NMDOW

Youth OHV Safety Course
2026-05-16 08:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-15 08:30 - 13:30 (America/Denver) | Department of Game and Fish Roswell Office, 1615 W. College Blvd, Roswell, New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Wildlife Off-Highway Vehicle Program will be conducting a youth dirt bike and ATV safety course in the Roswell area. ATVs and safety gear are available for use during the class. Registration for this event has closed.

Hunter Education
2026-05-16 08:00 - 17:00 | Garrison Safety Office, Bldg. 124 Crozier St., WSMR, NM, 88002
Registration opens on May 2 at 9 a.m. and is conducted through the student’s Customer ID Number (CIN) Account. Once in the account, click on Hunter Education, then click the Register for Hunter Ed Classes button and follow the prompts.
What do I need for class:

Obtain a copy of the hunter education student manual by picking up a hard copy at the Garrison Safety Office on White Sands Missile Range, Bldg. 124, Room 303, WSMR, NM 88002, or download a free electronic manual from www.hunter-ed.com/newmexico/manual/.
Complete the worksheets from the student manual. Worksheets can be printed from the website listed above OR completed on pages 91-94 in the back of the hard copy student manual.
There are no fees associated with Department hunter education courses; however, donations may be offered to volunteers to help offset out-of-pocket expenses to put on the course.
Bring a sack lunch, snacks and drinks.

Special notes:

Student worksheets must be 100% complete prior to class or students will not be allowed to participate in the course (no exceptions).
DO NOT bring firearms or ammunition to the course. Firearms are provided.
Students MUST attend all course sessions. Students arriving late will not be permitted into class.
Students 10 years of age and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times during class.

If you need to cancel, please log on to your CIN account and drop the course or call the Hunter Education Office at 505-222-4731.

Advanced Hunter Education Skills Camp
2026-05-16 07:30 - 21:00, 2026-05-15 12:00 - 20:00 | Caballo Lake State Park, 10 Palomino Rd., Caballo, NM, 87931, United States
This camp is open to youth ages 10-17 who are accompanied by a registered adult. The camp is free, meals will be provided and participants will tent-camp on the property.
Participants will learn safe and responsible firearms handling, ethical hunting behaviors, conservation, wildlife identification and basic survival skills. Additionally, participants will learn from Department conservation officers about their jobs, including wildlife investigations, decoy operations and working with wildlife. They will also test their marksmanship skills with shotguns. All equipment will be provided.
Registration opens April 6 at 9 a.m. (click here to register). Slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. To qualify for the camp, participants must have a Customer Identification Number account with the Department and complete the required homework before attending.

Fishing Day with Jose Barrios Elementary School
2026-05-15 08:30 - 14:00 | Bill Evans Lake
Department staff will conduct a fishing clinic w/Jose Barrios Elementary School third-grade classes at Bill Evans Lake. Students and parents will learn to assemble their rod and reel, tie and bait their hooks and enjoy a day of fishing. A fish-cleaning presentation will take place near the end of the session. This event is closed to the public.

Classroom Fishing Presentation with Jose Barrios Elementary School
2026-05-14 10:00 - 14:30 | Silver City, Silver City, New Mexico
Department staff will hold a fishing classroom presentation at Jose Barrios Elementary School for the morning and afternoon third-grade classes. Students will learn about New Mexico fish species, habitat, diet and fishing basics. Students will also learn about fishing safety and practice casting with an interactive casting session. This event is closed to the public.

GilaFest Celebration
2026-05-09 08:00 - 15:00 | Glenwood, Glenwood, NM, United States
Join the New Mexico Department of Wildlife for a family-friendly day of outdoor fun, wildlife experiences and community celebration as we mark two major milestones: The completion of a decade-long renovation of the Glenwood State Fish Hatchery and the opening of the new Glenwood Allred Wildlife Management Area, a beautiful destination for birding, hiking and river access.
Click here for more information on this event!

ATV safety class
2026-05-09 08:00 - 13:00 | Los Lunas River Park, Los Lunas
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Off-Highway Vehicle Program presents an ATV safety class in cooperation with the Los Lunas Open Space Division. Students earn the safety permit required for off-highway vehicle operators under the age of 18 years.
ATVs and safety gear are available for use during the class.
Space is limited – all students must have a free account with the Department of Game and Fish (https://onlinesales.wildlife.state.nm.us/). Students must be at least 6 years of age.

