Enforcement News
Here is the latest in conservation enforcement news & press releases from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. For Operation Game Thief there is a list of solved cases and cold cases. And see the Featured Officer page for Officer of the Month and Career Advancement news.
Department-wide news can be found under Home → NMDGF News.
Expect roadblocks statewide during fall hunting seasons
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Mark Madsen, (575) 624-6135 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 mark.madsen@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 28, 2014 EXPECT ROADBLOCKS STATEWIDE DURING FALL HUNTING SEASONS SANTA FE –The Department of Game and Fish will conduct roadblocks throughout the state during fall hunting seasons to collect harvest data and to detect wildlife law violations. Bear season starts in mid-August with deer, elk, and pronghorn seasons starting shortly thereafter. Small game seasons are also scheduled to start on Sept. 1. At roadblocks, conservation officers will also 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 [...]
Department of Game and Fish officers busy over holiday
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Rachel Shockley, (505) 476-8071; cell: (505) 470-6832 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 rachel.shockley@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 10, 2014 DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH OFFICERS BUSY OVER HOLIDAY SANTA FE – Department of Game and Fish law enforcement officers spent the Fourth of July weekend patrolling lakes and recreation areas throughout the state in an effort to keep people and New Mexico’s wildlife safe. Officers contacted more than 2,000 anglers and people riding off-highway vehicles to check for licenses and permits. They also assisted State Parks officers, responded to bear complaints, and enforced OHV safety rules and fishing bag limits. Officers issued more than 200 citations over the weekend, a small percentage of those checked. Most of the citations were for fishing without a license. Fishing violations can result in fines of $50 to $500 and up to six months in jail. [...]
Mule deer poached near Carrizozo: Reward offered
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Rachel Shockley, (505) 476-8071; cell: (505) 470-6832 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 rachel.shockley@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 9, 2014 MULE DEER POACHED NEAR CARRIZOZO: REWARD OFFERED CARRIZOZO – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is asking the public to help solve a recent poaching case involving three female mule deer. Department officers investigating the incident said the does were not field dressed, and the meat was left to rot. The three deer carcasses were discovered Wednesday, June 27, off Forest Service Road 441, known as the O-Bar-O Road, in the Lincoln National Forest. Department officers believe the deer were shot sometime during the previous day or night. The investigation is ongoing. “These three does probably had fawns about a month ago and would have been in the process of raising them,” said Col. Robert Griego of Game and Fish. “Because [...]
Grant county man ordered to pay $6,000 for allegedly poached deer
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Clint Henson, (575) 445-2311 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 Clint.henson@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, MAY 20, 2014 GRANT COUNTY MAN ORDERED TO PAY $6,000 FOR ALLEGEDLY POACHED DEER SILVER CITY – Santa Clara resident Daniel Gomez, 30, was ordered by Grant County Magistrate Judge Ray Base on Thursday, April 24 to pay $6,000 in civil penalties for the loss of a mule deer buck he was found guilty of poaching in January 2013. The buck scored 184 inches and was considered a trophy, which allows for increased civil penalties. The case was initiated by an anonymous tip to the Operation Game Thief hotline. Gomez said he killed the deer in Game Management Unit 16. However, several area residents had taken video of the deer alive shortly before Gomez allegedly poached it in Game Management Unit 23, an area where Gomez did not have [...]
May 1 is ‘Stop Poaching Day’
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Rachel Shockley, (505) 476-8071; cell: (505) 470-6832 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 rachel.shockley@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, APRIL 30, 2014: MAY 1 IS 'STOP POACHING DAY' SANTA FE – May 1 is “Stop Trophy Poaching Day,” in New Mexico, emphasizing the serious threat the illegal activity poses to the state’s long tradition of hunting, and highlighting the contribution of hunting to New Mexico’s heritage and economy. Trophy poaching occurs when illegal hunters kill large wild game and take only the heads, antlers and horns, which can fetch large amounts of money on the black market. The meat and hide on the poached animals usually are left to rot. The offense is a misdemeanor in New Mexico and convictions often result in light penalties. The Department supported bills for stiffer penalties in the last two legislative sessions, but neither passed. The Wild Friends Program [...]