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January 2025 Re-cap1/13/2025 The NM State Game Commission hosted their first meeting of 2025 on Friday Jan. 10th in Santa Fe. The agenda was mostly routine except for one REALLY BIG change regarding pronghorn in the northeast. If you read nothing else, please read the update on landowner pronghorn hunts in GMUs 41, 47, 56, 57, 58, & 59, written in bold under “Pronghorn License Changes”. AQUATIC SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED (SGCN) INITIATIVES Fisheries chief Kirk Patten provided the Commission with an update regarding the Department’s conservation work for aquatic species of greatest conservation need. The Dept., in conjunction with other federal, state, tribal, and non-governmental partners, have worked continuously over several decades through longstanding initiatives, to benefit Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Rio Grande Chub, Rio Grande Sucker, and Pecos Pupfish. Pecos Pupfish (a species that were proposed endangered 25 years ago) were successfully downlisted to threatened in 2024. Chief Patten happily reported that through the successful conservation efforts of NMDGF, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that an ESA designation for Rio Grande Chub and Rio Grande Sucker fish (separate species) is not warranted at this time. The USFWS additionally determined that an ESA designation on Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout is also not warranted. This is due to the overwhelming success of Dept. conservation efforts which have resulted in a 16% expansion of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout populations statewide over the past 20 years. MIGRATORY GAME BIRD RULE As is done every year during the first Commission Meeting, the Dept. initiated opening the Migratory Game Bird Rule. This is an annual rule which is amended each year in conjunction with the USFWS recommendations for the pacific and central flyways. Hunting season dates will be adjusted according to the federal framework, which will be released in the coming months. One big change that is anticipated for all flyways but especially for NM is an adjustment to the pintail bag limit, which will allow for more consistent management with less anticipated swings in future bag limits. In collaboration with the USWFS framework, the pintail bag limit will be increased to 3 (from 1). Sandhill crane populations continue to increase in NM. NMDGF will get allocation numbers from the USFWS in mid-April and determine changes in sandhill crane license allocations. This agenda item was for discussion purposes only. The Migratory Bird rule is now open and will soon be available for public comment. The Dept. will be hosting several public meetings across the state in the coming months. HABITAT STAMP PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Dept. provided an update on the Habitat Stamp Program including a summary of the program’s accomplishments since it was reauthorized by the Commission in 2021. The Habitat Stamp Program began in 1986 and was intended to initiate habitat projects across NM on federal lands. The program is authorized under the Sikes Act. Anyone who hunts or fishes on federal land in NM must purchase a $10 habitat stamp. The revenue collected through the program is then used to conserve those habitats. The program is entirely funded by hunters and anglers. The program is guided by a Commission appointed Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). The annual budget of the program is between $1.5 and $2 million. Projects are brought to the CAC (by commissioners and the general public) and the CAC ranks those projects once a year to determine which projects will receive funding priority. Because the program is substantially funded by anglers, at least 50% of the funds must be applied to fishing projects. The Dept. has 4 years to spend the money allocated to any one project. Since 2021, the Dept. has completed 41 habitat projects including 52 miles of fence removal, 62 acres of stream and lake rehabilitation, and over 10,000 acres of habitat have been restored. PRONGHORN LICENSE CHANGES NMCOG has heard from many concerned outfitters regarding the pronghorn antelope population in northeast NM over the past few years, and with more frequency recently. The good news is that the NMDGF is finally taking our concerns seriously. The Dept. has made some major changes to the number of antelope licenses that will be issued in 2025 in Game Management Units 41, 42, 47, 56, 57, 58, & 59. These changes have already been made and are printed in the 2025 NMDGF Rules and Regulations booklet which was published on the Dept. website last week. The reason that these changes were made without public comment or Game Commission input is that by law the Director has the ability to reduce licenses by 20% if the species is, for any reason, experiencing a rapid decline in population. The Dept. has determined that the situation in the northeast is dire enough to warrant this immediate 20% reduction in hunting licenses. Wildlife Chief Stewart Liley provided a presentation to the Commission regarding the status of the northeast pronghorn antelope population. Recent ariel surveys indicate that both density and group size continue to decrease. According to Chief Liley, fawn mortality is likely the reason for the loss of the herd in NE. Department data shows that there has not been a substantial decline in buck to doe ratios and it is rather the fawn to doe ratio that is the concern. Fawn to doe ratios have been very low since 2020 with an estimated just 12% of the fawn crop surviving to adulthood. The cause of this mortality is likely due to drought. The northeast has experienced several years of very severe drought which correlates with the Dept.’s data showing a high level of fawn mortality due to abandonment and of “unknown” causes. While the NMDGF believes that hunter harvest has had a minimal impact on the decline, since NM is heavy on buck harvest (we harvest very few female antelope), buck numbers are really the only aspects where the Dept. can even try to help reverse the decline. And therefore, buck licenses are being reduced by 20% for both draw and private land hunts in 2025 (female harvest is also being eliminated). The hope is that this change will help maintain buck to doe ratios and promote maximum breed back and fawn recruitment. But really, only well-timed rain will be the herds savior! While these changes will come as music to the ears of many folks who have been worried about the northeast pronghorn herd for years, the changes won’t come without business model adjustments for outfitters. As part of the 20% reduction in tags, the antelope licenses issued on private land (previously unlimited, over the counter) are now capped. That means that when private land antelope licenses go on sale July 1st there will be an inevitable mad dash by all outfitters (who hunt antelope in the northeast region) to buy every private land license they need for 2025. Once the cap is met, there will be no more private land antelope licenses sold for the northeast hunts (this will additionally eliminate an outfitters ability to sell 2025 antelope hunts after July 1st). Caps are determined on a GMU basis and are listed below. It is extremely important that outfitters (and their hunter clientele) understand that for the 2025 season when you buy a private land antelope permit in the following GMU’s they are licenses. Meaning, just like draw licenses, these license sales are final! If an outfitter has an antelope client that cancels last minute, their private land antelope license cannot be refunded or exchanged (except for death or hospitalization). I repeat; all private land outfitters in the following GMUs will need to notify their 2025 antelope clientele that once the license is purchased, they are locked in and cancelling their trip after July 1st will be very difficult. This is the first time that the NMDGF has put a cap on license sales over a large geographic region. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact NMCOG at 505-440-5258. GMU 41 – 190 total private land licenses available GMU 42 – 54 total private land licenses available GMU 47 - 71 total private land licenses available GMU 56 - 383 total private land licenses available GMU 57 – 36 total private land licenses available GMU 58 – 185 total private land licenses available GMU 59 – 246 total private land licenses available ODDS, ENDS, & PUBLIC COMMENT In Executive Session the Commission voted to approve their hunting easement with the NM State Land Office. The agreement remains unchanged as it relates to hunter access to state trust lands. The Commission also heard a lengthy update on the status of wildlife corridors in NM. As directed by statute the NMDGF and NMDOT have collaborated to draft a well thought out plan regarding why and where best for NM to build wildlife corridors. Next step is finding the money to set the plan into motion. Public comment consisted mostly of support for wildlife corridors as well as support for the habitat stamp program. The Commission additionally approved the following schedule for their 2025 meetings.
