Good morning all!! So deadline is March and I’m seriously wanting to put in this year. With it being my first time I have no idea on where to start! So leaning to my THF team for help!

https://onlinesales.wildlife.state.nm.us/

Start at the website above. If you haven’t ever applied or bought a license in New Mexico you’ll need to creat an account. Once you have done that dig through the regulation booklet:

https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/do...23-New-Mexico-Hunting-Rules-and-Info.pdf

Pronghorn section starts on page 82. Don’t apply for any hunts with less than 10-15 tags available. Nonresidents are only allotted 6% of total tags.

Pronghorn draw odds in New Mexico are pretty terrible. But I’ll be applying.

Also, when you apply you will have to pay the tag fee upfront (aka Float the tag fee). If you are unsuccessful you will receive that amount, minus $13, as a refund.

So they charge you basically a restocking fee?

It's an application fee. But basically yes. All western states require an application fee to apply and/or build points. If you want to buy a point for Wyoming elk, for example, it will cost you $52 per year.

New Mexico doesn't use a point system, so that $13 is purely an application fee. Call it a handling fee for processing probably a hundred thousand credit card transactions for applications and then refunds.

Forgot to add that you also have to buy a non-refundable hunting license in order to apply. New Mexico is actually the cheapest state in this regard. $65 license and usually like a $9 habitat stamp sort of thing. So $74 down the drain there as well. This used to be refundable if you didn't draw, but that changed a few years ago.

Since you have to buy a license I encourage you to put in for as may hunts as you can float.

I hunt NM pretty much every year. It’s a Good time

That was going to be my next question how many units can I apply for? Is there a map to where pronghorn units are? I have a buddy who owns a place on unit 34 who will allow me to crash at his place which will save me some money with getting a room.

Essentially 3 hunt options per species. There is a fourth option but basically spur of the moment population hunt,

The lodging cost in NM are pretty cheap over all. The motel I hunt out of in Jan is $55 a night. On a five day hunt, alot of times I camp 2-3 days, hotel/motel for a night(shower) then finish out hunt.

NM- species. You can run up 6k plus on CC pretty quick, but most hunts are very DIY friendly due to terrain
Elk
Deer(coues/mule/WT)
Aoudad
Ibex
Desert/rocky bighorn
Oryx
Pronghorn

Definitely apply for something for options 1 thru 3. New Mexico looks at your first 3 choices prior to moving to the next candidate. So technically, if you were one of the fist names to be drawn, you could draw the best tag in the state as a 3rd choice.

You will be quite a ways from anywhere in 34 to hunting antelope. There are antelope in neighboring units, but you'd still likely be driving over 30 miles or more one way at the least.

There's a map in the link in my first post. You can dig around on the NMDGF website and find some more information.

If you were a bow hunter, I would just tell you to go to Colorado. Pronghorn archery tags are over the counter in Colorado and Kansas.

Now from what I’ve read and heard. If I apply it’ll be 3-4years before I’m drawn…. Not sure if that makes any sense.

most the states around it are over the counter during archery and lots of public or could find a landowner

I got drawn this last season on the first try.

It’s all about your choices. Higher quaily areas with most public land are harder to draw, with that said it’s also pure drawn no PP’s so…. Someone’s going to draw and NR are in an equal playing field with the other NR in the NR specific pool. You can increase odds “sometimes “ by applying in the outfitter pool

Probably a lot easier to just book a hunt with an outfitter that has landowner tags.

Spoke to a buddy who elk hunts NM allot.. have my units chosen for Pronghorn and I’ll be putting in for elk. Fingers crossed I get drawn on either one.