New Mexico Register / Volume XXXVII,
Issue 13 / July 14, 2026
STATE
WILDLIFE COMMISSION MEETING AND RULE MAKING NOTICE
The New Mexico
State Wildlife Commission (“Commission”) will be hosting a meeting and rule
hearing on Friday, August 21, 2026 beginning at 9:00
a.m. at New Mexico Highlands University Student Center, 800 National Ave., Las
Vegas, NM 87701. Please check the
Department’s website for any updates at
https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/commission/meeting-agendas/. The purpose of this meeting is to hear and
consider action as appropriate on the proposed changes to the: 1) Bighorn Sheep
Rule; 2) Pronghorn Antelope Rule; 3) Deer Rule; and 4) Elk Rule.
Synopsis:
Bighorn Sheep Rule
The proposal is to
amend the Bighorn Sheep Rule 19.31.17 NMAC which will become effective April 1,
2027. The most recent version of the
rule will expire on March 31, 2027. Proposed changes include:
1) The Department reestablished a population of Rocky Mountain
bighorn sheep in the Manzano mountains (Game Management Units [GMUs] 14 and 18)
in the late 1970s. GMUs 14 and 18 have been included in the Bighorn Rule in the
past however, new GPS collar data indicates this population primarily occupies
private property year-round. To provide a mechanism for authorizing Rocky
Mountain bighorn hunting in GMUs 14 and 18, the Department recommends adding
these units as “open GMUs or areas” under the private land provisions of the
rule. This change would allow for private land hunting opportunities, with
dates jointly established for license years 2027-2028 through 2030-2031. The
Department has a hunting agreement where 50% of the licenses would be allocated
through the public draw and 50% would be provided to the participating
landowner.
a. The Department
will establish two hunt periods for the Manzanos: October 1-15 (Period 1) and
October 16-30 (Period 2). We anticipate the first hunt being in 2027. The first
hunter on the Manzanos will be a public draw hunter.
b. The Department will increase the
bag limit for Rocky Mountain ram tags to better reflect bighorn abundance
across a greater number GMUs, including the Manzanos.
2) The Department reestablished a
population of desert bighorn sheep in the Sacramento mountains (GMU 34) in
2018. The initial reintroduction and subsequent translocations have resulted in
older age class rams available for harvest. The Department will open GMU 34 with
one hunt period: December 1-15.
3) In response to public comments, the Department will shift
the hunt periods for the Little Hatchets and Big Hatchets desert bighorn hunts
from September and October, to December. Both hunt areas would have two
concurrent hunt periods from December 1-15 and December 16-30.
4)) The Department will make adjustments to
season dates in some areas. For example, if a hunt normally starts on a
Saturday, this date shift would be maintained throughout the rule so the hunts continue
to start on Saturday or adjusting to calendar starts for consistency.
5) Require the purchase of a license at least one day prior
to hunting.
Pronghorn Antelope
Rule
The proposal is to
amend the Pronghorn Antelope Rule 19.31.15 NMAC which will become effective
April 1, 2027. The most recent version
of the rule will expire on March 31, 2027. Proposed changes include:
1) Require the purchase of a license at least one day prior to
hunting. For hunts where published season dates are less than 6 days, hunters
will no longer be able to buy a license once the hunt starts.
2) Implement a ranch registration process for purchase of
private land OTC pronghorn licenses, similar to the current registration
process used for private land elk licenses in Secondary management zones.
3) Implement a cap on private land OTC licenses and consider
a more even distribution in hunts, similar to the public draw. If license distribution
within a GMU is disproportionately skewed toward a particular hunt due to
private land sales patterns, licenses will be redistributed to reduce that
skew, though not necessarily distributed equally across all hunts. See table in
Appendix 1 for details.
4) Shift GMU 4/50/52 rifle hunt to muzzleloader hunt
5) Adjust season dates where necessary. For example,
shifting start dates to maintain hunts beginning on Saturday or adjusting
calendar day starts for consistency.
