June 2025

June 13, 2025 Game Commission Re-cap

​The Game Commission hosted a meeting in Red River last Friday. Surprisingly, there was a fresh face at the Commissioner’s table. Governor Lujan Grisham appointed UNM professor Dr. Christopher Witt to serve as the Commissioner for District 5 (ABQ metro). With Dr. Witt’s appointment we now have a full 7-member Commission for the first time in more than a year.
 
The Commission meeting was long, and the agenda was full of important topics. Let’s jump right in. Several agenda items described below are now open to public comment on the Dept. website. You are encouraged to voice your opinion at Proposals Under Consideration - NMDGF.
 
APPROVAL OF THE STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLAN (SWAP)
The Commission unanimously approved the State Wildlife Action Plan, better known as the SWAP. The SWAP is a non-regulatory document that is required for the Dept. to receive Federal Government funds used to help conserve Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). The Dept. receives approximately $1 million annually through this State Wildlife Grants Program. The document also allows the Dept. to access an additional $10 million in general fund money authorized by the NM Legislature.
 
To qualify for the program the SWAP document must address eight elements including Identifying SGCN and key habitats (including threats to habitat and conservation actions required) and the document must develop a monitoring plan, coordinate with interested federal, state, and Tribal entities, provide for public participation, and make a schedule for the next comprehensive review. The SWAP is organized into NM’s 6 major ecoregions and uses the National Vegetation Classification System to describe key habitats.
 
Over the drafting process a total of 32 organizations participated in the core team (including organizations across the spectrum from Defenders of Wildlife to NM Cattle Growers Association). The core team met 5 times from December 2023 - February 2025. The core team members reviewed draft versions of the SWAP and submitted a finalized document of 756 pages. The final document includes a list of SGCN, the Conservation Actions, three chapters related to threats, climate change, and regional conservation, and a table regarding SGCN monitoring activities. 
 
The renewal of the SWAP is an important funding source for SGCN conservation which does not require the use of sportsmen licenses dollars. Since the origination of this document in 2006, the SWAP has been instrumental in helping the Dept. prevent federal listing of endangered species (recent examples would be the Rio Grande Chub and Sucker). The document has also helped to facilitate the delisting and downlisting of several NM species. The Gould’s Turkey was recently delisted, and the Dept. is now able to offer hunting opportunities for this species. The Rio Grande and Gila Cutthroat Trout are also examples of conservation success stories under the SWAP.
 
The renewed SWAP goes into effect in the 2027 budget year, with the next revision of the document scheduled to begin sometime around 2033.
 
INITIAL DISCUSSION OF A PROPOSED SHED HUNTING RULE
The Dept. provided a presentation on their preliminary recommendations to establish a Rule regarding Shed Hunting. In Senate Bill 5 (which was passed by the NM Legislature in January) the Dept. is obligated (starting in 2026) to charge a non-resident license fee of $200 for “shed hunting”. The legislation also specified that “a shed hunter license shall not be required for shed hunting by a NM resident.” These two additions to the Game and Fish statute require that the Game Commission promulgate a Rule to define “shed hunting.” This presentation was the Dept.’s first stab at creating a Shed Hunting Rule.
 
The Dept. is proposing that Shed Hunting be defined as the “possession of more than 2 obviously shed antlers found in the field”. To clarify, if this proposal is passed by the Commission than beginning in 2026, any non-resident who comes to New Mexico and collects more than 2 shed antlers would be required to purchase a non-resident shed hunting license or face disciplinary action. The Dept. is proposing that a violation of this Rule would result in a penalty assessment in the amount of $325 (there would also be a court option).
 
The current Dept. proposal does not specify any type of shed hunting season. According to the Dept. there is no biological need to institute a season. This proposal is currently open to public comment on the Dept. website. NMCOG will be making official comments regarding the Rule creation, and we would love to have your feedback on the issue. Please send your thoughts regarding this proposal to [email protected].
 
APPROVAL OF THE ANNUAL MIGRATORY BIRD RULE
The Commission unanimously approved the Dept.’s proposed changes to the annual cycle of the Migratory Bird Rule. The Rule is amended annually in compliance with federal guidelines proposed by the Central and Pacific Flyways and USFWS. The Commission approved the following changes.

• Change the regular waterfowl season dates
• Change certain season dates to be later in the year because of calendar shift
• Increase sandhill crane permits in MRGV and SW draw hunts by 12 total (which will be distributed throughout existing hunts)
• Increase Northern Pintail bag limit from 1 to 3 per USFWS regulatory framework

You can view the complete changes made to the Rule at 19.31.6 Mig. Game Bird underline strikethrough 2025.docx (bag limit and date changes begin on page 3).
 
RESULTS OF THE CUSTOMER AND COMMUITY SURVEY
In 2025, the Department commissioned ongoing and repeating quantitative research to help inform public relations and hunter/angler recruitment efforts as well as to track progress. The initial phase of research looked at both Dept. customers and non-customers to determine awareness and satisfaction levels, attitudes toward conservation, outdoor participation trends, hunting and fishing trends and customer demographics. Findings were pretty much on par for what you would expect from hunter/angler respondents as well as non-hunter/angler respondents. The Dept. plans to conduct this research on an annual basis. You can read a complete copy of the community survey HERE (report begins on page 2).
 
ODDS AND ENDS
The Dept. additionally provided the Commission with their initial presentation on the Dept.’s mandate (under Senate Bill 5) to establish a 25% discount to their license fee for any NM resident who is eligible for the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. They also presented their proposed changes under SB5 to the Vendor Fee (will increase from $1 to $2). The Commission approved the 2026 entities that will receive the two bull elk licenses reserved for wish granting organizations (United Special Sportsman Alliance & SafariWish). Finally, the Commission approved the Dept.’s 2027-2031 Capital Project Plan. A rather vague list of priorities can be found HERE (starts on page 2).
GENERAL PUBLIC
Although not an official agenda item at this meeting, both NMCOG and Trout Unlimited made comments regarding the Fisheries Rule (which is currently open to public comment). NMCOG sent a preliminary letter to the Commission regarding our proposed changes. You can read NMCOG’s preliminary recommendations letter on our website at Angler Advocacy - NM Outfitters. The Commission will discuss the Fisheries Rule at their August meeting.
 
COMMISSIONER COMMENTS
Although it was also not on the agenda, the Commission provided a follow up to the Jicarilla Apache Nation’s April presentation regarding mule deer management in GMU 2B. The Commission has decided to accept the Jicarilla’s recommendation and will use the authority under the “Director’s discretion” to reduce November rifle mule deer licenses in GMU 2B by 20% for the 2026 license year (including the November private land hunts). They will also reconsider the Dept.’s mule deer management strategy to move from “opportunity” to “quality” when the Rule opens in March 2026. The Jicarilla Chief of Conservation, Bernard Inez, stated that the Jicarilla would appreciate it if the 20% reduction apply to all GMU 2B rifle hunt codes (not just the November hunt codes). The Jicarilla also invited the Commission to host a special meeting at the Jicarilla Apache Nation sometime soon.
 
EXECUTIVE SESSION
When the Commission returned from their executive session, which is closed to the public, Commissioner Salazar-Hickey proposed a motion that Chairman Stump sign an easement for the energy company NextEra to construct and operate an electric transmission line across the Black Hills Wildlife Management Area in Roosevelt County (part of the Prairie Chicken WMAs). This transmission line construction has been in the works for many years.