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New Mexico Moves Towards Drastic Reduction of Non-Resident Hunting Opportunity

February 4, 2011.

New Mexico is considering major reductions to non-resident hunting opportunity.

Currently, unguided non-residents are allocated 10% of limited draw tags, guided non-residents are allocated 12%, and New Mexico residents get 78%.

New Mexico Senate Bill 196 would reduce unguided non-resident opportunity to an almost non-existent 2%, and would reduce guided non-resident opportunity to 8%. New Mexico residents would be allocated 90% of tags.

While a 90% resident allocation isn't uncommon among Western states, the 2% allocation for DIY non-residents is extremely low.

SB196 has made it out of the Senate Conservation Committee on a 7-1 vote and will continue to move forward through the state Legislature -- with seemingly strong popular support.

On a related note, the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office has sent a letter to the Director of the Game and Fish Department, stating he believes there is no legal justification to prevent the department from applying the quota system to ibex, oryx, and bighorn sheep tags. Currently, those draws are exempted from non-resident quotas, with residents and non-residents competing equally for those tags.

If New Mexico were to apply quotas to those scarce tags, unguided non-residents would have virtually no chance of drawing them.

As if this wasn't enough of an assualt on the residents of the other 49 states, New Mexico is also considering requiring the purchase of a non-refundable $90 license to apply.

If you've ever wanted to do a do-it-yourself hunt in New Mexico, be sure to apply this year. It may be your last realistic chance.

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