Conservation News

Count reveals more than 300 individuals in the wild SANTA FE — The Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team has completed the annual population count and documented the population increased to a minimum of 319 at the end of 2025, which is up from the minimum count of 286 in 2024. This is a consistent growth pattern for more than a decade.   The importance of this data is that this moves the recovery program one step closer to getting to the point that will support the downlisting of the Mexican wolf and development of a 4(d) rule under the ESA (Endangered Species Act). Implementation of a 4(d) rule would add greater flexibility in implementing management actions intended to reduce conflict while continuing recovery of the subspecies to the point of delisting.   The goal of every recovery program is to use the best scientific criteria to recover a species, so [...]

SANTA FE – Once Thanksgiving is over, many New Mexicans take the opportunity to decorate their homes for the holidays. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish would like to remind the public as they prepare to hang up those colorful strands of light and bring that inflatable Santa Claus out of storage to ensure that their holiday decorations do not pose a safety hazard to wildlife that may become entangled. Some tips to keep wildlife safe this holiday season include: Consider placing decorations on the inside of windows. Consider restricting outdoor decorations to those areas immediately around your house. If possible, consider having outdoor decorations that are firmly attached to door/window frames. Avoid placing outdoor decorations in areas around your home or yard that wildlife frequently visit or use as a travel corridor. Avoid using outdoor decorations with a net or closed circle design. String lighting should [...]

SANTA FE — Roadrunner Food Bank, the Food Depot and the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish are pleased to announce the relaunch of the New Mexico Hunters Helping the Hungry program, a partnership between Roadrunner Food Bank and the Food Depot that enables hunters to donate wild game meat to help feed hungry New Mexicans. Hunters can donate deer, elk, antelope, oryx, ibex or Barbary sheep meat to one of two processors: Honest Processing, located at 945 S. 2nd St. in Raton, or Padilla’s Meat Cutting and Processing, located at 72 Hondo Seco Rd. in Arroyo Hondo. Honest Processing can be reached at 575-779-6612, and Padilla's Meat Cutting and Processing can be reached at 575-776-1233. The processors will then grind and package the meat, which will be collected by Roadrunner Food Bank or the Food Depot for distribution through their pantries and food bank partners. "The program [...]

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has experienced a BOT attack, which has caused the Department to shut down its online payment processing system. This affects all credit and debit card transactions for license and permit purchases.  During this time, customers will be unable to purchase licenses or permits with a credit card through the Department's online system. We are working diligently to resolve this technical issue and will provide an update as soon as possible. In the interim, we have a solution to ensure our customers can still get out into the field and enjoy New Mexico’s outdoors. All NMDGF licenses and permits can be purchased with cash at any of our approved vendor locations across the state. Many vendors are also able to take credit cards. Approved Hunting License Vendors can be found here.  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and [...]