April 25, 2025 (Friday) – Roswell June 13, 2025 (Friday) – Red River August 15, 2025 (Friday) - Reserve November 7, 2025 (Friday) – Los Alamos January 9, 2026 (Friday) – Santa Fe COMMISSIONER CONTACT INFORMATION (You're encouraged to contact the Commissioners any time to voice your opinion) Richard Stump - Chairman Appointed at-large [email protected] Sharon Salazar Hickey - Vice Chair District 4: Santa Fe, Taos, Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Guadalupe and Torrance counties [email protected] Tirzio Lopez District 3: San Juan, McKinley, Cibola, Valencia, Sandoval, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties [email protected] Gregg Fulfer District 1: Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties [email protected] Dr. Sabrina Pack District 2: Catron, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Dona Ana counties [email protected] Fernando Clemente Jr. Appointed at-large [email protected]
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April 20244/22/2024  The New Mexico State Game Commission hosted a meeting in Silver City this past Friday to review Department of Game and Fish programs and divisions. This type of learning forum is not uncommon. They take place every few years and especially when there are new Commissioners appointed. However, what was uncommon about Friday’s meeting was an extended public comment segment which allowed for organizations to make 10-minute presentations and allowed individuals to speak for 5 minutes each. Typically, public comment is restricted to 2 minutes regardless of whether the commentor is representing an organization. There were a substantial number of folks signed up to give public comments which led to an extremely long (5 hour) public comment period and resulted in Friday’s Game Commission meeting lasting until well past 7pm (the meeting began at 8:30am). Although the Department presentations to the Commission covered everything from the Dept’s. mission, structure, budget, funding, Mexican Wolf program, fisheries program, and the Elk Private Land Use System (EPLUS); public comment centered around either EPLUS or the Mexican Wolf program. NMCOG is happy to report that despite the NM Wildlife Federation’s email attempts to rally their anti-EPLUS troops, comments in favor of the EPLUS program outnumbered the haters 3:1. Thanks to all the members of our EPLUS coalition for taking the time to make such eloquent comments in support of EPLUS. We’ve worked hard over the past 2 years to solidify our coalition and produce information that can be used by everyone wishing to learn about the many benefits of this great program. The result of 2 years of hard work conducted by our analyst (thanks Ed – you are a rockstar!) debuted on Friday and our coalition website finally went live. We encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about EPLUS, and why it’s great for NM, to check out home - EPLUS New Mexico (eplusnm.org)…. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that NMCOG is still in the process of conducting our comprehensive economic impact study, which will provide additional information on the economic benefits of EPLUS! That study will be completed by December 2024. This edition of our Game Commission Recap is going to be a bit out of the ordinary. Given that all agenda items centered around individual Dept. divisions and programs, we felt it best for you to hear the presentations straight from the horse’s mouth. Below is a bullet point outline of the presentations made during Friday’s meeting along with their start times in the webcast. Fast forward to any of the presentations that interest you, but we strongly encourage you to listen to Chief Liley’s presentation on the Elk Private Land Use System…especially if you are someone who is opposed to the program! You might just change your mind. NM State Game Commission Meeting - April 19, 2024 (youtube.com) Agency Mission, Statutory Framework (start time 1:20.45) Fisheries Management Division (start time 1:33.46) Wildlife Management Division (start time 1:36.50) Information & Education Division (start time 1:42.40) Field Operations Division - Enforcement (start time 1:48.45) Administrative Services Division (start time 1:57.17) Information Systems Division (start time 1:58.39) Human Resources Manager (start time 2:02.44) Budget and Funding (start time 2:43.51) Overview of Mexican Wolf Program (start time 3:09.11) Overview of Fisheries Management (start time 5:07.01) Overview of the Elk Private Land Use System (start time 5:34.34) Public Comment Segment (start time 6:39.27) Next Commission Meeting – May 16, 2024 (Hobbs, NM)
COMMISSIONER CONTACT INFORMATION (You're encouraged to contact the Commissioners any time to voice your opinion) Tirzio Lopez - Vice Chairman District 3: San Juan, McKinley, Cibola, Valencia, Sandoval, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba counties [email protected] Gregg Fulfer District 1: Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties [email protected] Dr. Sabrina Pack District 2: Catron, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Dona Ana counties [email protected] Sharon Salazar Hickey District 4: Santa Fe, Taos, Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Guadalupe and Torrance counties [email protected] Edward Garcia District 5: Bernalillo county [email protected] Fernando Clemente Jr. Appointed at-large [email protected] Richard Stump Appointed at-large [email protected]
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March 20243/12/2024 The New Mexico State Game Commission hosted their first meeting of 2024 in Albuquerque this past Friday. They were supposed to have held a meeting in January, but that meeting was abruptly cancelled to give the Governor time to appoint 2 additional commissioners. The reason for cancellation was a rumor but it appears to have been true considering there were magically 2 new commissioners at the meeting on Friday. The commission is now a full seven-member body for the first time since April 2021. The new commissioners are Richard Stump, a jeweler from Santa Fe who is also a horse trainer, lifelong sportsman, and a former hunting guide. And Sabrina Pack, a businesswoman from Silver City who does not seem to have any direct interests with the NMDGF other than a general love for wildlife.
