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News2026-05-22T16:53:06-06:00

NMDGF News

For Hunter Education classes, please see Hunter Education Course Schedule and for the Hunter Educator Workshops schedule please see Hunter Educator Instructor.

New Mexico Fish Art Contest

Here are your 2026 Fish Art Contest Winners! Some of New Mexico's most talented youth artists took part in the first-ever Art of Conservation New Mexico Fish Art Contest, with winners announced last week by the New Mexico Department of Wildlife. The contest included divisions for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12. The top-three finishers in each division will proceed to the National Fish Art Contest, sponsored by Wildlife Forever. Other categories included the Invader Crusader Award, for artwork featuring a native and invasive aquatic species found in the student's local area; the Mighty Minnow Award, for kindergarten participants; the New Mexico Native Trout Award, for artwork highlighting New Mexico's native trout species — Gila trout or Rio Grande cutthroat trout; and the New Mexico Species of Greatest Conservation Need Award, for artwork that best represents species identified by the Department as being most at risk and in need [...]

Oct 15, 2025|

Working with Bighorn Sheep

New Mexico has a rich wildlife heritage that can be experienced either through hunting, wildlife viewing, photography or by people seeking to connect with the outdoors. Here, you’ll find an array of habitats, from alpine tundra, forested mountains, grasslands, rivers and lakes, to sandstone canyons and the Chihuahuan desert, which is why New Mexico is aptly referred to as the Land of Enchantment. These diverse habitats are home to a species that draws people to New Mexico every year: bighorn sheep. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish manages bighorn sheep and their habitats on behalf of all New Mexicans to conserve and protect bighorn for their beneficial use and enjoyment across a diversity of interests and activities. The management of both Rocky Mountain and desert bighorn relies on several key elements that contribute to NMDGF’s Bighorn Program, including annual inventory and monitoring of bighorn populations, disease surveillance, [...]

Oct 8, 2025|

Tres Piedras Primitive Shooting Range to close for maintenance Oct. 13

Range will also close on first Wednesday of January, April, July and October TRES PIEDRAS, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish will close its Tres Piedras Primitive Shooting Range at sunrise Oct. 13 for maintenance, with the range reopening at sunrise Oct. 14. Public access will be completely restricted during the closure. The closure will allow contractors to safely perform maintenance and clean up trash and debris on the shooting range. The Department will also close the range, located three miles east of Tres Piedras off of U.S. Highway 64, on the first Wednesday of January, April, July and October for maintenance. Other closures may occur as needed for repairs. The range is otherwise open every day from sunrise to sunset. The public is asked to refer to signage when entering the property to determine whether it is open or closed, or to contact Shooting Program [...]

Oct 1, 2025|

Free Fishing Weekend set for Sept. 27-28

SANTA FE – Anglers can fish for free in New Mexico on Sept. 27-28, as part of the state's Free Fishing Weekend. Anyone can fish for free in public fishing waters throughout the state on Saturday, Sept. 27 and Sunday, Sept. 28, which is also National Hunting and Fishing Day across the United States of America. All anglers must observe bag limits and all other rules and regulations. For more information, please visit the Department's website. "This is a great time to take your family fishing and teach them a skill that will provide a lifetime of enjoyment," said Mike Sloane, director for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Check out the video below to find out more on the importance of keeping youth, especially girls, involved in the sport. Take advantage of Free Fishing Weekend to get your family and our youth back on the water! [...]

Sep 22, 2025|

Portions of Southern New Mexico border listed as National Defense Area

Attention Hunters: Along New Mexico's southern border, the US Army has designated areas as National Defense Area (NDA). The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish has been working with the US Army to allow recreational and licensed hunters access to these areas. Below is a screenshot of the affected area; note the Department of Defense areas, shown in pink, in Hidalgo, Luna and Dona Ana Counties. The Bureau of Land Management has provided an interactive map of the NDA. As a result of the Department's efforts, the US Army has developed a protocol for hunters wishing to access the NDA. If you plan on hunting on any of the land designated in the NDA, please read the US Army's memorandum here. Hunters will need to submit information for a visitor access badge and pass a background check. Upon receipt of a visitor access badge, individuals will need to follow the guidelines in the US Army's [...]

Sep 5, 2025|

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