6) Based on discussions with McGregor and White Sands
Missile Range (WSMR) staff, we recommended the following:
a. McGregor: Decrease from 2 hunts of
7 licenses down to 2 hunts of 2 licenses
b. WSMR: Decrease from 1 hunt of 5
down to 1 hunt of 3, and adjusting the bag limit from ES to MB
7) Include GMU 48 alongside GMU 47 to allow hunters to
access both GMUs during their draw hunt. Licenses will remain the same.
8) Similar to bighorn sheep and ibex, shift all F-IM license
numbers to be “up to,” allowing the Department to adjust draw licenses up or
down depending on population surveys.
9) Decrease license numbers in GMUs 41, 47, 56, 57, 58, and
59 to match current hunting levels. Specifically, the 20% license reduction
implemented in 2025 will be retained as the baseline for the 2027-2030 seasons,
rather than reverting to pre-2025 license numbers.
10) Public draw hunt license numbers will remain unchanged from
the 2023-2026 rule cycle, except those outlined in point 9 above.
11) Shift season dates in SW later to address a later breeding
and fawning period, with hunts beginning mid-September.
Deer Rule
The proposal is to
amend the Deer Rule 19.31.13 NMAC which will become effective April 1,
2027. The most recent version of the
rule will expire on March 31, 2027. Proposed changes include:
Northwest
1) Reduce deer licenses
in GMU 2B based on input received during current rule cycle.
2) In
addition to general license reductions in GMU 2B, based on input received
during the current rule cycle, the Department analyzed the total number of
license reductions required to move GMU 2B to a Quality Hunt unit. Moving GMU
2B to a Quality Hunt unit would require a reduction of 885 deer licenses across
public and private land (see table 1 below).
3) Create
new rifle hunt code in GMU 51A to spread out pressure. The overall license
numbers will remain the same.
4) Create
a public muzzleloader deer hunt on Wildlife Management Areas in GMU 4 to
coincide with the private land hunt (10 licenses).
Southwest
1) Structure the
January hunt on White Sands Missile Range (GMU 19 WSMR only) as a youth hunt.
2) Create
a December rifle hunt for Coues white-tailed deer in GMUs 16 and 22 (20
licenses in each GMU) to be consistent with Coues white-tailed deer hunts in
the southwest.
3) GMU
23 and 24 archery hunters who do not harvest an FAD, will no longer be permitted
to hunt the Silver City Management Area antlerless hunt. A new hunt code will
be created for the Silver City Management Area antlerless archery hunt (50
public licenses and 20 private licenses).
4) Change
youth rifle hunts in GMUs 13 and 17 to youth muzzleloader hunts to match elk
weapon type for the same time and increase licenses for muzzleloader hunts in
these units.
5) No
longer include Fort Bayard as a special management area. Hunters drawing a tag for
GMU 24 can hunt any legally accessible land in GMU 24, including Fort Bayard
management area.
6) Create
a public rifle hunt for Mimbres River WMA in GMU 24 (5 licenses).
Southeast
1) Remove the REG
antlerless hunt in GMU 32 Roswell and Fort Sumner Hunt Areas. Keep Youth Only
antlerless hunt (15 public and 20 private licenses).
2) Remove
the antlerless hunt on the Huey WMA; change the ES hunt to FAD bag limit.
3) Significantly
reduce licenses in GMUs 29 (-120), 30 (-525), and 34 (-100).
Northeast
Adjust license
numbers to meet management strategies and reflect changes in deer herd dynamics
(see table 2 below).
General
Statewide Proposed Changes
1) Adjust license
numbers to meet management strategies and reflect changes in deer herd dynamics
(Table 2).
2) Adjust
season dates (Table 2).
a. Adjust
season dates to ensure harvest is biologically sustainable.
b. Shift
start dates to maintain hunts beginning on Saturday or adjusting to maintain
consistent hunt structure.
c. When possible, adjust season dates
for hunt structure consistency across the state.
d. Adjust
season dates to avoid overlapping hunts with mixed-weapon types.
3) Designate
the premium statewide deer hunt as a Quality Hunt.
4) Require
the purchase of a license at least a day prior to the start of the hunt. For
hunts where published season dates are less than 6 days, hunters will no longer
be able to buy a license once the hunt starts.
