NEWS
Sportsmen’s comments affect elk rules
Hunters convinced the Department of Game and Fish to drop several radical ideas for changing elk season dates and instead stick with the traditional season structure for the next four years. More than 200 individuals attended meetings or submitted comments on proposed rules for elk and other big game, department staff told the State Game Commission at its June 3 meeting in Gallup, and “probably 80 percent” of those sportsmen opposed a proposal that called for, among other things, extending the rifle season to a month. “The public spoke loudly and clearly that they don’t want the seasons to change,” said Jim Lane, chief of the Wildlife Management Division.
The elk proposal, the final version of which will be posted on the department website on June 8, calls for numerous changes. One would reverse the Commission’s recent decision to change the Unit 6A/6C boundaries, and would go back to pre-2009 lines. In most units, leftover cow tags that were offered over the counter after the draw in years past will be incorporated into the draw itself; license numbers will be rounded up to the nearest multiple of five; and a new draw option will be offered that allows elk hunters to apply for population reduction hunts for cows.
Harvest levels have been tweaked in many GMUs, and hunters are encouraged to read the proposal closely to see how their favorite units are being affected. Click here to see the slideshow on Group B proposals presented to the Game Commission. Click here to see the Group B highlights and justifications, except for elk.
Sportsmen will have 30 days to comment on the proposed changes, starting June 8. The commission is scheduled to vote on the regulations, which will be in effect for four years, on July 8 in Silver City.
Turkey, javelina, upland game rules approved
The commission unanimously approved new rules for the so-called Group A species. Click here to see the highlights of the new regulations.