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News2025-04-17T11:13:33-06:00

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Wildlife crimes net $74,000 in restitution

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 8, 2020: Wildlife crimes net $74,000 in restitution SANTA FE – On June 23, 2020, Sandoval County Judge James A. Noel ordered Cody W. Davis of Arnegard, N.D. to pay $74,000 in restitution to the state for poaching a trophy mule deer buck. This civil restitution included $20,000 for the mule deer which was killed out of season, without a license and resulted in the waste of game and an additional $54,000 in reimbursement to the Department for the extensive investigation required for this case. The restitution to the state is in addition to his criminal conviction which included a $3,000 donation to Operation Game Thief (OGT). An OGT tip in December of 2015 initiated the investigation. Conservation officers searched the area in question and found [...]

Encouragement elk license sale begins July 8

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 24, 2020: Encouragement elk license sale begins July 8 SANTA FE – New Mexico resident youth and senior hunters who applied and were unsuccessful in the 2020-2021 big-game draw are eligible to purchase one of nearly 1,900 antlerless elk licenses. The licenses will go on sale through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish’s Online License System at 10 a.m. MDT July 8. The sale is designed to encourage unsuccessful youth and senior draw applicants and includes almost 1,500 licenses for any legal sporting arm and 390 licenses for muzzleloader, crossbow or bow. Licenses will be sold online only on a first-come, first-served basis. To purchase a license, customers will need to log in to their Online License System account. Eligibility and requirements: For the [...]

Game Commission to meet virtually June 25

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 17, 2020: Game Commission to meet virtually June 25 SANTA FE – The New Mexico State Game Commission will meet virtually Thursday, June 25. The full agenda and other information will be available on the Department of Game and Fish website before the meeting. If you are interested in participating and providing comments, you are encouraged to pre-register to attend the meeting on the Zoom Webinar platform. More information, including how to join the meeting by phone, is available on the Department’s website. The New Mexico State Game Commission meeting will also be available to view via a live webcast on the Department’s website. Webcast participants can listen to the meeting using a desktop computer or mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The State Game [...]

Department expands black bear population estimate survey into the Gila National Forest

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 12, 2020: Department expands black bear population estimate survey into the Gila National Forest SANTA FE – During the summer of 2020, Department biologists and conservation officers will be starting a two-year black bear population estimate study using hair snares in the Gila National Forest. Bear hair snares are a modern study technique designed to collect DNA and allow biologists to identify the number of bears in an area. Starting in early June, Department biologists and conservation officers will set up the hair snares across the Gila National Forest. The hair snares will consist of strands of barbed wire stretched across an area with bait in the middle. As bears duck under or step over the wire a small amount of hair will be collected. Elise [...]

Game and Fish relocate sow and three cubs

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Public contact, Information Center: (888) 248-6866 Media contact, Tristanna Bickford: (505) 476-8027 tristanna.bickford@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JUNE 10, 2020: Game and Fish relocate sow and three cubs LOS ALAMOS – New Mexico Department of Game and Fish conservation officers captured a female bear with three cubs found roaming in Los Alamos and successfully relocated them to western New Mexico. A concerned resident called the Department last week about the bears raiding neighborhood dumpsters. Seven conservation officers worked around the clock over several days to ensure the capture and safe relocation of the sow and her cubs. The bears found food in garbage cans and were in danger of becoming habituated to being fed in neighborhoods. All of the bears are healthy and have not been captured in the past. “Our officers did a great job safely catching these bears,” said Director Mike Sloane. [...]

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