Hunting News
The latest hunting news and press releases, including important reminders for the current hunting season, from the New Mexico Department of Wildlife. See additional wildlife news in Conservation News. Department-wide news can be found under Home → NMDOW News.
Hunting seasons open for doves, grouse, squirrels, band-tailed pigeons; pellet guns approved for collared doves, grouse, squirrels
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Media contact: Lance Cherry, (505) 476-8003 Public contact: (888) 248-6866 lance.cherry@state.nm.us FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, SEPT. 2, 2014 HUNTING SEASONS OPEN FOR DOVES, GROUSE, SQUIRRELS, BAND-TAILED PIGEONS; PELLET GUNS APPROVED FOR COLLARED DOVES, GROUSE, SQUIRRELS SANTA FE – Hunting seasons opened Sept. 1 in New Mexico for doves, grouse, squirrels and band-tailed pigeons, with some rule changes that provide more hunting opportunities. Beginning this year, .177 caliber or larger pellet guns are among the legal sporting arms for Eurasian collared doves, dusky grouse and squirrels. The State Game Commission approved the change Aug. 28 to give hunters more opportunities to bag those species, partly due to the ongoing shortage of .22-caliber ammunition. The Game Commission also increased the hunting season for Eurasian collared doves – an invasive, non-native species – to year-round with no bag limit. Hunters must leave one wing attached to [...]
Hunting licenses still available for elk, deer and javelina
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 16, 2014 HUNTING LICENSES STILL AVAILABLE FOR ELK, DEER AND JAVELINA SANTA FE –The 2014-2015 hunting season is fast approaching, and hunters still have the opportunity to buy a hunting license in New Mexico. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish still has more than 1,000 deer hunting licenses and nearly 500 javelina licenses for sale that were leftover from the annual hunt drawing. More than 1,000 youth encouragement hunting licenses for antlerless elk are also still available. Licenses will be sold online only on a first-come, first-served basis. Many of the leftover deer and javelina licenses are for muzzleloader or archery hunts, but there are a few youth only rifle hunts. The sale is open to everyone, regardless of residency. The youth encouragement [...]
More than 2,000 youth elk licenses for sale beginning July 9
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, JUNE 26, 2014 MORE THAN 2,000 YOUTH ELK LICENSES FOR SALE BEGINNING JULY 9 SANTA FE –More than 2,000 youth antlerless elk licenses will go on sale through the Department of Game and Fish’s Online License System at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 9. To purchase a license, customers will need to log in to their Online License System account at https://onlinesales.wildlife.state.nm.us/. The sale is designed to encourage youth hunting and includes almost 1,500 licenses for hunters using any legal weapon and 540 licenses for hunters using a muzzleloader or bow. Licenses will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, and hunters must be younger than 18 years of age on opening day of the hunt to be eligible. For the first 14 days, the sale will [...]
Leftover deer, javelina licenses go on sale online at 10 a.m. June 25
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, JUNE 16, 2014 LEFTOVER DEER, JAVELINA LICENSES GO ON SALE ONLINE AT 10 A.M. JUNE 25 SANTA FE –Thousands of leftover deer and javelina draw licenses will go on sale online at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 25. To purchase a license, customers will need to log in to their Online License System account at https://onlinesales.wildlife.state.nm.us/. Licenses will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis to New Mexico residents only for the first 24 hours. The sale will be opened to everyone, regardless of residency, at 10 a.m. June 26. Hunters are strongly encouraged to purchase either a Game Hunting or a Game Hunting and Fishing license in advance because popular licenses often sell out quickly. A person without a Game Hunting or a Game Hunting and [...]
New Mexico youths can receive donated hunting licenses
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, MAY 22, 2014 NEW MEXICO YOUTHS CAN RECEIVE DONATED HUNTING LICENSES ALBUQUERQUE – The State Game Commission has approved the nonprofit organization, the Donald R. Kemp Youth Hunting Club of Las Cruces, to qualify youths to receive donated hunting licenses and permits. At its May 15 meeting, the commission amended a rule in January that allows those who cannot use a hunting license or permit to transfer it to youths 17 years of age or younger who have been qualified through an approved nonprofit organization that promotes youth hunting. The change allows those who cannot use a hunting license to donate it to the Department of Game and Fish so it can be transferred to a youth. The club is the first nonprofit to be approved [...]