Fishing with Eagle Nest Elementary School
2026-05-08 09:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-07 13:00 - 14:30 | Eagle Nest Lake State Park, Visitors Center (Colfax CO.)
Department staff will go over rod assembly, knot-tying, casting, fishing etiquette, hook and water safety, baits, flies and fishing with 15 third-graders from Eagle Nest Elementary. This will be a two-part lesson. Part 1 on May 7 will consist of knot-tying, rod-rigging and casting with the Backyard Bass kit at the school. Part 2 on May 8 will be a fishing day at Eagle Nest Lake State Park, where staff will go over the rest of the fishing-related topics, safety, tie on hooks and fish. This event is closed to the public.

James Bickley Elementary Second Grade Classroom Day
2026-05-07 08:00 - 15:00 | Clovis NM, Colvis, New Mexico
A fishing classroom day will be held for second-grade classrooms 1, 2 and 3 at James Bickley Elementary. Students will receive a “Getting Started” fishing presentation that will cover basic fishing onboarding to include the following topics: What is Fishing?, types of New Mexico fish species/anatomy, habitat, diet, understanding fishing gear, tying knots and safety. This will also include a demonstration of how to assemble the rod and reel, which will be put into practice during the fishing day that follows this class. This event is closed to the public.

Trout Senses, Habitat, Trout of New Mexico and Aquatic Insect Clinic with Pecos Elementary School
2026-05-05 10:30 - 11:30 | Pecos, Pecos, NM, United States
Department staff will present to kindergartners through fifth-graders at Pecos Elementary School, covering trout senses and habitat, trout of New Mexico and aquatic insects of the Pecos River. This event is closed to the public.

Bowhunter Skills Camp
2026-05-02 09:00 - 15:00 | Manzano Mountains State Park, Co Rd B062, Mountainair, New Mexico, 87036
This camp is for participants of any age who are interested in learning more about the basics of archery and bowhunting. Participants will learn archery basics and safety, how to choose equipment, proper shot placement while hunting, outdoor preparedness and more!
All archery equipment will be provided; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own equipment if they have it. Camping is available at the State Park by reservation. Participants are responsible for all food and drinks. Youth under the age of 18 must have a parent or adult present during the camp.
Registration opens April 7, 2026, at 9 a.m. Click here to register. The registration link will also be available by clicking on the Hunter Education Camp tab on the Department’s website.
All participants must have a Department Customer Identification Number account and enter this number onto the registration form.

Fishing Day with McCoy and Lydia Rippey Elementary Schools
2026-05-01 08:30 - 14:00 | Riverside Park Pond, Aztec, New Mexico
Department staff will conduct a fishing clinic for pre-K students from McCoy and Lydia Rippey elementary schools at Riverside Park in Aztec. Morning and afternoon participants will learn to assemble their rod and reel, tie and bait their hooks and enjoy a day of catch-and-release fishing. This event is closed to the public.

Fishing with Sydney Gutierrez Elementary
2026-05-01 08:30 - 12:30, 2026-04-30 08:30 - 12:03 | Lake Van
Department staff will go over rod assembly, knot-tying, casting, fishing etiquette, hook and water safety, baits, flies and fishing with 42 kindergarten and first-grade students from Sydney Gutierrez Elementary in Roswell. This will be a two-part lesson. Part 1 on April 30 will consist of knot-tying and casting with the Backyard Bass kit at the school. Part 2 on May 1 will be a fishing day at Lake Van. This event is closed to the public.

Backyard Bass and Aquatic Insects with Anansi Charter School
2026-04-30 08:00 - 17:00 | Arroyo Seco, NM, Arroyo Seco, NM
Department staff will be teaching seventh- and eighth-grade students at Anansi Charter school the basics of casting and fishing and what trout eat (aquatic insect lesson). This event is closed to the public.

Fly Fishing with Monte del Sol Charter School
2026-04-29 09:00 - 13:30, 2026-04-27 09:00 - 13:30 | Monastery Lake
Department staff will be conducting a fly-fishing seminar for 16 high-school students from Monte del Sol Charter School. The lesson seminar will include rod-rigging, knots, fly-casting, fly selection with an intro to aquatic insects, conservation, etiquette and fly-fishing at Monastery Lake.
The seminar will have two parts:

Part 1 at Monte del Sol on April 27
Part 2 at Monastery Lake on April 29

This event is closed to the public.