The commission meeting was very routine. The primary agenda items were the annual initiation of the migratory bird rule and the commencement of the biennial review of NMDGF’s list of threatened and endangered species. One item that got punted to the next commission meeting was the election of a chair and vice chair. The commission has lacked a chairperson since the position was vacated by the sudden resignation of Deanna Archuleta during the 2023 legislative session. There are, of course, several rumors floating around as to why the commission hasn’t elected a chair. All rumors include some level of back-room politics. However, the truth of these rumors is of little concern to NMCOG. It makes no difference to us whether Tirzio Lopez becomes chairman or whether Sharon Salazar Hickey resumes the post. Or perhaps the position will be given to someone entirely new. It simply doesn’t matter, NMCOG will work equally diligent to form a relationship with whomever becomes chair. As previously stated, Friday’s meeting was routine. However, you’d never know it from reading the NM Wildlife Federation’s latest work of fiction. Normally NMCOG would not stoop so low as to provide NMWF with any level of PR. However, their latest diatribe was so rot with propagandized misinformation it seems only right to set the record straight. NMWF took a 5-minute commission conversation at the end of the meeting (which was promoted by Commissioner Pack’s innocent desire to learn more about the issues related to the Dept. for which she is now a member of the governing body) and turned it into a 1300-word anti-EPLUS essay. Most egregiously, they used the article as an opportunity to, straight up, libel a good man who happens to be originally from Texas and who happens to own private property. A man whose monetary contributions of the last decade have done more to benefit the riparian ecosystem, the fisheries, and the community of Chama, NM than the NM Wildlife Federation has ever done since the dawn of time. There was absolutely no justifiable reason for the NMWF to publish such mean-spirited blather. And it only highlighted their obvious desperation to misinform resident hunters. Luckily many resident hunters are finally waking up to recognize the NMWF’s true colors…. Now on to what the commission actually discussed in their meeting on Friday. INITIATION OF THE MIGRATORY BIRD RULE The Migratory Game Bird Rule is amended annually to ensure compliance with Federal Flyway recommendations and guidelines. In New Mexico, season selections and bag limits are determined in conjunction with the Central and Pacific Flyways and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Dept. is at the beginning of the review process for this Rule. Changes to the migratory bird rule will be determined over the next few months and presented to the Commission at a subsequent meeting. Public comment is now open, but NMCOG will wait to formalize our comments until after the Dept. comes out with their official recommendations. BIENNIAL REVIEW OF STATE LISTED THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES Every other year Department biologists determine for each listed species whether its status should be ‘uplisted’ from threatened to endangered, ‘downlisted’ from endangered to threatened, or remain unchanged from the previous review period. Adding or removing species to or from the state list is a separate process. The biennial review will take several months to complete and will then be open for a 90-day comment period prior to approval. NEW APPOINTMENTS TO THE CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) is a volunteer working group that authorizes and prioritizes projects for the Habitat Stamp Program (HSP). The program’s purpose is to plan, develop, and coordinate conservation and rehabilitation projects on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) managed lands that benefit fish and wildlife populations. Each member serves a 5-year term. Newly appointed CAC members are as follows: Lief Ahlm (At large position) Manuel L’esperance (Farm and Ranch position) Mark Cadwallader (District 1) Mark Mattaini (District 3) Ronald Loehman (At Large position) 2024 COMMISSION MEETING DATES AND LOCATIONS The commission voted on the following schedule of dates and locations for future 2024 Commission meetings. All meetings will continue to be an in-person & virtual hybrid. April 19th – Silver City, NM May 17th – Hobbs, NM August 15th – Red River, NM November 8th – Las Cruces, NM January 10th, 2025 – Santa Fe, NM ODDS AND ENDS During the meeting the Commission also heard a presentation from the Nature Niños, they approved the Hunters Education and Fishing License Application Rules (both rules underwent simple language changes), And they heard a presentation on the Dept’s fiscal year 2023 audit (of which there were no significant findings).
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October Re-Cap11/6/2023 he Game Commission hosted a meeting in Farmington on October 27th. Although a number of department employees and a few members of the public made the, in many cases several hours, trip to attend the meeting in person, only two commissioners were present. The other 3 commissioners attended via Zoom. All game commission meetings in this post-COVID era are “hybrid”. Yes it’s true that certain things have been made easier and more convenient through virtual meeting technology. Members of the public can comment on rule making from basically anywhere in the world. Meetings can have a greater range of participants. And sick days or snow days (sadly) are a thing of the past. However, much of this new found convenience seems to have also come at the expense of professionalism. Perhaps it’s the time consuming virtual snafus (“can you guys hear me okay”… “you’re cutting out”…”you’re on mute”), or that you frequently can’t see faces/body language, or perhaps it’s just the annoying impression that the person doesn’t seem to care enough to attend physically. There is just something more productive about being in the same room at the same time. Shout out to Commissioners Lopez and Clemente for going out of their way to attend the meeting in person.
BEAR AND COUGAR RULE APPROVAL The Commission unanimously approved the next 4-year cycle of the Bear and Cougar Rule. Thankfully the Rule was approved without much protest. There were a handful of comments from the usual suspects (Animal Protection NM and the Sierra Club) voicing their opposition to the Rule and predator hunting in general but definitely not the level that the anti-hunting groups were hoping to generate. The new Bear and Cougar Rule will apply to hunting seasons 2024-2027. The full Rule can be read in its entirety on the NMDGF website. Below is a brief summary of the approved changes. BMZ = Bear Management Zone and CMZ = Cougar Management Zone.
FURBEARER RULE APPROVAL The Commission unanimously approved to make the Furbearer Rule a “permanent” rule. Meaning that the Rule will no longer auto-matically come open every 4 years. This is not to say that the Rule will never be re-opened. The Commission can vote to open the Rule at any time. It just means that it will not be opened on a set schedule. The Dept. mentioned several reasons for making this change, the foremost being that NMDGF only allows harvest of a small amount of furbearers (a number further reduced by the 2022 trapping ban). It makes more sense for the rule to be considered permanent and for the Commission to have Dept. biologists provide annual reports, rather than the overly burdensome constraints of a Rule on an official cycle which is subject to a formal hearing. The Dept. further justified the change by explaining that if necessary the Director can reassess bag limits at any time with the concurrence of the Commission Chair. HUNTER EDUCATION BRIEFING The Department provided the commission with an update on their amendments to the Hunter Education Rule. Clarification is needed to address recent advances in technology which is allowing very young children to apply for the NM Big Game Draw. In 2023 a child as young as 3yrs passed an online hunter safety course and successfully drew (and supposedly harvested) big game. Some states that offer online Hunter Education courses do not set a minimum age and the NMDGF currently accepts a hunter training course of another state to meet the hunter training course requirements in New Mexico. Rule clarification is needed to ensure system integrity and hunter safety. The Dept. is proposing adding new language to the rule that clarifies students utilizing Out-of-State Hunter Education Certifications in New Mexico are restricted to hunters ages 9 and older. This change will help to address age requirements and should also help reduce the likelihood of parents or guardians submitting big game draw applications for very young children in an attempt to illegally hunt themselves on drawn tags. This proposal is currently open for public comment. Email your thoughts to [email protected] ODDS AND ENDS The commission also approved the annual depredation report, revocations report, and the application fora 157 acre Pheasant and Chukar hunting preserve on a private ranch east of Raton, NM. Also, the commission also approved the Draw application deadlines for 2024.
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August 20239/12/2023 The NM State Game Commission met on Friday July 21st at the Game and Fish office in Albuquerque. The meeting was short and the atmosphere was a bit awkward, which appears to be the way this Commission prefers to roll.
