N.M. Admin. Code § 19.31.17.13

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 21, November 5, 2024

Section 19.31.17.13 - [Effective 4/1/2025] BIGHORN SHEEP POPULATION MANAGEMENT HUNTS

A. The director, with verbal concurrence of the chairperson of the New Mexico state game commission or their designee, may authorize population management hunts for bighorn sheep when justified in writing by department personnel and must be based on biological information or a potential to compromise population viability.

B. The director shall designate the sporting arms, season dates, season lengths, bag limits, hunt boundaries, specific requirements or restrictions, and number of licenses to be issued.

C. In the event that an applicant is not able to hunt on the dates specified, the applicant's name shall be moved to the bottom of the list and another applicant may be contacted for the hunt.

D. In those instances where a population management hunt is warranted on deeded private lands, the landowner may suggest eligible hunters of their choice by submitting a list of prospective hunters' names to the department for licensing consideration. No more than one-half of the total number of licenses authorized shall be available to landowner identified hunters. The balance of prospective hunters shall be identified by the department.

E. The director, with verbal concurrence of the chairperson of the New Mexico state game commission or their designee, may deem some ram or either sex population management licenses not once-in-a-lifetime; a person that has held a once-in-a-lifetime ram license(s) is not disqualified from this hunt.

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.31.17.13

Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXVII, Issue 15, August, 2016, eff. 8/15/2016, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXIX, Issue 11, June 12, 2018, eff. 4/1/2019, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 17, September 13, 2022, eff. 4/1/2023, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXV, Issue 16, August 27, 2024, eff. 4/1/2025