Unit 25 Unit 25
A vast, dry Chihuahuan-desert unit of lava flows, volcanic cinder cones and lonely desert ranges where a few heavy mule deer live scattered across hard, waterless country.
Southern desert basins — Potrillos & Florida Mountains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
3,172
sq mi
Public land
75%
approx.
Elevation
4,000–7,400
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Unit 25 is a huge low-desert unit in south-central New Mexico, running west of Interstate 25 and south of Interstate 10 from near Deming and Hachita east toward Anthony and the Texas line, down to the Mexican border. It is classic Chihuahuan desert — mesquite flats, creosote basins, the black Aden and West Potrillo lava flows and cinder cones, the Carrizalillo Hills, and the rugged Florida Mountains south of Deming. Deer are here but genuinely few and far between; the reward is solitude, wide country and the occasional heavy desert mule deer buck for hunters willing to glass hard and carry their own water. The Florida Mountains hold a well-known Persian ibex population (a separate exotic hunt, not general big game).
Terrain
Broad desert basins and mesquite flats broken by isolated volcanic ranges, black basalt lava flows and cinder cones, rising sharply to the rocky Florida Mountains.
Cover: Creosote and mesquite desert scrub, tarbush and grama grassland, yucca and cholla, with juniper on the higher foothills and cliff-and-canyon rock in the Floridas.
Landmarks: Florida Mountains · West Potrillo Mountains · Aden Lava Flow · Carrizalillo Hills · Good Sight Mountains · Kilbourne Hole maar crater
Access
Roughly three-quarters public, dominated by BLM with scattered NM State Trust sections and private ranches interspersed. There is no national forest and no tribal land in the unit. Public access is broad but boundaries are unmarked in open desert — carry a GPS/land-status layer to avoid trespassing on private and to know which State Trust land is open. Roads are dirt ranch tracks; many washes are impassable when wet.
Managers: BLM, NM State Trust, private ranch (E-PLUS)
Access points: I-10 exits between Deming and Las Cruces · NM-11 / NM-9 border-region roads · BLM roads into the West Potrillos and Aden flow · county roads south from Deming to the Florida Mountains
Species notes
Mule Deer
limited qualityDesert mule deer are thin but present, and the few mature bucks that survive this harsh country can be heavy and wide. Success is low (harvest is modest) — this is a glass-hard, cover-ground unit, not a numbers unit. Best pockets are the juniper foothills of the Carrizalillo Hills, the cinder cones of the West Potrillos, and canyon country in and around the Floridas.
- →Be on a high cinder cone or ridge glassing before first light and again at last light
- →Focus on juniper-covered foothills and cover near reliable water and stock tanks
- →Cover big country — deer densities are low, so hunt on your feet and glass relentlessly
- →Bowhunters find rutting bucks in the rough lava and volcanic terrain
- →Carry far more water than you think you need
Pronghorn
limited qualityA modest pronghorn resource uses the open desert grasslands and basin flats; permits are hard to draw and animals are scattered across large private and public parcels.
- →Glass open grassland basins from vehicle vantage points, then plan a stalk on foot
- →Watch water sources and windmills in the dry season
- →Confirm land status before setting up — private and State Trust are mixed through pronghorn ground
Pro tips
- →Treat water as your primary scouting tool — find the reliable tanks and springs and you find the deer
- →Glass from volcanic high points at first and last light; midday movement is minimal
- →Run a land-status GPS layer — public/private/State Trust interfinger with no fences or signs
- →The Florida Mountains hold Persian ibex, a separate exotic hunt, not general deer or elk
- →Plan to cover long distances on foot; densities are low and effort is rewarded
Watch out for
- !Very low deer densities — a physically demanding, low-success unit
- !Private ranches and E-PLUS-enrolled land are mixed with public; verify before you hunt
- !Water is scarce and distances are long — carry ample water and vehicle recovery gear
- !Remote border-region country near the Mexican line; travel prepared and aware
- !Unmarked NM State Trust sections require the proper access permission
- !Summer/early-fall heat and monsoon flash flooding in washes
Logistics
Deming (I-10) and Las Cruces bracket the unit and provide full services — fuel, motels, groceries, gear and hospitals. Once off the interstate, services vanish quickly; Hachita and Columbus are tiny. Fuel up, carry recovery gear, and treat every trip as a self-supported desert expedition with abundant water.
Nearest towns: Deming, Las Cruces, Hachita, Columbus
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official New Mexico sources:
Research sources: NMDGF Game Management Unit maps · GOHUNT — New Mexico Unit 25 profile · NM State Land Office — Hunting Access Information
FAQ
- How big is Unit 25 in New Mexico?
- Unit 25 (Unit 25) covers about 3,172 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 7,400 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 25?
- Approximately 75% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, NM State Trust, private ranch (E-PLUS). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 25?
- Mule Deer, Pronghorn. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official New Mexico agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 25 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.