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.
Apply now for sandhill crane and pheasant draw permits
SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is now accepting applications for special sandhill crane and pheasant permits. Applications can be made through your online account. The application deadline for special Sandhill crane and pheasant permits is 5 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 16. Successful applicants must have a Game Hunting License and applicable stamp(s) in addition to their draw permit. Successful sandhill crane applicants also must have a Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. The 2023-2024 Upland Game Rules and Information Booklet is currently available on the Department’s website in both English and Spanish. The 2023-2024 Migratory Bird Rules and Information Booklet will be available on the website following Friday's State Game Commission meeting.
Bear and Cougar Rule topic of public meetings
SANTA FE – The Department of Game and Fish is seeking public comment on proposed revisions to the Bear and Cougar Rule (19.31.11 NMAC), which opened at the State Game Commission meeting on April 28, 2023. For bear, the Department is seeking input on harvest limits, zone boundaries and season start dates. Additionally, the Department is proposing increasing the number of draw permits for some fall hunts and allowing deer or elk hunters who draw wildlife management area hunts to harvest a bear or cougar during their hunt if the zone is open and they possess a bear and/or cougar license. For cougar, the Department is seeking input on adjusting harvest limits in Cougar Management Zones based on recent research. The Department is also seeking input on changing zone closure requirements when closing a zone based on the female harvest limit such that zones close when the female harvest limit is reached. To gather [...]
Youth Encouragement Elk License sale begins July 12
SANTA FE – New Mexico resident youth hunters who applied and were unsuccessful in the 2023-2024 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 starting at 10 a.m. MDT July 12. The sale is designed to encourage unsuccessful youth draw applicants and includes 1,570 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 into their Online License System account. Eligibility and requirements: For the first 14 days, the sale is open only to resident youth who have applied in the current license year for one or more draw hunts for deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, oryx or ibex and were not [...]
Leftover draw licenses on sale June 28
SANTA FE – A total of 564 deer licenses not issued during the 2023-2024 big-game draw will go on sale at 10 a.m. MDT June 28, 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 29. Important note for youth hunters: Because these are draw licenses, purchasing a license will render youth hunters ineligible to purchase a youth encouragement elk license for the first 14 days of the upcoming sale in July. To buy a leftover license, hunters must possess a 2023-2024 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 into their account and clicking the Over-The-Counter (OTC) [...]