5) Require
a “ranch registration” process for OTC private-land deer licenses, similar to
the current registration process used for private land elk hunting in Secondary
Management Zones.
6) Implement
a cap on private-land only OTC deer licenses for each GMU. If license
distribution within a GMU is disproportionately skewed toward a particular hunt
due to private land sales patterns, licenses will be redistributed to reduce
that skew, though not necessarily distributed equally across all hunts (Table
3).
Elk Rule
The proposal is to
amend the Elk Rule 19.31.14 NMAC which will become effective April 1,
2027. The most recent version of the
rule will expire on March 31, 2027. Proposed changes include:
General Statewide Proposed Changes
1) Adjust season dates where necessary
a. Shifting start dates to maintain
hunts beginning on Saturday or adjusting to calendar day starts for
consistency.
b. Evaluate season dates for hunt
structure consistency across the state.
c. Evaluate season dates to ensure harvest
is biologically sustainable.
2) Consider aligning most primary management zone hunts to
have a muzzleloader hunt first, followed by any-legal-weapon hunts. Early
October hunts shift to muzzleloader to address increased male susceptibility to
harvest.
3) Adjust some hunts to minimize overlap of weapons used for
species hunted.
4) Adjust draw license numbers based on biological data and
management goals.
a. Possible reductions in the
following herd units: Greater Gila, Jemez (A), Valle Vidal (A).
b. Possible slight increases in the
San Juan, Northcentral, Sacramento, and Ruidoso herd units.
c. Consider establishing elk hunts in
GMU 32 to address an increasing elk population in the area.
5) Designate the premium statewide elk hunt (currently
ELK-1-700) as a Quality hunt.
6) Require the purchase of a license at least one day prior
to hunting. For hunts where published season dates are less than 6 days,
hunters will no longer be able to buy a license once the hunt starts.
7) Possible adjustment of management zone boundaries.
8) Re-assess public/private land split due to land ownership
changes over the last 4 years.
Specific Proposed
Changes
Youth
Encouragement
1) Eliminate all Youth Encouragement hunts within the
Greater Gila elk herd unit (GMUs 15, 16A, 16C, 16D, 16E) to reduce harvest
pressure on adult females. Population indices suggest these elk herds are
declining as a result of low calf recruitment and high adult female mortality, further
intensified by drought conditions. A portion of these licenses will be
redistributed to other Youth Encouragement hunts throughout the state.
2) Create two new Youth Encouragement hunts of 75 licenses
each within GMU 2 to increase harvest pressure on adult females and increase
youth opportunity.
3) Increase Youth Encouragement hunt licenses within GMUs 34
and 36 to increase harvest pressure on adult females within increasing elk
populations in the Sacramento mountains.
4) Increase Youth Encouragement hunt licenses within GMU 51.
Northwest Region
1) Increase antlerless (‘A’)
licenses within December Youth Only (YO) and December 2C only rifle hunts.
2) Change early October Mature Bull (‘MB’)
licenses from any legal weapon to muzzleloader hunts in GMU 5A (10 licenses).
North Central
Region
1) Create a muzzleloader hunt within the Sargent WMA to
begin after archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be ‘MB/A’,
10 licenses.
2) Create a muzzleloader hunt within the Humphries/Rio Chama
WMAs to begin after archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be
‘MB/A’, 10 licenses.
3) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMU 5B to begin after
archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be ‘MB’, 56 licenses.
4) Redistribute 37 December ‘MB’ rifle licenses to the
muzzleloader hunt in GMU 5B. Muzzleloader hunts typically have lower success
rates; thus, these licenses are redistributed at a ratio of 1:1.5
5) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMU 50 to begin after
archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be ‘MB’, 65 licenses.
6) Redistribute 45 late October and early November ‘MB’
rifle licenses to new muzzleloader hunt in GMU 50 at a ratio of 1:1.5
7) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMU 51 to begin after
archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be Either-Sex
(‘ES’), 145 licenses. All licenses for this hunt were redistributed from the
existing December muzzleloader hunt in GMU 51.
