NMDGF Conservation News
The latest conservation news and press releases from New Mexico Game and Fish. Department-wide news can be found under Home → NMDGF News.
Moose Spotted Near Mora
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: 888-248-6866Media contact, Darren Vaughan: 505-476-8027darren.vaughan@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, NOV. 3, 2022: Moose Spotted Near Mora MORA – A young bull moose has been seen near Mora, and, based on photographs, officers suspect this may be the same moose spotted in Questa and on Taos Pueblo last month. This is the southernmost known sighting of a moose in New Mexico. There have been approximately a half dozen confirmed sightings of moose in New Mexico over the past 10 years, mostly of younger males in search of new habitat and breeding opportunities. Females have been observed in New Mexico as well, but there is no indication that moose are becoming established here nor are they expected to become established here in the future. Moose require a cool climate and wetland habitat next to rivers and streams. Colorado has more suitable moose habitat, [...]
What do Rio Grande Chubs and Suckers Need?
ASIR team electrofishing Rio Cebolla (Ginny Seamster). What temperature, pH, canopy cover, and other environmental conditions are most suitable for the Rio Grande chub and Rio Grande sucker? This is a primary question that Stephani Clark Barkalow and other scientists at American Southwest Icthyological Researchers LLC. (ASIR) are trying to answer using electrofishing and habitat surveys in streams in northern New Mexico. This work is being done in partnership with the Share with Wildlife program at the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (Department). Rio Grande chub (Stephani Clark Barkalow). Rio Grande sucker (Stephani Clark Barkalow). The geographic ranges of Rio Grande chub and Rio Grande sucker in New Mexico have shrunk due to a variety of factors, including competition with or predation by other fishes, disease, and loss of key food resources (e.g., algae). Habitat loss and fragmentation are [...]
Public Meeting: Habitat Stamp Program Citizen Advisory Committee to meet Sept. 27
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866Media contact, Ryan Darr: (505) 476-8027ryan.darr@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPT. 16, 2022 Public Meeting: Habitat Stamp Program Citizen Advisory Committee to Meet Sept. 27 SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has scheduled a public meeting with the Citizen Advisory Committee. Members of the public are invited to attend this hybrid public meeting in order to provide comments. Sept. 27, 2022, Santa Fe, 9 a.m. Attend in person at 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Register in advance to attend virtually Information about how to attend and participate in the virtual component of this meeting is available on the NMDGF webpage, http://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/conservation/habitat-stamp. Comments can be provided by mail: New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Attn: Habitat Stamp Program Manager, 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, NM 87507; or by email, Daniel.Lusk@dgf.nm.gov, or in person [...]
Tres Piedras Shooting Range will close for one-day cleanup on Sept. 21
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: 888-248-6866Media contact, Ryan Darr: 505-476-8027ryan.darr@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPT. 16, 2022: Tres Piedras Shooting Range will close for one-day cleanup on Sept. 21 Tres Piedras – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will close its Tres Piedras Shooting Range at 9 a.m. on Sept. 21, 2022, and will reopen at sunrise on Sept. 22, 2022. The range will be closed to allow department staff to safely clean up trash and debris on the shooting range. Public access to the range will be restricted on this day. The department wants to remind the public to recreate responsibly, pack out all of your shooting trash, including shell casings and targets, and not to shoot at glass or other items not designed to be shot at on the range. ###
State Supreme Court upholds $74,000 restitution owed in poaching case
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: 888-248-6866Media contact, Ryan Darr: 505-476-8027ryan.darr@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPT. 15, 2022: State Supreme Court upholds $74,000 restitution owed in poaching case SANTA FE – Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of the State of New Mexico upheld a Court of Appeals judgement, which ordered Cody W. Davis of Arnegard, North Dakota. to pay $74,000 in restitution to the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (department) for poaching a trophy mule deer buck in December 2015. This civil restitution included $20,000 for the trophy mule deer that was killed out of season, without a license and resulted in the waste of game. An additional $54,000 was assessed as reimbursement to the department for the extensive investigation required for this case. An Operation Game Thief (OGT) hotline tip originally initiated the investigation when a headless deer carcass was found near [...]