PUBLIC COMMENT The Commission started the meeting, as they normally do, with general public comment. Several days prior to the meeting Animal Protection New Mexico (APNM) sent an email to their members requesting they provide public comment in opposition to the Bear and Cougar Rule (which is currently open to public engagement and input on amendments for the next 4yr cycle). The email notice resulted in an abnormally high number of public comments made during the Commission meeting. All comments were in opposition to bear and cougar hunting. Some of the comments recommended that the Commission “lower the quotas”, “ban the use of dogs”, “live and let live”, “create policy that reflects the social values of the majority”, and several commentors mentioned that Bear/Cougar populations are “self-regulating” and therefore hunting is unnecessary. Obviously we disagree with all of these statements whole heartedly, but the point is that right now the anti’s are winning in the arena of public comment. It is time for our side to get busy commenting in support of the Department of Game and Fish when it comes to bear and cougar hunting! We may not agree with everything all of the time but in general the NMDGF does a fantastic job managing wildlife in the state of NM and they need to know that we support them. Remaining quiet or being constantly critical of every policy decision only plays into the hands of the anti-hunting public. Please provide public comment to the Dept. regarding the Bear/Cougar Rule. Feel free to let them know your true thoughts but lead with the positive and remember to let them know you support the hunting of bear and cougar. Send your comments to [email protected] MIGRATORY BIRD RULE The Commission unanimously approved the Migratory Bird Rule for Sept. 1, 2023-March 31st, 2024. This rule is approved annually in conjunction with the federal framework of the Central and Pacific Flyway Council. Amendments to the rule were recommended based on federal framework and public comments. Some public comments were not applicable because they would go against the federal framework. A copy of the newly approved rule can be found on the NMDGF website under Commission “hearing archives” (until Sept. when it will be moved to the hunting tag under “Rules and Penalties”). Approved changes to the rule are as follows: Hunt dates were amended based on federal framework changes. No changes were made to sandhill crane or dove Federal changes were applied to pintail Bag limits remain the same for Central and Pacific Flyway birds in most instances. FURBEARER RULE The Dept. initiated the opening of the Furbearer Rule. The rule is currently on a 4 year cycle but the Dept. is proposing to make the rule “permanent”, meaning the rule remains closed unless specifically opened by the Commission. The Dept. mentioned several reasons for the change, the foremost being that NMDGF only allows harvest of a small amount of furbearers as it is and the 2022 trapping ban has only further reduced harvest. It makes more sense for the rule to be considered permanent and for the Commission to have Dept. biologists provide annual reports, rather than the overly burdensome constraints of a rule on an official cycle which is subject to a formal hearing including time requirements, public comment, and Commission action. The Dept. explained that if necessary the Director can set bag limits with the concurrence of the Commission Chair. Furbearer populations are currently stable and a recent study showed that even the swift fox population (which was previously a species of concern) was proven to be stable. Potential changes to the Furbearer Rule are open for public comment and will be approved by the Commission later this year. EXECUTIVE SESSION At each meeting the Commission goes into Executive Session which is unavailable to the public and generally relates to ongoing legal matters which the Dept. and Commission are involved in. The only insight that the public is awarded in regards to the Commission Executive Session is a short description of cases discussed provided in the meeting agenda. At the most recent meeting the agenda referenced the NM Trappers Association lawsuit against the NM Attorney General and NMDGF Director Sloane. This means the NM Trappers Association has filed a formal lawsuit against the law passed in 2021 (and in effect April 2022) which banned trapping on all NM public land. NMCOG is anxious to see how the proceedings go and we have agreed to help the NM Trappers Association overturn the trapping ban in the legislature in the event they are able to successfully deem the ban wholly or partially unconstitutional. Like all lawsuits, there definitely won’t be anything quick about this legal process. But this lawsuit is good news and it’s a start...
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January 2025 Re-cap8/23/2022 The NM State Game Commission hosted their first meeting of 2025 on Friday Jan. 10th in Santa Fe. The agenda was mostly routine except for one REALLY BIG change regarding pronghorn in the northeast. If you read nothing else, please read the update on landowner pronghorn hunts in GMUs 41, 47, 56, 57, 58, & 59, written in bold under “Pronghorn License Changes”.
AQUATIC SPECIES OF GREATEST CONSERVATION NEED (SGCN) INITIATIVES Fisheries chief Kirk Patten provided the Commission with an update regarding the Department’s conservation work for aquatic species of greatest conservation need. The Dept., in conjunction with other federal, state, tribal, and non-governmental partners, have worked continuously over several decades through longstanding initiatives, to benefit Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout, Rio Grande Chub, Rio Grande Sucker, and Pecos Pupfish. Pecos Pupfish (a species that were proposed endangered 25 years ago) were successfully downlisted to threatened in 2024. Chief Patten happily reported that through the successful conservation efforts of NMDGF, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that an ESA designation for Rio Grande Chub and Rio Grande Sucker fish (separate species) is not warranted at this time. The USFWS additionally determined that an ESA designation on Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout is also not warranted. This is due to the overwhelming success of Dept. conservation efforts which have resulted in a 16% expansion of Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout populations statewide over the past 20 years. MIGRATORY GAME BIRD RULE As is done every year during the first Commission Meeting, the Dept. initiated opening the Migratory Game Bird Rule. This is an annual rule which is amended each year in conjunction with the USFWS recommendations for the pacific and central flyways. Hunting season dates will be adjusted according to the federal framework, which will be released in the coming months. One big change that is anticipated for all flyways but especially for NM is an adjustment to the pintail bag limit, which will allow for more consistent management with less anticipated swings in future bag limits. In collaboration with the USWFS framework, the pintail bag limit will be increased to 3 (from 1). Sandhill crane populations continue to increase in NM. NMDGF will get allocation numbers from the USFWS in mid-April and determine changes in sandhill crane license allocations. This agenda item was for discussion purposes only. The Migratory Bird rule is now open and will soon be available for public comment. The Dept. will be hosting several public meetings across the state in the coming months. HABITAT STAMP PROGRAM OVERVIEW The Dept. provided an update on the Habitat Stamp Program including a summary of the program’s accomplishments since it was reauthorized by the Commission in 2021. The Habitat Stamp Program began in 1986 and was intended to initiate habitat projects across NM on federal lands. The program is authorized under the Sikes Act. Anyone who hunts or fishes on federal land in NM must purchase a $10 habitat stamp. The revenue collected through the program is then used to conserve those habitats. The program is entirely funded by hunters and anglers. The program is guided by a Commission appointed Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC). The annual budget of the program is between $1.5 and $2 million. Projects are brought to the CAC (by commissioners and the general public) and the CAC ranks those projects once a year to determine which projects will receive funding priority. Because the program is substantially funded by anglers, at least 50% of the funds must be applied to fishing projects. The Dept. has 4 years to spend the money allocated to any one project. Since 2021, the Dept. has completed 41 habitat projects including 52 miles of fence removal, 62 acres of stream