New Or Noteworthy For This Year

State Information

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New Mexico’s 2024 Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

New Mexico’s 2024 Barbary Sheep Breakdown

New Mexico’s 2024 Ibex Breakdown

New Mexico’s 2024 Oryx Breakdown

New Mexico's 2024 bighorn sheep and exotics application overview

Note: The online application deadline for New Mexico Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, ibex, javelina, antelope and oryx is March 20, 2024 by 5 p.m. MST. Apply online here.

Insider Features

Hunt Planner

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we have a tool called Hunt Planner. This product will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keeps all your research data organized. No more notepads getting lost or headaches when trying to remember what units caught your eye during your research! Everything you need is always in one place at GOHUNT.

What can you do in Hunt Planner?

View important information and an overview of the New Mexico rules/regulations, the draw system, permit and license fees, and an interactive boundary line map on our State Profile. You can also view the species profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy areas.

Important dates and information

Several years ago, New Mexico made an adjustment to its license allocation to guarantee that 84% of the licenses for each hunt go to resident applicants. This change has continued to cause some confusion for applicants in knowing how many total permits must be available to offer one to a nonresident in the regular draw and the guide draw. 

Use the table below to cross-reference with the total number of licenses to ensure the hunts you are applying for will have enough licenses. Every year, we see a good number of applicants who apply for hunts that have no nonresident licenses available. In essence, those nonresidents are wasting that chance to draw a hunt. Nonresidents should not apply for hunts that they have no chance to draw!

The current drought status in New Mexico

2024

2023

2022

2021

The New Mexico Draw System

New Mexico has a random draw system for all species. There is no preference or bonus point system. This means that every applicant is on an equal playing field to draw — even if this is the first year they are applying in New Mexico.

There are three pools of permits: the resident pool, the nonresident pool, and the guided pool. Barbary sheep, ibex, and oryx residents are guaranteed 84% of the permits for each hunt. Nonresidents can draw up to 6% of the permits for each hunt. Up to 10% of the permits for each hunt are allocated to applicants through the draw who have a signed agreement with a guide/outfitter. Both residents and nonresidents can apply with a guide and be considered to draw from the guide pool of permits. Once you have an agreement with a guide, you will apply in the draw with their guide number. If you enter the draw with a guide/outfitter and draw a permit, you are required to hunt in the field with that guide for a minimum of two days. The draw odds are typically better for applicants applying with an outfitter. If you can afford a guided hunt in New Mexico, applying with a guide is a great way to improve your chances of drawing a permit.

The total number of permits for each hunt should be considered before applying for Barbary sheep, ibex, and oryx. As indicated in the table above, there are minimum numbers of permits required for nonresidents to have a chance to draw. Make sure that there are enough permits for the hunts you apply for to offer you a chance in the draw. Every year, nonresident applicants apply for hunts that they have no chance to draw because there are not enough total permits. It would be wise not to be that applicant!

Party Applications

Up to four applicants can apply as a party for Barbary sheep. Up to two applicants can apply as a party for oryx and ibex. Party applications for bighorn sheep are not allowed. Nonresidents and residents can apply together in a party.

A party application is treated as a single application in the draw. If selected, all applicants on the application would receive a license, provided there are enough licenses to offer one to each applicant. New Mexico will not over-allocate the license quota to cover a group application. In the case that residents and nonresidents apply together, nonresident licenses are pulled from the nonresident quota. When applying as a party, one applicant will apply first and, upon completing the process, will receive a party application number. The rest of the party will then select “attach to an existing application” then enter the application code.

There are no real draw odd advantages to applying as a party. In fact, there may be a slight disadvantage. For example, if an application with two people is drawn and there is only one license remaining, then that application will be rejected, or if a nonresident and a resident apply together and there are not enough nonresident licenses, neither the resident nor nonresident will be given a license.

Hunt Choices for Barbary Sheep, Ibex, Oryx

New Mexico allows applicants to include three choices when they apply. In the draw, they will consider your first three choices before moving to the next applicant.

To further explain: once your application is considered, they will attempt to allocate your first hunt choice. If there are no licenses remaining for that choice, then they will consider your second choice. If there are no licenses remaining for your second choice, then they will consider your third choice. If there are no licenses remaining for the third choice, they will then move to the next application.

