Unit 5B (Jemez Mountains - South)
New Mexico Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Elk
Unit 5B covers the southern Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico. Mule deer 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.
Build your own PDF hunt guide for Unit 5B
Answer a few questions about your tag, your season and your rig, and the Field Intelligence Report builds a print-ready New Mexico Unit 5B 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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Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 5B
Unit 5B covers the southern Jemez Mountains of north-central New Mexico. Mule deer 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.
Where to Find Mule Deer in Unit 5B
Unit 5B mule deer use the Jemez Mountain habitat of north-central New Mexico. Use NMDGF GMU maps and land-ownership overlays to identify huntable public ground.
Unit 5B terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 6,483–8,513 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 7,654 ft ; peaks can run higher.
- 413 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
- 167 tanks
- 4,689 stream segments
- 4 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 Mule Deer in Unit 5B
Mule Deer Success Rates
Mule Deer Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts (n/p) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 21 | 1,367 | 1.5% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 2 | 327 | 0.6% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (resident) | 9 | 382 | 2.4% | — |
| Rifle — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 10 | 18 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw buck only (resident) | 9 | 300 | 3.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 2 | 0.0% | — |
| Archery — Draw either sex (resident) | 9 | 166 | 5.4% | — |
| Archery — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 10 | 3 | 0.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw either sex (resident) | 9 | 192 | 4.7% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw either sex (nonresident) | 10 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw buck only (resident) | 26 | 1,312 | 2.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw buck only (nonresident) | 1 | 325 | 0.3% | — |
| Archery — Draw buck only (resident) | 9 | 130 | 6.9% | — |
| Archery — Draw buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 1 | 0.0% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw buck only (resident) | 9 | 108 | 8.3% | — |
| Muzzleloader — Draw buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 2 | 0.0% | — |
| Rifle — Draw buck only (resident) | 9 | 282 | 3.2% | — |
| Rifle — Draw buck only (nonresident) | 10 | 5 | 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
How are Unit 5B mule deer tags allocated?
Where do I find Unit 5B season dates?
Are there Pueblo land closures in GMU 5B?
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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