and lake rehabilitation, and over 10,000 acres of habitat have been restored. PRONGHORN LICENSE CHANGES NMCOG has heard from many concerned outfitters regarding the pronghorn antelope population in northeast NM over the past few years, and with more frequency recently. The good news is that the NMDGF is finally taking our concerns seriously. The Dept. has made some major changes to the number of antelope licenses that will be issued in 2025 in Game Management Units 41, 42, 47, 56, 57, 58, & 59. These changes have already been made and are printed in the 2025 NMDGF Rules and Regulations booklet which was published on the Dept. website last week. The reason that these changes were made without public comment or Game Commission input is that by law the Director has the ability to reduce licenses by 20% if the species is, for any reason, experiencing a rapid decline in population. The Dept. has determined that the situation in the northeast is dire enough to warrant this immediate 20% reduction in hunting licenses. Wildlife Chief Stewart Liley provided a presentation to the Commission regarding the status of the northeast pronghorn antelope population. Recent ariel surveys indicate that both density and group size continue to decrease. According to Chief Liley, fawn mortality is likely the reason for the loss of the herd in NE. Department data shows that there has not been a substantial decline in buck to doe ratios and it is rather the fawn to doe ratio that is the concern. Fawn to doe ratios have been very low since 2020 with an estimated just 12% of the fawn crop surviving to adulthood. The cause of this mortality is likely due to drought. The northeast has experienced several years of very severe drought which correlates with the Dept.’s data showing a high level of fawn mortality due to abandonment and of “unknown” causes. While the NMDGF believes that hunter harvest has had a minimal impact on the decline, since NM is heavy on buck harvest (we harvest very few female antelope), buck numbers are really the only aspects where the Dept. can even try to help reverse the decline. And therefore, buck licenses are being reduced by 20% for both draw and private land hunts in 2025 (female harvest is also being eliminated). The hope is that this change will help maintain buck to doe ratios and promote maximum breed back and fawn recruitment. But really, only well-timed rain will be the herds savior! While these changes will come as music to the ears of many folks who have been worried about the northeast pronghorn herd for years, the changes won’t come without business model adjustments for outfitters. As part of the 20% reduction in tags, the antelope licenses issued on private land (previously unlimited, over the counter) are now capped. That means that when private land antelope licenses go on sale July 1st there will be an inevitable mad dash by all outfitters (who hunt antelope in the northeast region) to buy every private land license they need for 2025. Once the cap is met, there will be no more private land antelope licenses sold for the northeast hunts (this will additionally eliminate an outfitters ability to sell 2025 antelope hunts after July 1st). Caps are determined on a GMU basis and are listed below. It is extremely important that outfitters (and their hunter clientele) understand that for the 2025 season when you buy a private land antelope permit in the following GMU’s they are licenses. Meaning, just like draw licenses, these license sales are final! If an outfitter has an antelope client that cancels last minute, their private land antelope license cannot be refunded or exchanged (except for death or hospitalization). I repeat; all private land outfitters in the following GMUs will need to notify their 2025 antelope clientele that once the license is purchased, they are locked in and cancelling their trip after July 1st will be very difficult. This is the first time that the NMDGF has put a cap on license sales over a large geographic region. If you have questions or would like further information, please contact NMCOG at 505-440-5258. GMU 41 – 190 total private land licenses available GMU 42 – 54 total private land licenses available GMU 47 - 71 total private land licenses available GMU 56 - 383 total private land licenses available GMU 57 – 36 total private land licenses available GMU 58 – 185 total private land licenses available GMU 59 – 246 total private land licenses available ODDS, ENDS, & PUBLIC COMMENT In Executive Session the Commission voted to approve their hunting easement with the NM State Land Office. The agreement remains unchanged as it relates to hunter access to state trust lands. The Commission also heard a lengthy update on the status of wildlife corridors in NM. As directed by statute the NMDGF and NMDOT have collaborated to draft a well thought out plan regarding why and where best for NM to build wildlife corridors. Next step is finding the money to set the plan into motion. Public comment consisted mostly of support for wildlife corridors as well as support for the habitat stamp program.
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June 2022 Special Meeting6/21/2022  The NM State Game Commission hosted a “special” meeting on Friday June 17th to address the action items that were rolled over from the June 3rd meeting due to lack of a quorum. As Friday’s meeting started, like magic, a new commissioner appeared to fill the vacant District 1 position (Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties). Thank you, Gov. Lujan Grisham, for hearing our plea and finally appointing a fifth Commissioner. It felt like there was a collective sigh of relief from all of us regulars in the room who have witnessed the Commission tensions continue to build over the past few months. There are still two vacancies on the Commission but at least with 5 Commissioners motions will no longer die on a tie vote. The new Commissioner is Gregg Fulfer of Jal, New Mexico. He is a former state senator and former Lea County commissioner. He has a degree in electrical engineering from NM State University and is a retired businessman. He previously owned and operated several successful electrical, oil & gas, and cattle businesses in New Mexico & west Texas. And he is now the lone Republican on the NM State Game commission. Congratulations on your appointment Commissioner Fulfer! Welcome aboard. NMCOG looks forward to working with you. FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE BIGHORN SHEEP RULE 48hrs prior to Friday’s meeting (and in compliance with the Open Meetings Act) the NMDGF posted a briefing to the Bighorn Sheep agenda item which indicated that the Commission would be discussing 2 amendments to the Bighorn Sheep Rule. The first was to place a once-in-a-lifetime constraint on Bighorn Sheep landowner permits and the other was to remove language that requires the funding generated from Bighorn Sheep raffle permits to be used for the “conservation of bighorn sheep”. NMCOG sent a letter to the Commission prior to the meeting in opposition to both amendments. In opposition to the once-in-a-lifetime designation, we reminded the commission that “placing restrictions on any private land permits simply creates disincentive for landowners to participate in conservation programs.” NMCOG additionally took the liberty to immediately notify all the landowners who would be impacted by the amendment, and we encouraged those individuals to reach out to the Commission prior to the meeting. At the beginning of the meeting Commissioner Salazar-Henry motioned to amend the agenda to strip the amendment related to private land bighorn permits stating that she credits the folks at the Wedding Cake ranch for their enlightening discussion about the benefits of private land agreements which ultimately changed her perspective on the issue. In opposition to the language change, NMCOG urged the Commission to maintain the current regulation and argued that all “money generated through the Bighorn Sheep enhancement program should unarguably be fully dedicated to the conservation of NM’s wild sheep populations.” After a lengthy Commission discussion regarding the wording of the statute and how that relates to the Rule, the Commission voted 2-3 to deny a change to the current language which will continue to read “the drawing will be conducted by the department or an incorporated, non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of bighorn sheep.” Commissioners Salazar-Henry and Lopez voted to change the language and Commissioners Archuleta, Fulfer, and Salazar Hickey voted against the motion. You can watch the recording of this discussion HERE the conversation begins at 2:17:00 and is roughly 45 minutes long. APPROVAL OF THE STATEWIDE FISHERIES MANAGEMENT PLAN The Commission