Because of the way New Mexico conducts their draw, there is some strategy in how you stagger your hunt choices. First, applicants should apply for a hunt for their first, second, and third choice on their application. All of those choices matter and will be considered in the draw. Second, we recommend that you apply with the best hunt (worst odds) as your first choice and then select progressively better odds (average hunts) as your second and third choices. The reasoning behind this strategy is that, with a random draw, you never know what position your application will be in the draw. Your application could be one of the first selected in the draw, and, as such, you want to receive the best permit/hunt possible. If your first hunt choice had better odds than your second and third choices, you are essentially wasting those choices.

The bighorn sheep draw system

The first consideration is that applicants must front the cost of the bighorn sheep license when you apply, which is $3,173 for a nonresident and $160 for residents. Before even considering what hunts to apply for, you’ll need to be sure that you can front the entire cost on a credit card or debit card. If you are unsuccessful in the draw, you will be refunded the cost of that license within about 10 days. Note: Hunters are eligible to draw one Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep ram license and one Desert bighorn sheep ram license in a lifetime.

Secondly, after you have decided to apply, for nonresidents in 2024, there will only be one Rocky Mountain bighorn ram license allocated for the entire state and one license for Desert bighorn sheep allocated in the nonresident draw statewide. There will also be two licenses for each species allocated statewide in the guide draw; the licenses allocated in the guide draw could go to nonresidents who have a signed contract with an outfitter and apply accordingly. Remember that the draw is random with no point system. The odds are 0.06% in the nonresident draw for a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram and 0.1% in the guided draw. The draw odds for Desert bighorn ram is 0.07% in the nonresident draw and 0.14% in the guided draw. The resident draw odds for Rocky Mountain bighorn ram are 0.37% and 0.59% for Desert bighorn ram. 

When you apply, applicants can apply for Rocky Mountain bighorn and Desert bighorn, but you will need to select one or the other as your first and second hunt choices. Hunt code BHS-1-201 is for Rocky Mountain bighorn ram and includes Units 16B, 22, 23, 24, 45, 53, 55, 49, 50, and 58. The Desert bighorn ram hunt code is BHS-1-204 and includes Units 13, 17 19, 20, 26, and 27. When you apply, you will need to select one of those hunt codes as your first choice and one as your second choice and then select individual hunts beneath it as first, second, and third choices. We would recommend that you apply for top-tier trophy hunts as your choices because there are so few licenses. 

Applicants who draw licenses for either species are in for a world-class hunt. The trophy potential for both species is exceptional, and harvest success is almost guaranteed if you put some time and effort into the hunt. Sheep populations are healthy throughout the state, with an estimated 1,800 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and 1,300 desert Dighorn sheep statewide. 

Lastly, be aware that New Mexico does offer Rocky Mountain bighorn ewe licenses. Those licenses cost the same as a ram license for nonresidents, and you apply in the same draw. They are not separate applications. The hunt codes for ewe are BHS-1-202 and BHS-2-203, which is an archery ewe hunt. Be careful when you apply that you are applying for the license that you want! Below in the table you will find the top hunts for both species.

When it comes to the cost of the license, draw odds, and the opportunity to hunt for exotics in New Mexico, Barbary sheep are at the top of the list.

Barbary sheep can be hunted in a number of units, and there is also an OTC tag. Overall, harvest success is generally good on most of these hunts, and the OTC option can be a great one to consider with some careful homework and local help. There are 43 different units that you can hunt with an OTC Barbary sheep tag.

The OTC option is valid statewide outside of draw units and wildlife management areas (WMA) (during closures), White Sands Missile Range, Fort Bliss, and portions of Unit 19 as well. The OTC hunt runs from April 1 to March 31, 2025, and licenses are unlimited. If you purchase a license and hunt, you can harvest a ram or ewe. The success rates are not high, and very few hunters harvest mature rams. It’s worth noting that Barbary sheep rut a few times a year — once in October and generally again in February. Perhaps one of the best times to try to kill a mature ram is during the rut in areas that border units with larger populations. Be prepared to hunt for as many days as you can string together and the likelihood that you may see very few Barbary sheep. The OTC can be a grind, but it is an opportunity to hunt sheep!

In regards to quality, Unit 28 has a good number of quality rams, but keep in mind that the either sex hunt is only five days long and occurs on the McGregor Range. The number of permits is 10. As such, there will not be a nonresident license, but for residents or applicants going into the guide draw, it’s a great option for a quality ram.

