State guide

Public land that may allow hunting in New Mexico

66 named public land units in New Mexico from PAD-US 4.1: 35 state wildlife & game areas, 13 forests & grasslands, 8 wildlife refuges & WPAs, 8 BLM units, 1 lake & reservoir project lands, 1 state trust / land board tracts. The largest are New Mexico State Trust Lands, BLM Las Cruces District Office Public Lands, Gila National Forest.

66listed areas
32.1Macres (approx.)
35state wildlife & game areas

2026 deer season opening dates by state. For New Mexico, check the agency link below.

Regulations & licenses: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

This site does not list seasons, bag limits, license or permit rules. Those change every year and differ by area. Check them with the state agency before you go, and confirm the specific area is open to the hunting you plan.

Check regulations with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Where the listed areas are

State wildlife & game areas (35)Forests & grasslands (13)Wildlife refuges & WPAs (8)BLM public land (8)Lake & reservoir project land (1)State trust land (1)

One dot per area at its reference point; larger dots are larger areas. Outline: U.S. Census Bureau.

Acres by land type

Approximate acres for the portion of each unit inside New Mexico.

Photos from New Mexico public lands

All photo credits

National Forest land
Gila National Forest
2,659,260 acres
Photo: Forest Service Photography · public domain · original source
National Forest land
Cibola National Forest
1,619,624 acres
Photo: Forest Service Photography · public domain · original source
National Forest land
Santa Fe National Forest
1,545,394 acres
Photo: National Trails Office ( US National Park Service ) · public domain · original source
National Forest land
Carson National Forest
1,390,466 acres
Photo: Forest Service Photography · public domain · original source

Public-domain photos by U.S. federal agencies, taken in the place named on each card.

All 66 areas, largest first

Land type Manager PAD-US access Minimum size

State trust / land board land
New Mexico State Trust Lands
8,876,177 acres
State: land board · Lea County, Chaves County + 30 more
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Las Cruces District Office Public Lands
5,375,676 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Otero County, Doña Ana County + 4 more
Open access
National Forest land
Gila National Forest
2,659,260 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Catron County, Grant County + 2 more
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Carlsbad Field Office Public Lands
2,091,193 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Eddy County, Lea County + 1 more
Open access
National Forest land
Cibola National Forest
1,619,624 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Socorro County, Cibola County + 8 more
Open access
National Forest land
Santa Fe National Forest
1,545,394 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Rio Arriba County, San Miguel County + 4 more
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Socorro Field Office Public Lands
1,508,573 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Socorro County, Catron County
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Roswell Field Office Public Lands
1,501,593 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Chaves County, Lincoln County + 4 more
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Farmington Field Office Public Lands
1,425,261 acres
Bureau of Land Management · San Juan County, Rio Arriba County + 2 more
Open access
National Forest land
Carson National Forest
1,390,466 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Rio Arriba County, Taos County + 2 more
Open access
National Forest land
Lincoln National Forest
1,095,812 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Otero County, Lincoln County + 2 more
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Rio Puerco Field Office Public Lands
992,799 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Cibola County, Sandoval County + 4 more
Open access
National Forest land
Apache National Forest
610,307 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Catron County
Open access
BLM public land
BLM Taos Field Office Public Lands
598,287 acres
Bureau of Land Management · Taos County, Rio Arriba County + 4 more
Open access
National Wildlife Refuge
Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge
227,933 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Socorro County
Restricted access
National Grassland
Kiowa National Grassland
137,269 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Harding County, Union County + 2 more
Open access
National Forest land
Carson Other
101,403 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Colfax County, Taos County
Open access
National Forest land
Coronado National Forest
68,043 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Hidalgo County
Open access
National Wildlife Refuge
Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
57,061 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Socorro County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Colin Neblett Wildlife Management Area
30,925 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Colfax County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Brantley Wildlife Area
28,861 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Eddy County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
24,844 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Chaves County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Edward Sargent Wildlife Management Area
20,092 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Rio Arriba County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Marquez Wildlife Management Area
14,437 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · McKinley County, Sandoval County + 1 more
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Rio Chama Wildlife Management Area
13,030 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Rio Arriba County
Restricted access
Bureau of Reclamation project land
Carlsbad Wildife Refuge
11,571 acres
Bureau of Reclamation · Eddy County
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Urraca Wildlife Management Area
9,873 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Taos County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge
8,716 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · San Miguel County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Milnesand
7,251 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Elliott Barker Wildlife Management Area
5,599 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Colfax County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
William A. Humphries Wildlife Management Area
5,313 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Rio Arriba County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge And Conservation Area
4,231 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Mora County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Gallinas Wells
4,083 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
La Joya Waterfowl Management Area
3,695 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Socorro County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Grulla National Wildlife Refuge
3,237 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Huey Wildlife Area
3,192 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Eddy County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Crossroads
3,046 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County, Lea County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Maxwell National Wildlife Refuge
2,763 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Colfax County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Water Canyon Wildlife Area
2,519 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Cibola County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Bernalillo Waterfowl Management Area
1,796 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Socorro County
Restricted access
National Forest land
Ft. Bayard Mil. Res. Other
1,523 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Grant County
Open access
State wildlife / game area
North Bluitt
1,279 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Black Hills
1,231 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Red Rock Wildlife Management Area
1,172 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Grant County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Eagle Nest Lake
983 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Colfax County
Open access
National Forest land
Baca Location No. 1 Other
953 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Rio Arriba County, Sandoval County
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Rio De Los Pinos Wildlife Area
801 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Rio Arriba County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Jackson Lake Wildlife Management Area
769 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · San Juan County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Heart Bar Wildlife Management Area
743 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Catron County, Grant County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Wagon Mound Wildlife Management Area
697 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Mora County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
South Bluitt
639 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Liberty
632 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · De Baca County
Restricted access
National Wildlife Refuge
Valle De Oro National Wildlife Refuge
488 acres
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Bernalillo County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Casa Colorada Waterfowl Area
438 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Valencia County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Farmers Home
387 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Little Dipper
385 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Lea County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Antelope Flats
332 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Lea County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Marshall
322 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Belen Waterfowl Management Area
251 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Valencia County
Restricted access
National Forest land
Cuba-Rio Puerco Land Utilization Project
241 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · Sandoval County
Open access
BLM public land
Lions Wilderness Ampitheatre
222 acres
Bureau of Land Management · San Juan County
Open access
State wildlife / game area
Bledsoe
126 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
East Bluit
82 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Roosevelt County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Tatum
80 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Lea County
Restricted access
State wildlife / game area
Bear Canyon Lake (and Dam)
70 acres
State: fish and wildlife agency · Grant County
Open access
National Forest land
Continental Divide T.C. Other
66 acres
U.S. Forest Service (USDA) · McKinley County
Open access

Acreage is calculated from simplified PAD-US boundaries for the portion inside New Mexico. “Access” is the PAD-US public access field, not a statement about hunting. National wildlife refuges are generally coded “restricted” in PAD-US because of seasonal or area closures.