Enforcement News

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Karl Moffatt, (505) 476-8007 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 karl.moffatt@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, AUG. 28, 2015: DEPARTMENT SEEKS NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION OFFICERS SANTA FE – The Department of Game and Fish is seeking qualified men and women to join the next generation of Conservation Officers who protect and conserve the state’s wildlife. The department is accepting applications for game warden trainees with a starting pay of $17.03 an hour with an increase upon successful completion of required training. Prior law enforcement experience is not required, but successful applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree in a related field, pass a psychological and medical exam, and fitness and drug tests. Recruits will receive basic training at the Law Enforcement Academy and on-the-job training before working alone in the field. Conservation officers enforce New Mexico’s game and fish laws and investigate and pursue criminal [...]

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Ross Morgan (505) 222-4707 Public contact: Customer service (888) 248-6866 ross.morgan@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Aug. 6, 2015: EXPECT ROADBLOCKS STATEWIDE DURING HUNTING SEASON SANTA FE - The Department of Game and Fish will conduct roadblocks throughout the state during hunting seasons to collect harvest data and to detect wildlife law violations. Hunting seasons are approaching for pronghorn antelope, deer, elk, bears and some other species as listed in the department’s Hunting Rules & Information booklets. At roadblocks, conservation officers also will check for compliance with the Off Highway Motor Vehicle Act and the Aquatic Invasive Species Control Act. Drivers of vehicles hauling wood products will be asked to produce documentation as required by the Forest Conservation Act. Department officers may be assisted by other law enforcement agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Police [...]

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 476-8004 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 dan.williams@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 7, 2015: BEAR BITES RATON GIRL SLEEPING IN TENT RATON – Department of Game and Fish officers Tuesday were trying to catch a bear that bit a teenage girl while she was sleeping in a tent early Monday morning in a neighborhood yard just outside Raton. The girl sustained minor wounds to her arm and ear when the bear apparently nipped at her through the wall of her tent. She was treated and released at a Raton hospital. The homeowner, awakened at about 3 a.m. by something rustling through trash bags, told officers that he scared the bear away from the girl’s tent with a shot in the air from his handgun. When the bear returned later, he said he fired another below the bear, which turned and [...]

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 231-5375 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 dan.williams@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 5, 2015 CAPITAN MAN KILLS CHARGING BEAR LINCOLN – A 25-year-old Capitan man shot and killed a charging bear while looking for shed antlers in the Lincoln National Forest. The man was not injured by the bear. He reported Thursday evening that he was searching for antlers in the forest between Carrizozo and Capitan when he encountered the bear as he came over the top of a hill. He told officers that the bear charged and he shot it with his .30-30 caliber rifle from about 10 yards away. Department of Game and Fish Officers investigated the incident and recovered the carcass of the bear, an adult female, early Friday morning. There was no evidence to indicate the presence of cubs. Referring to the man who shot the [...]

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Karl Moffatt, (505) 476-8007 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 karl.moffatt@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 2, 2015 BEAR SOUGHT IN ATTACK ON SHED HUNTER LINCOLN – Department of Game and Fish officers are searching for an adult black bear involved in the attack of a 55-year-old man in the Lincoln National Forest on Monday afternoon. The Lincoln County man suffered deep flesh wounds from scratches on his chest and a bite to his leg. He was treated and released from Lincoln County Medical Center in Ruidoso. Conservation officers were searching for the bear Tuesday so it can be tested for rabies. The New Mexico Department of Health will interview the victim to assess his potential exposure and the need for rabies vaccinations. Rabies in bears is rare but it is a nearly 100 percent fatal disease, so every precaution will be taken. The [...]