voted unanimously to approve the 2022 Statewide Fisheries Management Plan which is a document that communicates the vision of the NMDGF regarding the priority of fisheries projects in the state. It additionally outlines efforts to expand or maintain recreational angler opportunities and describes how the Dept. plans to balances this recreational pressure with responsible fisheries conservation. NMCOG was not at all opposed to this management document however, we did use the agenda item as a platform to express our extreme discontent with the Dept’s interpretation of the NM Supreme Court’s decision as it relates to recreational access to streambeds located on private land. We highlighted the high level of inconsistency between the Dept’s written management plan and the Dept’s newly adopted do-nothing enforcement philosophy as it relates to trespassers trampling riparian ecosystems on private land. Watch our comments HERE at 2:09:34 BUDGET OVERVIEW AND CAPITAL PLAN The Department also presented the Commission with their current financial and license sales data. The presentation included revenue data related to license sales, federal revenue, and other revenue generated by the Department. The agenda item provided context regarding the financial position and stability of the Dept’s annual revenue, which is generated primarily by (no surprise) non-resident hunting license sales. Click HERE to view the Dept’s very informative presentation or watch the Dept. presentation HERE starting at minute 58.57. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Dept’s 5-year capital plan and capital request to the Department of Finance and Administration. Next Commission Meeting – July 22, 2022 (Ruidoso, NM)
COMMISSIONER CONTACT INFORMATION (You're encouraged to contact the Commissioners any time to voice your opinion) Sharon Salazar Hickey - Chairwoman District 4: Santa Fe, Taos, Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Guadalupe and Torrance counties [email protected] Deanna Archuleta - Vice Chairwoman At - Large Position [email protected] Gregg Fulfer District 1: Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties [email protected] Roberta Salazar-Henry District 2: Catron, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Doña Ana counties [email protected] Tirzio Lopez Appointed - Agriculture Position [email protected] OPEN District 3: San Juan, Rio Arriba, McKinley, Sandoval, Cibola, & Valencia counties OPEN District 5: Bernalillo County
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June 2022 Re-cap6/9/2022 The NM State Game Commission hosted a meeting in Eagle Nest last Friday. The entire meeting was complete mayhem, as is the usual with this Commission. Only 2 Commissioners attended in-person (the other 2 by zoom), the agenda was entirely rearranged at the start of the meeting, Commissioners were unprepared and visibly unknowledgeable regarding NMDGF game regulations, the Vice Chair left the meeting early (leaving the Commission without a quorum and prevented them from approving the FY 2024 Capital Plan - requiring Director Sloane to urge the Commission to schedule a special meeting since the Capital Plan has an approval deadline of July 1st), and motions made during the meeting were done so in an overly technical manner, which I speculate was, to intentionally confuse the other Commissioners as well as the public. There is a term for situations with this sort of prolonged chaos. But it’s a term better left unwritten in professional communication. Click HERE to experience the madness firsthand. NOTE: The Deer and Elk Rules were not heard. Both are still open for public comment at [email protected] and [email protected]. REMOVAL OF SCOPES FROM MUZZLELOADERS The Dept. did not provide an official update to this proposal however, the Commission did have an informal discussion on the topic. Commissioner Salazar-Henry had previously expressed opposition to the proposal given the high amount of public comment that has been generated over the last few months (both in opposition and in favor of the proposal). Director Sloane specifically asked the Commissioners if they intended to proceed with the proposal considering the Dept. would be forced to significantly reduce licenses across all species if the proposal were to fail (given the very high success rates of modern-day muzzleloaders with scopes). Commissioner Salazar-Henry responded that she had done some research on the Colorado rule that bans scopes and was interested to learn that CO has never allowed scopes on muzzleloaders. She also learned that CO is considering banning scopes on all rifles due to their ability to allow a hunter to harvest game at very long range. It seems CO too is having trouble properly managing wildlife with such high hunter harvest rates. Commissioner Salazar-Henry directed the Dept. to continue with their proposal to ban scopes on muzzleloaders. Indicating that she agrees it is in the best interest of game management and that she will vote in favor of the ban. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION EXOTICS RULE The Dept. provided their subsequent update on the Exotics Rule. This means the window for providing public comment is closing fast. The Dept. will finalize their proposed changes over the next month and then post their final version of the Rule to the Register, where it must remain unchanged for 30 days prior to approval. The Exotics Rule will be officially approved by the Commission at their August meeting. Below are the Dept’s current proposed changes. You can still provide public comment regarding this proposal. Email your comments to [email protected] BARBARY SHEEP
 ORYX
 IBEX
 SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION OF THE BIGHORN SHEEP RULE The Dept. provided their subsequent presentation of the Bighorn Sheep Rule. The Dept. continues to propose that licenses be distributed in the draw through the current method of allocation which allows for resident and non-resident opportunity. The Commission previously extended to the public comment period to allow for more input regarding a request by the NM Wildlife Federation and Commissioner Salazar-Henry to eliminate non-resident draw opportunity. An overwhelming 70% of the public response generated over the past month was in favor of the Dept.’s current allocation process of lumping hunt codes and thus maintaining non-resident opportunity (406 in favor and 187 in opposition). However, despite the public’s continued insistence that they are in favor of allowing non-residents to draw bighorn sheep permits, Commissioner Salazar-Henry doubled down on her proposal to eliminate non-resident draw tags. She then attempted to persuade her fellow Commissioners of her proposal by capitalizing on the Chair and Vice Chair’s general lack of understanding regarding Dept. policy. She provided a lengthy and confusing explanation of how she felt non-resident hunters would still have opportunity even if the hunt codes are un-lumped. She attempted to paint the NM Bighorn Sheep enhancement tags and all 4 landowner tags as being non-resident. Even though all those permits are in-fact equal opportunity (meaning a resident hunter can purchase a permit as easily as a non-resident). She also attempted to say that both Rocky and Desert raffle permits are non-resident even though raffle tickets are just $20/ticket and can be purchased, and won, by anyone (and the raffle has been won by a NM resident several times). To be completely clear an un-lumping of the Bighorn Sheep hunt codes would eliminate all opportunity for a non-resident to obtain a NM sheep permit through the Big Game Draw. Commissioner Salazar-Henry nearly succeeded in bamboozling the Commission until Commissioner Archuleta finally had the good sense to ask for further clarification. Commissioner Salazar-Henry’s motion died on a 2/2 vote. Which means that the Dept.’s current allocation process continues to be the proposal on the table and will be voted on at their August meeting. Commissioner Salazar-Henry was noticeably unhappy that her motion failed, and she stated on record that she will be voting against the Bighorn Sheep Rule in August. And because the Commission requires all 4 commissioners vote unanimously to approve a Rule, that would mean there would not be a Bighorn Sheep Rule in 2023. To clarify, and this is extremely important to understand, if the Rule is not approved there would be NO sheep permits issued in 2023, resident or non-resident. This fight is not over yet. And NMCOG will continue to advocate for non-resident opportunity. If you are interested in watching the fireworks that took place last Friday, you can watch the meeting HERE. The conversation begins at 2:04:20 and is 1-hour 45mins in length. Other Dept. proposals regarding Bighorn are as follows:
FINAL PRONGHORN RULE HEARING The Dept. provided their final presentation regarding their proposed changes to the Pronghorn Rule. During the Commission discussion Commissioner Lopez made a motion to “make a small amendment”. The motion was amazingly technical and referenced only rule and hunt code numbers with zero explanation of what he was amending. Once again, I assume this was done to capitalize on the Chairwoman and Vice Chairwoman’s lack of understanding of Game & Fish regulation to confuse them into voting for something they don’t quite understand. Ironically Commissioner Lopez seemed to misunderstand his own motion which he said was made “to give hunters more opportunity to harvest antelope”. The motion however reduces hunter opportunity by more than half on public land and almost entirely on private land in GMUs 4, 50, & 52. View NMCOG’s comments regarding this change at 5:26:10. The Commission voted unanimously to approve Commissioner Lopez’s motion. Even though the proposal had been overwhelmingly opposed by the general hunting public. Additionally, the Dept. attorney, rather shockingly, stated that she felt the change was not substantive enough to warrant further public comment (even though the amendment guts tag number by over 50% and entirely changes the weapon type). But it’s too late now because the Rule has now been officially adopted by the Commission and we are stuck with Commissioner Lopez’s change for the next 4 years. This fiasco just further illustrated the Commission’s serious lack of understanding regarding Dept. of Game & Fish policy and how it’s applied to all aspects of the hunting/fishing industry. Other approved changes to the Pronghorn Rule are as follows:
 NON-NAVIGABLE WATERS RULE REPEAL The Dept. opened the Non-navigable Water Rule so that they could officially repeal the rule, as was mandated by NM Supreme Court Order back in March. The process of officially repealing the rule will take place over several Commission meetings and will be open for public comment. You can email your comments to [email protected]. NMCOG has no problem with the repeal of the Rule (that is what the NM Supreme Court mandated and there is no way around that). However, the NMDGF’s overly board interpretation to how the Supreme Court ruling relates to public access is where we have a major problem. The NMDGF printed in their 2022 Fishing Proclamation on page 1 “By means of this court order, all watercourses in the state, that can be legally accessed, are open for public recreational use.” The NMDGF has openly stated that this regulation means their law enforcement officers are being directed to NOT enforce trespass laws if an individual is literally standing in the water on private land. However, NMCOG finds this statement to be completely premature and out of line with the NM Supreme Court ruling which repealed the Rule but DID NOT repeal the statute which specifically outlaws walking and wading on private property to access water. NMCOG will continue to urge landowners to contact NMDGF law enforcement as well as local law enforcement anytime they find a trespasser on their private property. Whether that person is standing in a privately owned streambed or on dry land. You can watch NMCOG’s comments to the commission regarding this issue during the general public comment segment at 1:05:54 as well as during the discussion of the Rule at 4:47:08. FINAL JAVELINA RULE HEARING The Dept. provided their final presentation regarding their proposed changes to the Javelina Rule. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the Rule as presented by the Dept. Changes to the Rule are as follows:
Special Meeting - Possibly June 17, 2022 (Santa Fe, NM)
Next Official Commission Meeting – July 22, 2022 (Ruidoso, NM) COMMISSIONER CONTACT INFORMATION (You're encouraged to contact the Commissioners any time to voice your opinion) Sharon Salazar Hickey - Chairwoman District 4: Santa Fe, Taos, Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Guadalupe and Torrance counties [email protected] OPEN District 5: Bernalillo County Roberta Salazar-Henry District 2: Catron, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Doña Ana counties [email protected] Deanna Archuleta At - Large Position [email protected] Tirzio Lopez Appointed - Agriculture Position [email protected] OPEN District 3: San Juan, Rio Arriba, McKinley, Sandoval, Cibola, & Valencia counties OPEN District 1: Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties
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April 20224/28/2022 The New Mexico State Game Commission hosted a meeting in Santa Fe on April 11th. Agenda items included the “subsequent discussion” for the Pronghorn, Javelina, Migratory Bird, and Bighorn Rules as well as the “initial discussion” for the Elk, Deer, Turkey, and Exotics Rule. Meaning, that public comment will be closing soon for the Rules in subsequent discussion and public comment has opened for the Rules in initial discussion. The Game Commission meetings that take place during 2022 are arguably the most important to the hunting industry. Policies approved for Rules opened in 2022 will apply to the next 4-year rule cycle. Please read the below recap carefully and voice your opinion by providing comment to the links provided in each segment…or forever hold your peace (at least for the next 4 years). The Dept. will be hosting the following public meetings regarding the Deer, Elk, and Exotics Rule:
SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION BIGHORN SHEEP RULE The Dept. provided their subsequent presentation of proposed changes to the Bighorn Sheep Rule. You can read a copy of the full presentation HERE. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
Even after the NM Attorney General wrote a detailed letter regarding the legality of the NMDGF allocation process which was followed by a failed commission vote to extend the public comment period; the Commission announced yesterday that they will host a special meeting to take place on May 9th (in Albuquerque) to further discuss the matter and revote to extend the public comment period. This fiasco is completely out of line with the typical rulemaking process established by the NM legislature. An extension of the comment period for bighorn sheep is unnecessary. According to the NMDGF presentation provided to the Commission on April 11th, the Dept. received only a handful of comments related to the allocation process and the bulk were in favor (only one was opposed). The bighorn sheep permit allocation process is widely accepted by the vast majority of resident hunters. There is no disputing that nonresident hunters fund over 90% of the Bighorn Sheep conservation program. This issue is a molehill which the NMWF and BHA are trying desperately to turn into a mountain. If you outfit bighorn sheep hunters or if you are a resident bighorn sheep hunter and appreciate the enormous contributions of nonresidents to the conservation of all species, please send an email to the below addresses TODAY! Tell the Commission you are in favor of the Dept.'s proposed allocation method for bighorn sheep permits and that there is no need to extend the public comment period. SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION PRONGHORN RULE The Dept. provided their subsequent presentation of proposed changes to the Pronghorn Rule. You can read a copy of the full presentation HERE. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. This exact proposal is what the Commission will approve in June UNLESS there is a substantial amount of public comment in opposition to any of the below bullet points. Some of you have already provided your public comment to NMCOG which we forwarded to NMDGF. However, our comments were counted as one single comment rather than multiple. It would be better if you all would be willing to resend your concerns directly to the comment portal linked above. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
 SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION JAVELINA RULE The Dept. provided their subsequent presentation of proposed changes to the Javelina Rule. You can read a copy of the full presentation HERE. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. This exact proposal is what the Commission will approve in June UNLESS there is a substantial amount of public comment in opposition to any of the below bullet points. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION OF MIGRATORY BIRD RULE The Dept. provided their subsequent presentation of proposed changes to the Migratory Bird Rule. You can read a copy of the full presentation HERE. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. This exact proposal is what the Commission will approve in June UNLESS there is a substantial amount of public comment in opposition to any of the below bullet points. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
