands National Park supports a pronghorn population adapted to extreme desert conditions. BLM and military reservation boundaries define the unit — understanding land ownership is essential before hunting here.
Where to Find Pronghorn in GMU 38
Pronghorn in GMU 38 use the Tularosa Basin creosote flats and the BLM grassland areas south and east of White Sands. The extreme flatness of this unit makes pronghorn visible from extraordinary distances.
Tularosa Basin BLM Flats
The BLM creosote and desert grassland on the basin margins is the primary huntable pronghorn habitat. Glass from any slight terrain rise — even a 5-foot elevation gain dramatically improves visibility across the flats.
Sacaton Grass Swales
Seasonal drainage swales with sacaton grass provide slightly denser cover that pronghorn prefer for resting. Check these drainages carefully with optics before approaching.
Unit 38 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 5,169–7,735 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 6,137 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 3,257.1 sq mi inside the boundary. Big enough that picking one drainage beats driving three.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 32%
Roughly 68% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 73 tanks
- 91 stream segments
- 16 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 38 Pronghorn
Pronghorn Success Rates
Pronghorn Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 56 | 659 | 8.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 3 | 102 | 2.9% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 9 | 72 | 12.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 10 | 2 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 9 | 40 | 22.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 10 | 1 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 9 | 27 | 33.3% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Archery — Draw either sex (resident) | 17 | 58 | 29.3% | — |
| Archery — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 1 | 5 | 20.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 56 | 688 | 8.1% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 199 | 1.5% | — |
| Archery — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 17 | 37 | 45.9% | — |
| Archery — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 8 | 12.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 9 | 103 | 8.7% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 10 | 1 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 9 | 35 | 25.7% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
Data from 2021 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number. This agency publishes no point thresholds, so the Pts column stays blank and these are pool odds, not what a point total draws.
Open in Draw Odds EngineUnit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there military land restrictions in GMU 38?
Is Unit 38 worth the tag?
Can I expect trophy bucks?
How does Unit 38 compare to Unit 24?
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Upgrade to Pro — $49/yrSources & Verification
Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.
- NMDGF Hunting — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Unit boundaries, Season dates, License quotas · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Hunting by Species — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Pronghorn management overview, GMU eligibility, Season structure · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2024 Big Game Hunt Booklet — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Hunt codes, Tag quotas by unit, Resident and nonresident limits, Military land closure information · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Info (RIB) — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: GMU 38 deer hunts · accessed 2026-04-17
- Lincoln National Forest — Sacramento RD — USDA Forest Service · supports: Sacramento Mountain access, Camping, MVUM · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Mule Deer Species Info — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Southern NM deer · accessed 2026-04-17
- BLM Las Cruces District Office — Bureau of Land Management · supports: BLM parcels bordering Lincoln NF · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Elk Species Info — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Elk management · accessed 2026-04-17
- Gila National Forest — USDA Forest Service · supports: Wilderness access, Road system · accessed 2026-04-17