Unit 52 (Gallup / Zuni)
New Mexico Hunting Guide — Elk, Mule Deer
Unit 52 covers the Gallup and Zuni country of west-central New Mexico. Elk tags are allocated through the NMDGF pure random draw with no preference or bonus points. Consult the NMDGF big-game hunt booklet for current hunt codes and season dates.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 52
Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready New Mexico Unit 52 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.
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.
Elk Hunting in Unit 52
Unit 52 covers the Gallup and Zuni country of west-central New Mexico. Elk tags are allocated through the NMDGF pure random draw with no preference or bonus points. Consult the NMDGF big-game hunt booklet for current hunt codes and season dates.
Where to Find Elk in Unit 52
Elk in Unit 52 use the public and tribal-bordered lands of west-central New Mexico. Use NMDGF GMU maps and land-ownership overlays to identify huntable public ground before scouting.
Unit 52 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 8,449–10,304 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 9,339 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 424 sq mi inside the boundary.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- BLM — 15%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 17%
Roughly 83% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 232 tanks
- 3 springs
- 1,319 stream segments
- 13 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 Elk in Unit 52
Elk Success Rates
Elk Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 572 | 2,157 | 26.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 26 | 201 | 12.9% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 79 | 115 | 68.7% | — |
| Rifle — Draw antlerless (resident) | 80 | 87 | 92.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 56 | 58 | 96.6% | — |
| Rifle — Draw antlerless (resident) | 56 | 38 | 100.0% | — |
| Archery — Draw either sex (resident) | 388 | 628 | 61.8% | — |
| Archery — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 26 | 261 | 10.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw either sex (resident) | 151 | 457 | 33.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 7 | 79 | 8.9% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw either sex (resident) | 42 | 31 | 100.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 3 | 2 | 100.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 43 | 39 | 100.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 3 | 3 | 100.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 388 | 1,162 | 33.4% | — |
| Rifle — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 26 | 226 | 11.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw antlerless (resident) | 179 | 690 | 25.9% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw bull/buck only (resident) | 101 | 245 | 41.2% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw bull/buck only (nonresident) | 7 | 100 | 7.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw antlerless (resident) | 50 | 80 | 62.5% | — |
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
How are Unit 52 elk tags allocated in New Mexico?
Where do I find official Unit 52 season dates?
Do I need preference points for New Mexico Unit 52 mule deer?
What is the nonresident tag cap for Unit 52?
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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: Overview of New Mexico hunting programs, Agency hub for licenses and seasons · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Hunting by Species — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Species-specific management info, Season framework by animal · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Big Game Hunt Booklet — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Hunt codes and GMU boundaries, Tag quotas and season dates · accessed 2026-04-17
- 2026-2027 New Mexico Hunting Rules and Info (RIB) — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Unit 52 boundary and hunt codes, Deer season dates per weapon, Tag quotas · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Mule Deer Species Info — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Mule deer management overview, GMU eligibility, Season structure · accessed 2026-04-17
- NMDGF Applications and Draw Information — New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · supports: Pure random draw rules, Resident/nonresident/outfitter caps, Draw odds reports · accessed 2026-04-17