8) Increase ‘A’ licenses within GMU 51 for both mid and late
November hunts from 251 to 265 licenses.
Southwest Region
1) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMU 12 to begin after
archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be ‘MB’, 35 licenses.
2) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMUs 16A, 16B/22, 16C,
and 16D to begin after archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall
be ‘MB’, 35 licenses for each GMU. Although overall ‘MB’ licenses will increase
slightly within the Greater Gila elk herd, anticipated harvest should be stable
or slightly decrease as muzzleloader hunters, on average, have lower success
rates. Additionally, pushing rifle ‘MB’ hunts later in the season will decrease
bull susceptibility to harvest during rut.
3) Redistribute 15 ‘MB’ rifle licenses from GMU 16A to new
muzzleloader hunt at a 1:1.5 ratio.
4) Reduce ‘A’ rifle licenses within GMU 16A, 16C, 16D, and 16E
by 27-30% and shift cow hunts earlier in the season to reduce adult female
mortality in the Greater Gila elk herd unit.
5) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMU 21A to begin after
archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be ‘MB’, 15 licenses.
Southeast Region
Increase ‘A’
licenses within both late season (Jan/Feb) cow hunts within GMU 34 from 200 to
230 licenses to increase harvest on adult females in an increasing elk herd
unit.
Northeast Region
1) Create a muzzleloader hunt within GMU 49 to begin after
archery and before rifle hunt seasons. Bag limit shall be ‘MB’, 20 licenses.
2) Redistribute ‘MB’ a total of 13 October rifle licenses to
new muzzleloader hunt in GMU 49 at a ratio of 1:1.5.
Secondary
Management Zones
1) Create new ‘A’ late-season rifle hunt in GMUs 29/30 to
address increased population within these units (20 licenses).
2) Create two new ‘ES’ rifle hunts within GMU 32 as elk have
moved into this region and become more resident than seasonal (30 licenses
total).
3) Create 2 new ‘ES’ bow hunts with 20 licenses each in GMU
38 as this elk population is becoming more established.
Special Management
Zones
Reduce
‘A’ licenses by 17% within the Valle Vidal (GMU 55A) to reduce adult female
mortality.
A full text of
changes for all rules will be available on the Department’s website at: https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/.
Interested
persons may submit comments on the proposed changes as follows: Bighorn Sheep
Rule to DGF-waterfowl@state.nm.us;
Pronghorn Antelope Rule to DGF-Exotics-Rule@dgf.nm.gov; Deer Rule to
DGF-Deer-Rule@dgf.nm.gov; and Elk Rule to DGF-Deer-Rule@dgf.nm.gov . Individuals may also submit written comments
to the physical address below. Comments
are due by 1:00 p.m. on August 18, 2026. The final proposed rules will be voted
on by the Commission during a public meeting on August 21, 2026. Interested persons may also provide data,
views or arguments, orally or in writing, at the public rule hearings to be
held on August 21, 2026.
Full
copies of text of the proposed new rules, technical information related to
proposed rule changes, and the agenda can be obtained from the Office of the
Director, New Mexico Department of Wildlife, 1 Wildlife Way, Santa Fe, New
Mexico 87507, or from the Department’s website at
https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/commission/proposals-under-consideration/. This
agenda is subject to change up to 72 hours prior to the meeting. Please contact the Director’s Office at (505)
476-8000, or the Department’s website at https://wildlife.dgf.nm.gov/ for
updated information.
If you are an
individual with a disability who is in need of a
reader, amplifier, qualified sign language interpreter, or any other form of
auxiliary aid or service to attend or participate in the hearing or meeting,
please contact the Department at (505) 476-8000 at least one week prior to the meeting
or as soon as possible. Public documents, including the agenda and minutes, can
be provided in various accessible formats. Please contact the Department at
505-476-8000 if a summary or other type of accessible format is needed.
Legal authority
for this rulemaking can be found in the General Powers and Duties of the State
Game Commission 17-1-14, et seq. NMSA 1978; Commission’s Power to establish
rules and regulations 17-1-26, et seq. NMSA 1978.