Much of this unit is almost as flat as a dry lake bed with low brush and few trees. The southern region is the federally controlled Pelona Mountains along the Continental Divide and the southeast part is the mostly state-owned Luera Mountains. Much of the flat land is private. Mule deer and elk live in the mountains, while pronghorns and elk thrive in the flat sections.

In years when rainfall is heavy in spring and summer some hunters say no other unit in New Mexico is better for hunting trophy size elk than Unit 16E. The unit also holds a few big mule deer, but numbers are severely depressed after years of drought. This unit aso has some of the finest antelope in the state.

Most of the unit is flat, and even the mountainous sections in the Continental Divide Wilderness Study Area aren’t as steep and rugged as much other elk country in the West. The lowest land is the dry bed of an ancient lake where Indian artifacts made of chert and chalcedony are found today. A ghost town, Old Horse Springs is situated on Highway 12 on the western boundary of the unit.

A large ranch that gets ranch-only elk permits prevents access to parts of the unit, and a mixture of state and private lands hampers access to other areas, particularly the largely state-owned Luera Mountains. Coyote Canyon Road and State Route 63 lead to trails in the Continental Divide Wilderness Study Area. State Route 52 and State Route 63 reach state and BLM lands farther north. Ranches whose owners have opted for unit-wide landowner vouchers must open their land to the public for elk hunting. Be sure to get permission before hunting other game on those ranches. Some roads are in bad shape. The main access road in the southwest is so bad that sometimes a pickup truck can take two hours to go just a few miles. Hunters should be in excellent physical condition or have horses to hunt some of the roadless mountains along the eastern and southern boundaries of the unit.

Saltbush, blue grama, alkali grass, greasewood, saltgrass and sagebrush dominate the flats, while ponderosa pine, juniper and pinyon thrive at middle elevations with ponderosa and Douglas fir taking over at high elevations.

Eagle Guest Ranch near Datil provides lodging. Several motels are in Magdalena about 20 miles from the unit. Most hunters camp along dirt roads.