GMU 56: public land and hunting map
GMU 56 is one of New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, now New Mexico Department of Wildlife’s 70 Game Management Units in New Mexico. It covers about 1,781 square miles (1,140,142 acres), and roughly 22% of it is public land: state land 22%.
- 22%public land
- 1,781square miles
- 245,131public acres
- 5neighbouring units
Measured Oct 12, 2026 from agency boundaries and USGS PAD-US 4.1 · sources and method
Who manages the land
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)22%
Share of the unit’s area. Federal agencies plus state wildlife, trust and natural-resource land, as the WikiHunt map classifies it. The rest is private, tribal, local or other land.
Units next to GMU 56
New Mexico season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons. Many units have their own dates, quotas or draw-only hunts, so check the unit in the regulations before you go.
| Species | Season | 2026 dates |
|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery Deer | Sep 1 – Sep 24 |
| Deer | Rifle Deer | Oct 25 – Nov 5 |
| Elk | Archery Elk | Sep 1 – Sep 24 |
| Elk | Rifle Elk | Oct 18 – Nov 12 |
| Pronghorn | Rifle Antelope | Aug 10 – Aug 14 |
| Black bear | Bear | Aug 16 – Nov 15 |
Full notes on the New Mexico page · New Mexico regulations.
Questions
How much of GMU 56 is public land?
About 22% of GMU 56 (245,131 of 1,140,142 acres) is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, mostly State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies). Public land is not always open land: check access and closures before you go.
Who manages the land in GMU 56?
State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies): 22%. The rest is private, tribal, local government or other land.
Which units border GMU 56?
GMU 47, GMU 55B, GMU 57, GMU 58 and GMU 59.
Where are the season dates and rules for GMU 56?
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, now New Mexico Department of Wildlife sets them. Start at the New Mexico hunting regulations. WikiHunt shows the statewide general seasons on the New Mexico page and in the app.
Sources and method
- Boundary: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, now New Mexico Department of Wildlife (owner keary.howley@dgf.nm.gov_nmdgf), the same layer the WikiHunt map draws.
- Public land: USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US) 4.1, Fee Managers layer (public domain).
- Method: the unit and PAD-US polygons are simplified to about 100 m and measured on a grid of about 250 cells across the unit, so overlapping records are counted once. Expect about ±1 percentage point.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026, checked against each state’s published regulations. Dates change; the regulations win.
- Last updated: Oct 12, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.