New Mexico · San Juan Basin
New Mexico Unit 2B — Mule Deer Hunting
Free hunting map and unit guide for New Mexico Unit 2B in the San Juan Basin region.
Why hunters search for Unit 2B
- •One of the most famous mule deer permits in the country
- •150-170 inch bucks are the norm, with 200-inch deer a real possibility
- •Shares the Jicarilla Reservation border with 2C
- •Buck quality slipped in recent years — 2026 quotas were cut 20 percent to rebuild
Draw odds & tags
Limited-entry mule deer. Extremely difficult lottery draw — the tag hunters plan a whole season around. Check current odds on the NMDGF site.
Draw odds change yearly — check the New Mexico wildlife agency for current statistics before applying.
How to e-scout Unit 2B
Open New Mexico Unit 2B on the HuntTrack map and work it in layers. Start with public vs. private land so every glassing knob and stalk route you mark is on ground you can actually hunt, then add land cover to find habitat edges — timber meeting meadow, shrubland meeting ag — where mule deer feed at first and last light.
For mule deer, migration corridor and winter range data show where deer travel and yard up; pair that with land cover to find the bitterbrush and mountain mahogany slopes bucks favor. Wetlands and stream layers mark water in dry country. Drop pins on every candidate spot — they sync when you sign in, and they export as GPX for your GPS.
When to hunt Unit 2B
Archery seasons typically run late August through September. Rifle seasons generally fall in October, and the November rut — when mature bucks move in daylight — is the highest-odds window in most western states. Exact dates, weapon restrictions, and antler-point rules are set by New Mexico each year, so confirm them with the state wildlife agency before you apply or hunt.
Field guides for this unit
Scout Unit 2B on the free map
Public land boundaries, hunt unit overlays, wildlife sightings, and GPS collar tracks — all free, no subscription.
Open the hunting map →