Blog · October 14, 2026 · New Mexico
The Union County Hunting Map and private boundaries
Parcel lines and public-land maps work together near Des Moines.
Main page: Union County, NM GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Planning a hunt near Capulin? The Union County hunting map is really two maps: public areas from New Mexico Department of Wildlife and private lines from the county. Covered here for Union County: where public hunting land is mapped, how to read private parcel lines, and getting landowner permission the right way.
Building your Union County hunting map
On ground around Capulin, public hunting areas are mapped by New Mexico Department of Wildlife, with rules that vary by area.
Getting to the right map
Begin with the NM Office of the State Engineer County Parcels 2025 layer in ArcGIS Map Viewer; it covers each assessed parcel around Des Moines and Kiowa National Grassland. Without an address in hand, follow US Route 412 on the aerial until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want, and that holds around Amistad too. For a home near Grenville, the parcel card normally shows the owner of record, assessed acreage, a parcel ID and in many cases the last transfer.
Legal descriptions in New Mexico
New Mexico uses the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Hayden reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though sections near Hayden can be irregular. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Amistad before you request a deed or survey.
Recorded documents worth pulling
Before you sign anything, pull the recorded deed through the County Clerk; the parcel line is a drawing of it, and that holds around Des Moines too. For a tract near Des Moines, have ready the book and page listed on the parcel record so staff can find the deed fast.
Who handles what
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Hayden looks off go to the County Assessor, which maintains the tax roll. Building or septic questions for a lot near Capulin go to planning, building or health offices, town or county, depending on location.
A word on accuracy
Around Mount Dora, listed acreage is an estimate; just a licensed surveyor establishes the real boundary on the ground. In and around Hayden, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month may not show yet.
Next door to Union County
Union County touches Baca County, CO, Las Animas County, CO, Colfax County, Harding County, and Quay County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Capulin Volcano National Monument may show up across two assessors' files, so look at the neighboring map as well. If the land is near Gladstone, our state page lists each bordering county map across New Mexico.
Reading terrain
Switch to aerial imagery near Capulin, look for field edges, creek bottoms and timber lines; match each spot to its parcel.
Union County in a few facts
Clayton holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Des Moines, Folsom, Grenville, and Capulin, where town lots give way to larger tracts. About 3,964 people live in Union County (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over some 3,825 square miles. The county dates to 1894, so old deeds can run back a long way, at least around Amistad. Features like Capulin Volcano National Monument make handy reference points on the map.
On site with the map
Most viewers work in a phone browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Des Moines, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A printout of the tract near Capulin keeps working without signal.
Who owns the ground
For private ground, the NM Office of the State Engineer County Parcels 2025 layer in ArcGIS Map Viewer is the free source, so you can see who owns the land near Folsom.
Contacting owners
If you're looking near Folsom, offer details: who you are, when you'd hunt and how to reach you, and respect a no.
Good habits afield
Leave gates as you found them on land near Hayden, and tell someone where you'll be; it keeps permission coming back.
Before you go
Check New Mexico Department of Wildlife for seasons and licensing, and trespass rules differ by state wherever you hunt near Kiowa National Grassland.
Frequently asked
Can I trust the map at the property line around Capulin Volcano National Monument?
Around Capulin, lines are approximate, so stay well inside them.
How do I get a landowner's contact info for land near Capulin Volcano National Monument?
For most people, the county viewer shows owners for tracts near Gladstone; write before the season.
Is there public land to hunt in Union County?
It depends, but public areas near Gladstone are listed by New Mexico Department of Wildlife; read the regulations for each.
Is verbal permission enough for land near Capulin?
With a lot near Kiowa National Grassland, written permission is a good idea even where not required.
What's a legal description around Capulin?
Near Grenville, it's the formal description of the land in the deed; a surveyor can interpret it.
Open the official Union County, NM parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.