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, SEPT. 10, 2013:

GAME AND FISH SPORTS NEW LOOK THIS YEAR AT THE STATE FAIR

ALBUQUERQUE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will be back at the State Fair Sept. 11-22 with a brand new look featuring live game fish, information about hunting, fishing and wildlife conservation and more.

This year’s exhibit in the Natural Resources Building at EXPO New Mexico has been redesigned to reflect the contributions hunters, anglers and trappers make toward wildlife conservation. Visitors will find an active pool of trout, bass and other game fish as they tour a variety of exhibits in turn-of-the-century log cabin décor.

The Department’s Off-highway Vehicle Program will give visitors a chance to learn more about youth safety training and the ethical use of OHVs while hunting. Operation Game Thief, the Department’s successful anti-poaching initiative that gives citizens a shot at catching poachers, will be on display throughout the fair.

The Operation Game Thief “Poach Coach,” featuring poachers’ seized mounts, will be on display Thursday, Sept. 12, for “Law Enforcement Day.” The OHV Program also will take center stage that day.

This year, visitors to the Department exhibit will be able to purchase licenses and get familiar with the popular online licensing and application system. The Department will have two computer kiosks and hands-on education about the easiest ways to apply for and buy licenses in New Mexico.

Youngsters especially will like the final weekend at the exhibit, when the New Mexico Hunter Education Association sets up its indoor pellet range.

Other attractions in the Natural Resources Building this year include displays by the Department’s partners at State Forestry, State Parks, Mining and Minerals, the State Land Office and U.S. Forest Service. The building will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the fair, Sept. 11-22.

Admission to the fair this year is $10 for adults ages 12-64, $7 for seniors ages 65 and older, $7 for children ages 6-11 and free for children ages 5 and younger. Parking is free.

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