New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 476-8004
Public contact: (505) 476-8000
dan.williams@state.nm.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, FEB. 10, 2009:

SURVEY TARGETS SUGGESTED ELK HUNTING CHANGES IN JEMEZ MOUNTAINS

SANTA FE -- The Department of Game and Fish is conducting a survey of hunters, landowners and other interests as the agency considers proposals from a group of concerned landowners to change elk hunting rules and management objectives in Game Management Units 6A and 6C.

The group proposes:

• Combining units 6A and 6C into one unit.
• Managing the elk population so that quality bull hunting is maintained or improved and the total population is allowed to grow.
• Adjusting the Elk - Private Lands Use System (E-PLUS) formula to include agricultural crop use by elk as a factor in determining the allocation of private land elk hunting authorizations.
• Adjusting the E-PLUS process to allocate more private land hunting authorizations as a form of compensation for property damage caused by elk.

The survey has been sent to all landowners in units 6A and 6C who are enrolled in the E-PLUS system, and all hunters who received a 2008-2009 public-land elk license for those units. Surveys were also sent to all registered outfitters authorized to operate in units 6A and 6C, United States Forest Service Ranger Districts within GMU 6, the Santa Fe National Forest Supervisor’s office, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, all Indian Pueblos within GMU 6,  and will be hand-delivered to business owners in and around the area. Surveys must be returned to the Department no later than March 13, 2009, to be considered.

For more information on this issue, please contact the Department's Wildlife Management Division, (505) 476-8037, or Department of Game and Fish, Wildlife Management Division, P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, NM 87504.

Survey results will be compiled and presented to the State Game Commission at the Commission's meeting in April.

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