 INITIAL DISCUSSION TURKEY RULE & GOULD’S TURKEY DESLISTING The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Turkey Rule. You can read a copy of the full presentation HERE. This Rule is currently open for public comment. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
July 12, 2022 (hybrid) – Albuquerque Game & Fish Office, 7816 Alamo Rd. NW, 6:30 pm July 13, 2022 (hybrid) – Las Cruces Game & Fish Office, 2715 E Northrise Dr., 6:30 pm July 14, 2022 (in-person only) – Animas High School, #1 Panther Blvd., 6:00 pm INITIAL DISCUSSION ELK RULE The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Elk Rule. NMCOG encourages everyone who hunts elk to WATCH the Dept. presentation. The presentation begins at minute 12:48 and is approximately 1 hour in length. Yes, the video is long, but it is extremely informative for any outfitter who earns a livelihood selling elk hunts. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Deer Rule. NMCOG encourages everyone who hunts deer to WATCH the Dept. presentation. The presentation begins at minute 1:29:50 and is approximately 10 minutes in length. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule:
INITIAL DISCUSSION EXOTICS RULE The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Exotics Rule. NMCOG encourages everyone who hunts exotics to WATCH the Dept. presentation. The presentation begins at minute 2:00:38 and is approximately 30 minutes in length. This Rule is currently open for public comment. Please voice your opinion by sending an email to [email protected]. The Dept. is proposing the following changes to the Rule: BARBARY SHEEP
MUZZLELOADER DISCUSSION The Dept. also initiated a conversation on the problem with muzzleloaders. Muzzleloader success rates in the last five years are equal to rifle success rates. This presents a major problem as muzzleloader hunts were historically designed for primitive weapon hunting. Today muzzleloaders are accurate out to 800yards. The Dept. is considering the removal of scopes on muzzleloaders to generate a more primitive weapon hunting experience. This proposal is not yet official but will be further discussed over the next several months. Next Commission Meeting – June 3, 2022 (Eagle Nest, NM)
COMMISSIONER CONTACT INFORMATION (You're encouraged to contact the Commissioners any time to voice your opinion) Sharon Salazar Hickey - Chairwoman District 4: Santa Fe, Taos, Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Guadalupe and Torrance counties [email protected] OPEN District 5: Bernalillo County Roberta Salazar-Henry District 2: Catron, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Doña Ana counties [email protected] Deanna Archuleta At - Large Position [email protected] Tirzio Lopez Appointed - Agriculture Position [email protected] OPEN District 3: San Juan, Rio Arriba, McKinley, Sandoval, Cibola, & Valencia counties OPEN District 1: Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties
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March 20223/8/2022 The New Mexico State Game Commission hosted their first meeting of 2022 in Socorro on Friday March 4th. The Commission is a bit behind schedule because they canceled their January meeting due to some internal drama that resulted in the Governor removing Commissioner Jeremy Vesbach of his position. The Governor has appointed former ExxonMobil lobbyist, Deanna Archuleta to fill the vacancy. Friday’s meeting was Commissioner Archuleta’s maiden voyage into the controversial world of wildlife & hunting/fishing policy. The meeting agenda was jammed packed with both discussion and action items. All the Big Game Rules will be opening during 2022 to allow the Dept. to review population objectives and amend harvest limits for all big game species (except predators). The approved changes will apply to the 2023-2026 hunting seasons. The rules that were opened at the March 4th meeting were Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Javelina, and Migratory Bird. The rules that will open on April 11th are Elk, Deer, Aoudad, Oryx, Ibex, & Turkey. The predator rules (Bear & Lion) will not open until 2023. FYI –The “initial discussion” signals the opening of the Rule. The Dept. will then hold several public meetings to obtain public comment on their proposed changes. They will present an updated “subsequent discussion” to the Commission after public comment is obtained. The Dept. will then publish their proposed changes and the Commission will approve the changes during the “final hearing”. The overall process takes between 3-5 months depending on the level of changes and public participation in the Rule making process. INITIAL DISCUSSION PRONGHORN RULE The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Pronghorn Rule. Over the past 4 years hunters have voiced some concerns regarding the dates of the current pronghorn hunts. Many in the southern part of the state feel the hunts are too early as it is still extremely hot in August. The Department is proposing moving the hunt dates later in the season to either Sept. and Oct or possibly at the end of August and Sept. More information will be published by the Dept. when the Rule opens for official public comment in the next few weeks. Initial proposed changes are as follows:
The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Javelina Rule. Javelina are concentrated in the southwestern part of the state. The Department strives to balance javelina hunting opportunity with population sustainability. Javelina appear to be expanding their range and are becoming more common in other areas outside of the far southwestern part of the state. Initial proposed changes are as follows:
The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Migratory Bird Rule. The Migratory Bird Rule is updated annually, and season selections and bag limits are determined in conjunction with the US Fish and Wildlife Service working through the Central and Pacific Flyway Councils. Seasons are not considered final until they have been published in the Federal Register. Initial proposed changes for the 2022–23 season are as follows:
INITIAL DISCUSSION BIGHORN SHEEP RULE The Dept. provided their initial presentation of proposed changes to the Bighorn Sheep Rule. Initial proposed changes are as follows:
Commissioner Salazar-Henry was successful at convincing the other Commissioners that the Attorney General should review the Dept.’s current bighorn sheep permit allocation process. The AG’s office stated that they will review the Statute and report back to the Commission with an unofficial response by June. APPROVAL OF THE CHANGES TO THE OPEN GATE PROGRAM The Open Gate program was created in 2006 to increase opportunity for small game hunting, fishing, and access to public lands. The Department accomplishes this by entering into agreements with private landowners for access on their property, or access through their property, to inaccessible public lands by paying them through a Commission approved pay schedule. The Dept. has proposed to expand the Open Gate program to big game as well as increase the fee schedule to make it more enticing to landowners. The new fee schedule (which will go into effect April 1, 2022) is provided below. Landowners or sportsmen who are interested in learning more about the Open Game program please click HERE. The Commission unanimously approved the Dept.’s recommended fee structure.  CHAIR SELECTION AND 2022 MEETING SCHEDULE The Commission votes annually to elect a chairman and vice chairman. Commissioner Salazar Hickey was re-elected to serve a second term as the Chairwoman. Commissioner Bates was elected to serve as this year’s Vice Chairman. The 2022 Commission meeting schedule was approved. Dates and locations are listed below:
Next Commission Meeting – April 11, 2022 (Santa Fe, NM)
COMMISSIONER CONTACT INFORMATION (You're encouraged to contact the Commissioners any time to voice your opinion) Sharon Salazar Hickey - Chairwoman District 4: Santa Fe, Taos, Colfax, Union, Mora, Harding, Quay, San Miguel, Guadalupe and Torrance counties [email protected] Jimmy Bates - Vice Chairman District 5: Bernalillo county [email protected] Roberta Salazar-Henry District 2: Catron, Socorro, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra and Doña Ana counties [email protected] Deanna Archuleta District 1: Curry, De Baca, Roosevelt, Chaves, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy and Lea counties [email protected] OPEN District 3: San Juan, Rio Arriba, McKinley, Sandoval, Cibola, & Valencia counties Tirzio Lopez Appointed - Agriculture Position [email protected] OPEN Appointed - Conservation Position |
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