Citizen Advisory Committee Meeting
2026-04-28 09:00 - 17:00 | New Mexico Highlands University Student Center, 800 National Ave., Las Vegas, NM, 87701, United States
The New Mexico Department of Wildlife will hold a public meeting with the Public Land User (Habitat) Stamp Program Citizen Advisory Committee in room SUB 322 at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas.

ATV and UTV Instructor Course
2026-04-28 08:30 - 16:00, 2026-04-27 08:30 - 16:00 | Pueblo of Acoma, Acoma, NM, United States
The New Mexico Department of Wildlife Off-Highway Vehicle program will conduct an ATV and UTV instructor certification workshop for the Pueblo of Acoma Dept. of Natural Resources. ROVs and safety gear are available for use during the class. This event is closed to the public.

Warmwater Fishing Workshop
2026-04-26 09:00 - 15:30 | Department of Game and Fish Las Cruces Office, 2715 E. Northrise Dr, Las Cruces, New Mexico
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will host a beginner Warmwater Fishing Workshop at the Las Cruces Game and Fish office on Sunday, April 26, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Participants will learn fishing techniques, fish identification, necessary gear, rules and regulations, terminal tackle, knot tying and casting. Open to adults with little or no warmwater fishing experience.
Registration Details:

Registration will open at 8 a.m. Monday, March 30, 2026. It will close when the workshop is full.
This workshop is free and open for adults age 18 and older.
Click here to register.

Latino Outdoors New Mexico - Semillitas Outdoors: Fishing 101
2026-04-25 09:00 - 13:00 | Cochiti Lake
A fishing day will be held for Latino Outdoors New Mexico at Cochiti Lake. Families will participate in a getting-started discussion to cover fishing basics and safety. Following this, participants will assemble their rod and reel, tie hooks and learn casting techniques. Thereafter, they will bait their rigs and enjoy a wonderful day practicing catch-and-release or catch-and-keep fishing throughout their session. Ages 11 and under fish FREE! Fishing poles, fish bait, bagels, coffee and orange juice will also be provided.
Click here for details about free registration.

Fishing with Northern New Mexico College
2026-04-24 09:00 - 13:30 | Espanola, New Mexico, Española, NM, United States
Department staff will go over rod assembly, knot-tying, casting, fishing etiquette, hook and water safety, baits, flies and different fishing rigs, and then going fishing. This event is closed to the public.

Fishing Day with Mesa View Elementary
2026-04-24 08:30 - 12:30 | Grants Riverwalk Park Pond, 504 E. Santa Fe Ave, Grants, New Mexico
Department staff will conduct a fishing clinic for Mesa View Elementary pre-K students and their parents at the Riverwalk Pond. Participants will learn to assemble their rod and reel, tie and bait their hooks and enjoy a day of catch-and-release fishing. This event is closed to the public.

Turkey Hunt Camp
2026-04-24 08:00 - 2026-04-26 17:00 | Navajo Lake State Park, 1448 NM-511, Navajo Dam, NM, 87419, United States
Are you new to turkey hunting and eager to learn? Join us for a weekend-long camp experience, meet new friends and have a great time! This free turkey hunt camp, which takes place at Navajo Lake State Park from April 24-26, is open to adults age 18 and over who have never hunted turkey or who have never hunted at all. The camp is hosted by the New Mexico Department of Wildlife, along with Safari Club International Foundation.
Participants will learn rules and regulations, turkey calling, hunter safety, how to pattern a shotgun, identification, turkey hunting techniques and how to field dress a turkey. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own shotguns in either 12 or 20 gauge. A hunting license, carcass tags and applicable stamps are required. All meals will be included, and participants will camp for two nights at Navajo Lake State Park.
There will be a mandatory Zoom orientation on Monday, April 20, at 6 p.m.
Click here to register. Registration opens at 8 a.m. Monday, April 6, and closes when all spots have been filled.

Earth Day in Tucumcari
2026-04-23 | Tucumcari, NM, Tucumcari, NM, United States
Department staff will have a station utilizing specimens to educate about the wildlife of New Mexico. This event is closed to the public.

Casting, Fish Identification and Aquatic Insect Clinic with Truman Middle School
2026-04-22 09:30 - 23:10 | Albuquerque, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Department staff will present to sixth- and seventh-grade students at Truman Middle School, covering basic casting and fishing, trout identification in New Mexico, habitat and a lesson in aquatic insects as they relate to a trout’s diet. The lesson will be approximately 90 minutes long. This event is closed to the public.
