Elk

SANTA FE – Youth hunters will be eligible to purchase one of 1,960 antlerless Youth Encouragement Elk Licenses through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish’s Online License System starting at 10 a.m. MDT, July 10.

The sale is designed to provide additional youth hunting opportunities and includes 1,570 licenses for any legal sporting arm and 390 licenses for muzzleloader. 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 successful for any hunt. Please note that the purchase of a leftover draw hunt does not count as a successful application.
    • Must have a valid Hunter Education certification.
    • Must be 17 years of age or younger on the opening day of hunt.
  • Beginning at 10 a.m. MDT, July 24, the sale will open to any youth hunter who is eligible to purchase an elk license.
  • Youth hunters must have a current annual Game Hunting or Game Hunting and Fishing License prior to purchasing an elk license. Customers without a Game Hunting License will be directed to purchase one before purchasing a Youth Encouragement Elk License.

All purchases will be audited to verify the customer’s eligibility.

Hunters planning to purchase a youth encouragement license must have completed all mandatory 2023-2024 harvest reporting requirements or their purchase will be rejected in the post-sale audit. The license fee, but not the application fee, will be refunded for rejected purchases.

Following the successful purchase of a youth encouragement license, the license/tag will be mailed to the hunter, unless the e-tag option is selected.

For more information about the youth encouragement elk sale, hunting in New Mexico or for help logging in, please call the Information Center at 888-248-6866 or email us at ispa@state.nm.us.

Youth encouragement licenses will not be sold over the phone. For the list of available hunts please see pages 89-91 of the 2024-2025 Hunting Rules and Information Booklet available online.