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Native Fish Restoration Planned for Middle Ponil Creek

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Ryan Darr: (505) 476-8027 ryan.darr@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 7, 2022: Native Fish Restoration Planned for Middle Ponil Creek Colfax County – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) will be conducting a native fish restoration project in Middle Ponil Creek within the Valle Vidal unit of the Carson National Forest from July 11-17, 2022. This project will remove non-native, hybrid fish to create suitable habitat for stocking native Rio Grande cutthroat trout rescued from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire. Public access to the project area will be restricted during the project period. This will include a 300-foot buffer around Middle Ponil Creek from the headwaters to the FR 1910 road crossing. Signs indicating the restricted areas will be posted at trailheads, along roadways and in parking areas. All public roads will remain [...]

Agencies and volunteers gather over 750 pounds of trash near Mesilla Dam

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 22, 2022: Agencies and volunteers gather over 750 pounds of trash near Mesilla Dam Mesilla – Multiple public land user groups gathered June 18 to clean up areas with a high amount of illegal dumping and Off-highway Vehicle (OHV) use. Staff and volunteers from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Friends of the Organ Mountain Desert Peaks, Bureau of Land Management and Throat Punch Performance SXS cleaned areas west of Mesilla Dam in southern New Mexico. Over 750 pounds of trash were gathered, including mattresses, box springs, aluminum cans, glass and yard debris. "Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks were excited to help clean up our public lands with our valued agency partners and community members. We look forward to more events like this and [...]

Leftover draw licenses go on sale June 29

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 15, 2022: Leftover draw licenses go on sale June 29 SANTA FE – A total of 164 deer and 5 youth-only pronghorn licenses, that were not issued during the annual 2022-2023 big-game draw, will go on sale at 10 a.m. MDT June 29, through the Department’s Online License System. New Mexico residents will get first shot at the licenses for the first 24 hours of the first-come, first-served sale. If any licenses remain after the first 24 hours, the sale will be opened to nonresidents at 10 a.m. June 30. To buy a leftover license, hunters must possess an annual Game Hunting or Game Hunting and Fishing license. Hunters may buy the Game Hunting license, the Habitat Stamp and the Habitat Management Access Validation by logging [...]

Public reminded to leave young wildlife alone

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 15, 2022: Public reminded to leave young wildlife alone SANTA FE – Spring is the time of year when most wildlife babies are born. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish reminds the public to leave alone any deer or antelope fawns, elk calves, bear cubs or other wild animals they may find. Most young-of-the-year wildlife people discover are simply hiding while awaiting their parents’ return from foraging nearby. Removing these young animals can cost them their lives, Orrin Duvuvuei, Department deer biologist, warned. “For about a week after birth, young wildlife exhibit hiding behaviors to avoid detection and increase their chance for survival. You might think it has been abandoned, but in reality, the mother is typically a few hundred yards away,” Duvuvuei said. [...]

Special oryx hunts available for injured service members

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@dgf.nm.gov FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 14, 2022: Special oryx hunts available for injured service members SANTA FE – Injured military service members can apply online starting June 15 for an upcoming special drawing to award up to 10 special oryx authorizations for hunts on White Sands Missile Range. “New Mexico is the only place in North America that allows non-ranch, free-range hunting for oryx,” said New Mexico Department of Veterans Services Cabinet Secretary Sonya Smith. “This is a unique opportunity for veterans for whom hunting is a passion, so I encourage them to submit their applications before time runs out.” Applicants must be veterans of the U.S. military with a disability rating of 50 percent or greater in accordance with U.S. Veteran’s Administration guidelines for receiving disabled veteran benefits. Significantly injured, [...]

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Game Commission to meet Feb. 26 in Albuquerque

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, FEB. 22, 2016: Game Commission to meet Feb. 26 in Albuquerque SANTA FE - The New Mexico Game Commission will have a special meeting Friday, Feb. 26, in Albuquerque to hear a request by the Turner Endangered Species Fund to import five Mexican Wolves and temporarily hold them at its Ladder Ranch facility in southern New Mexico. The meeting will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Albuquerque Marriott, Acoma Room, 2101 Louisiana Blvd. The Turner Endangered Species Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Mexican Government wish to hold the wolves at the Ladder Ranch before they are exported to a facility in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, for eventual release into the wild in Mexico. The temporary stay at the Ladder Ranch would allow the wolves [...]

Outdoor Adventures Hunting and Fishing Show in Albuquerque this weekend

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact: Information Center (888) 248-6866 Media contact: Karl Moffatt, (505) 476-8007 karl.moffatt@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Feb 17, 2016: Outdoor Adventures Hunting and Fishing Show in Albuquerque this weekend ALBUQUERQUE – The annual New Mexico Outdoors Adventures Hunting and Fishing Show is back at the state fairgrounds in Albuquerque this weekend. There’ll be plenty to see and do at this year’s event hosted by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, including a return engagement of the exciting fishing simulator. Admission is free to all licensed anglers, hunters and trappers. Youths under the age of 18 get in free and it’s just $3 for everyone else. Come see the latest equipment for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. New models of off-highway vehicles, recreational vehicles, boats and kayaks will be on display. And as always, outfitters, guides and conservation organizations will be on [...]

Deadline Wednesday to apply for bear, turkey permits

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, FEB. 9, 2016: Deadline Wednesday to apply for bear, turkey permits SANTA FE –The deadline to apply for 2016-2017 bear and turkey permits is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10. Draw results will be available Feb. 24. Successful applicants must purchase a bear or turkey license and applicable stamps after April 1. Hunters can apply online, by telephone or in person at Game and Fish Department area offices. Turkey hunters are reminded to submit harvest reports from last season’s hunt by Feb. 15 to avoid paying an $8 late fee. Rules and information about applying for 2016-2017 hunting licenses is available online at www.wildlife.state.nm.us. Printed editions are available at department area offices. For more information or help in applying for the draw, please call the information center at (888) 248-6866. [...]

Comments sought on public-private land-swap hunting access agreements

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Karl Moffatt, (505) 476-8007 Public contact: Information Center (888) 248-6866 karl.moffatt@state.nm.us State Land Office Contact: Emily Strickler, (505) 827-3650 estrickler@slo.state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Feb. 5, 2016: Comments sought on public-private land-swap hunting access agreements SANTA FE – The Department of Game and Fish is seeking public comments about agreements that would open some private lands to public hunting in exchange for closing some areas of State Trust land. The "unitization" agreements among the State Land Office, the department and several landowners are designed to benefit sportsmen and landowners. Under the agreements, some areas of State Trust land would be treated as private property and would be closed to hunting. The private lands covered under the agreements then would be open to public hunters. Unitization agreements give hunters access to private land while providing landowners greater flexibility in maintaining ranching operations on [...]

New rules approved to combat aquatic invasive species

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact: Customer service (888) 248-6866 Media contact: Karl Moffatt, (505) 476-8007 karl.moffatt@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Jan. 27, 2016: New rules approved to combat aquatic invasive species SANTA FE – All boats soon will be subject to inspection and possible decontamination before launching in New Mexico waters under new rules adopted to combat the spread of harmful aquatic invasive species. The new rules, approved by the State Game Commission at its Jan. 14 meeting, will take effect Feb. 12. Changes to the AIS rules include: Mandatory watercraft inspection required any time an inspection station is set up and in operation. Mandatory inspection and, if necessary, decontamination of all out-of-state registered watercraft or watercraft re-entering the state of New Mexico. Fourteen-day advance notification of intent to transport watercraft 26 feet long or longer into New Mexico. All boaters are required to “pull the plug” [...]

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