If you have plans to hunt in New Mexico this year with an outfitter and are looking for a way to improve your odds of drawing a tag, the New Mexico guide draw is your ticket for increased odds! The deadline to apply for all species in New Mexico is March 17, 2021 at 5 p.m. MDT. This deadline is also the last day for the guided draw as well. You can apply online here.

What Exactly Is the New Mexico Guide draw?

Every year New Mexico allocates a certain number of tags that are available for residents and nonresident applicants that apply through a licensed New Mexico outfitter.

10% Special Drawing Pool in the New Mexico Guide Draw

New Mexico’s special drawing pool allocates up to 10% of all available big-game licenses for each hunt code to someone applying through a licensed New Mexico outfitter. To apply in the 10% special drawing pool, a New Mexico outfitter shall execute a written contract with each special drawing pool applicant. Contracts must be signed and dated by all parties prior to application for any special drawing pool license. Note: It is unlawful for an outfitter or guide to contract with themselves or to guide themselves using a special drawing pool license. A New Mexico outfitter may release a contracted hunter-client to another New Mexico outfitter provided that the original contract was valid, in place prior to the application deadline and only if it is mutually agreed upon and signed by all parties.

Additional Information

A New Mexico outfitter shall ensure that each hunter-client who obtains a license through the 10% special drawing pool is accompanied by the outfitter or their registered guide for at least two days during the contracted dates of the hunt in the area where the hunter's license is valid. Accompanied shall mean that the outfitter or their registered guide physically escort the hunter in the field during the hunter’s license hunt dates.

A hunter-client who obtains a license through the 10% special drawing pool, and chooses to hunt beyond their contracted hunt dates must carry a copy of the contract while hunting if it had not been submitted electronically to the registrar at least 48 hours prior to the scheduled hunt. As stated above, it is unlawful to hunt with a license obtained through the 10% special drawing pool without being accompanied by, and contracted with, a New Mexico Outfitter or their guide for at least two days during the hunt.

Contracts are required by law. In an effort to protect both parties, contracts must designate the terms, hunt dates, guide to hunter-client ratio and compensation charged. Contracts must be signed prior to applying in the draw or for private-land hunts, prior to hunting. Read the contract carefully before signing it. The outfitter is only legally required to provide what is in the contract.

New Mexico Tag Allocations

Benefits of the Guided Draw

Draw odds can be significantly better in the New Mexico guide draw! Below I'll walk through several examples.

Unit 30 late archery mule deer (Jan. 1 to 15, 2022)

Unit 5B rifle elk (Oct. 23 to 27)

If you apply in New Mexico with the mindset that when you draw, you'll use an outfitter, then the guide draw is for you. Additionally, an outfitter will be able to help you in selecting a unit that may fit your goals and objectives. The New Mexico guide draw option will help to improve your odds of drawing that coveted tag. Having a guide in your corner will also greatly improve your chances of harvesting animal that meets your expectations.

There are currently 15 GOHUNT Business Members in New Mexico that are eligible for the guided draw and that list can be found here and below. Draw odds for residents and nonresidents are the same in the guide draw.

Finding Draw Odds on Insider Is Super Easy!

You can see the draw odds for the New Mexico Guided Draw on our standalone Draw Odds page here. Once you're on that page, you will select New Mexico and then Guided. From there just select the species you're interested in.

Example of New Mexico guided draw odds for elk on INSIDER.

You can view the draw odds in several different ways. On the standalone draw odds page or on Filtering 2.0 when sorting through units.

Find your guided draw odds here

Required Steps to Take for Applying in the Guide Draw

Find New Mexico Outfitters here

New Mexico business Members in the 2021 guided Draw

The outfitters listed below are goHUNT Business Members that we work with closely. You can contact them directly to get started on the process of applying for the New Mexico guided draw. Also, please contact the outfitters for available species for the draw.

Note: Outfitters below are listed in alphabetical order.

A3 Trophy Hunts New Mexico

Ram taken with A3 Trophy Hunts New Mexico — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Beaverhead Outfitters

Mule deer taken with Beaverhead Outfitters — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Big Rim Outfitters

Elk taken with Big Rim Outfitters — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Blue Mountain Outfitters

Bull elk taken with Blue Mountain Outfitters — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Cedar Creek Outfitters LLC

A mule deer taken with Cedar Creek Outfitters LLC — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Gold Rush Hunts

A bull elk taken with Gold Rush Hunts — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Graham's Guide Service

Bull elk taken with Graham's Guide Service — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

JFW Ranch Consulting, LLC

Antelope taken with JFW Ranch Consulting, LLC — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Kiowa Hunting Service, INC.

An ibex taken with Kiowa Hunting Service, INC. — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

LOH Outfitters

A bull taken with LOH Outfitters — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Milligan Brand Outfitting

A mule deer taken with Milligan Brand Outfitting — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Rebel Ranch Outfitters

A bull elk taken with Rebel Ranch Outfitters — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Ridgeline Outfitters LLC

A bull taken with Ridgeline Outfitters LLC — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Southwest Big Game Brokerage

Bull elk taken with Southwest Big Game Brokerage — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Wilderness Outfitters Productions, LLC

Mule deer taken with Wilderness Outiftter Productions, LLC. — A GOHUNT Business Member. For more photos of animals they have taken, check out the links below.

Special Notes

Unlike Nevada's guided draw (see more information on the 2021 Nevada nonresident mule deer guided draw here), the New Mexico guided draw allows the hunter to complete and submit the application.

The deadline to apply online is March 17, 2021 at 5 p.m. (Mountain Daylight Time). The guided draw will not only improve your odds of drawing a tag, but also your chance at having the hunt of a lifetime! A list of licensed New Mexico outfitters can be found in the GOHUNT Outfitter Directory. Feel free to reach out to us, or any of our New Mexico Business Members if you have any questions. Best of luck in the 2021 draws!