Units 29/30 have healthy populations of Barbary sheep, and there is a ton of public lands to hunt (84% in Unit 29 and 77.9% in Unit 30). The quality is not as good as it is in Unit 28 and potentially even some of the other units like Units 32, 36, and 37; however, those areas have more access and private land issues. There are still good opportunities to find success, but it will potentially require more research and effort in the field. The earlier hunts are more sought after due to there being a few more available rams. There is also a January archery-only hunt if you want to match your skills against the open, rocky terrain with draw odds at 4.9% for a nonresident.

New Mexico offers hunts for Ibex in Unit 25 in the Florida Mountains. Within these hunts, applicants will have the option to apply for archery, muzzleloader, or rifle hunts. Draw odds for these hunts are steep, and the terrain is very challenging. 

New Mexico does also offer a statewide OTC tag, but harvest success is virtually nonexistent and this is not a viable option for most nonresident hunters. There is one rifle hunt available for billies; however, this hunt is a once-in-a-lifetime tag.

Any valid Ibex draw license can be used for the year-round IBX–1–528 hunt.

Licenses for the IBX–1–103 are once-in-a-youth. A youth hunter may apply for this once-in-a-youth draw license if she/he has not previously held an Ibex youth license.

Over the counter (statewide)

Open to any legal unit with a season date of April 1 to March 31, 2025, for either sex and licenses are unlimited.

In my opinion, oryx is a very special opportunity that New Mexico offers. The beauty of oryx is there are a few different and unique hunting opportunities within the state. These include once-in-a-lifetime hunts, broken horn hunts, and off-range hunts. 

With the once-in-a-lifetime hunts and the broken horn hunts, applicants will apply for specific hunting areas and dates. However, with the statewide off-range hunt, all hunts are legal in the same areas, and hunters simply need to pick a timeframe to apply for.

Hunters who have held a once-in-a-lifetime oryx license may apply for a broken-horn oryx hunt or off-range hunts.

All once-in-a-lifetime, broken-horn, and youth-only oryx hunts are three-day hunts. Friday will be primarily for checking into WSMR. If no military missions are scheduled, hunting may be allowed on Friday afternoons after check-in. Additional information concerning Friday opportunities will be emailed to each license holder. WSMR will charge a $150 per hunter access fee; 50% military discount applies. Successful WSMR applicants will receive an email from WSMR with instructions for fee payment. Hunters are responsible for timely payment and will not be allowed to hunt if the access fee has not been paid by the specified deadline. Military authorities may delay or cancel hunts.

Special Oryx Draw for Injured Service Members

Injured active-duty and veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces with a disability rating of 50% or greater qualify for a special drawing for oryx on the White Sands Missile Range. The license must be purchased by successful applicants, but there is no fee to apply. For eligibility and application information, you can call 888-248-6866 after June 1, 2024.

Resident Veteran oryx hunt on White Sands Missile Range

Off-range oryx hunt for seniors 70 and older

McGregor Range hunts are not once-in-a-lifetime hunts. Hunts are on lands administered by Fort Bliss. All hunters may apply for hunt codes: ORX–1–225 and ORX–1–227. Applicants for military-only hunts must submit proof of current active-duty status prior to application each year. Veterans, reservists, and military contractors are not eligible for military-only hunts.

Only iron sights are allowed on muzzle-loading rifles when used during a muzzleloader hunt (Hunt Codes: XXX-3-XXX). Scopes, red dots and all other optical sights are prohibited.

All resident veterans who have never held a Once-In-A-Lifetime (OIL) Oryx License are eligible for a new resident veteran OIL hunt on White Sands Missile Range.

An off-range oryx hunt has been established for resident and non-resident seniors 70 and older.

The New Mexico State Game Commission is talking about possibly creating a minimum age of 9 years old for all youth hunters with hunter education in order to apply in the draw. More information should be available later this spring.

All Barbary sheep, deer, elk, ibex, javelina, oryx, pronghorn, and turkey license holders must submit a harvest report, whether they hunted or not. Deadlines for barbary sheep, ibex, javelina and oryx species are typically around April 7 and deadlines to submit harvest reports for deer, elk, antelope and turkey are typically February 15. Harvest reports may be submitted online, by phone, or in person at NMDGF offices. Late fees apply after this date. Failure to report by the deadline(s) will result in the rejection of all draw applications. Remember to keep your confirmation number!

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