Unit 39, New Mexico

Predominantly flat to gently rolling plains at 4,610–7,086 feet elevation. The northern third near Santa Rosa contains the widest topographic relief, with wide canyons, mesas, and broken badlands. Northwest of Fort Sumner, Lake Sumner (Sumner Lake State Park) provides the only major water feature. The southern two-thirds is largely featureless high plains with scattered low ridges and hills. Ease of travel is high; terrain difficulty is low.

GMU 39 is primarily private ranchland (approximately 62% private; 27% BLM, 16% State Trust Land — ~38% combined non-private, with minor overlap). No National Forest land is present. BLM land falls under the BLM Roswell Field Office (2909 W. Second St., Roswell, NM; 575-627-0272). State Trust Land parcels are scattered throughout and are accessible to licensed hunters under the NMDGF/State Land Office standing agreement — hunters must carry valid licenses, may only drive established roads, must close gates, and may not attach blinds to private improvements. US 285 and US 54 bisect the unit providing pavement access to networks of county-maintained dirt roads. The Stoval Unitization agreement covers GMU 39 for 2025-2026: certain BLM/State Trust parcels are effectively closed to public hunting while specified private lands are opened to public hunters holding valid licenses for designated species and seasons — hunters must verify current coverage map at wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/hunting/maps/unitized-ranch/ before hunting. Four-wheel-drive vehicles recommended for off-highway roads. Camping is permitted on BLM land and at Lake Sumner State Park (RV hookups available). No wilderness designations present.

Lower flats are dominated by desert grassland, desert brush, yucca, cholla cactus, and scattered shrubs — typical of the Chihuahuan desert-grassland transition. Draws, arroyos, steep hillsides, and canyon walls in the north support pinyon pine and one-seed juniper woodlands. Riparian corridors along the Pecos River and arroyos draining to Lake Sumner provide narrow bosque and shrub strips. No ponderosa pine or spruce-fir component is present in this unit.

Mule deer inhabit the broken canyon country in the north and scattered draws across the unit; public-land deer hunting is challenging with low success rates. Pronghorn antelope are the unit's primary game species, ranging widely across open plains; trophy-class bucks are taken especially on private ranches. Off-range oryx (gemsbok), dispersed north and east from the White Sands Missile Range population, are present on BLM, State Trust, and private lands at low densities — locating animals is the primary challenge. Elk have a limited draw season (Oct 1–5, 2025), suggesting a small resident or transitional population at the plains edge of elk range. Barbary sheep are present on canyon rims and rocky escarpments with a draw season. Black bear and mountain lion are absent or very incidental in this plains unit. Pronghorn, mule deer, and oryx are the primary quarry attracting hunters to GMU 39.