New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
Media contact: Dan Williams, (505) 476-8004
Public contact: (505) 476-8000
dan.williams@state.nm.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, JULY 15, 2010:

YOUTH ELK, LEFTOVER DEER, JAVELINA LICENSES GO ON SALE IN AUGUST
OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE PROGRAM ACCEPTING GRANT PROPOSALS
COMMENTS SOUGHT ON STATE ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES LIST

YOUTH ELK, LEFTOVER DEER, JAVELINA LICENSES GO ON SALE IN AUGUST

SANTA FE -- Youth and adult hunters who missed a shot at a big-game hunting license during this year's annual drawing will have another chance this August when the Department of Game and Fish puts more than 5,000 deer, elk and javelina licenses up for sale on the agency Web site.

The online sales will be first-come, first-served and will be conducted in two parts on different days. The first sale will be Aug. 4 for elk licenses reserved only for youths younger than age 18. The second sale will be Aug. 11 for deer and javelina hunts available to youth and adults. Both sales will begin at 10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time.

Here are some details about the sales:

Youth Encouragement Hunts

• On sale: 10 a.m. Aug. 4 at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
• Licenses available: Approximately 1,900 elk licenses, including about 1,700 for any legal sporting arm and 200 for muzzleloaders. All of the muzzleloader hunts are for elk of either sex. All but 100 of the any legal sporting arm hunts are for cow elk. A complete list of available hunts, including dates and unit numbers, will be announced soon on the Department Web site.
• Eligibility: Only hunters younger than 18 who were unsuccessful in the regular drawing for any big-game species and whose applications were not rejected for reasons such as lack of funds, incorrect forms or failure to file a harvest report are eligible to purchase a youth encouragement license. Youth also must have successfully completed an approved hunter safety course before purchasing a license.

Available hunts:

Any legal sporting arm:

• Unit 5B, Nov. 26-30, 20 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 6A, Nov. 26-30, 50 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 6A, Dec. 26-30, 50 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 6C, Nov. 26-30, 50 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 6C, Dec. 26-30, 50 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 10, Nov. 26-30, 35 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 13, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 13, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 15, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 15, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-A, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-A, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-C, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-C, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-D, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-D, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-E, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 16-E, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 17, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 17, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 34, Dec. 26-30, 80 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 36, Nov. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 36, Dec. 26-30, 60 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 49, Nov. 26-30, 50 either-sex licenses.
• Unit 50, Dec. 26-30, 80 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 51, Nov. 26-30, 90 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 51, Dec. 26-30, 90 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 52, Nov. 26-30, 50 antlerless licenses.
• Unit 53, Nov. 26-30, 40 either-sex licenses.
• Unit 53, Dec. 26-30, 100 either-sex licenses.

Muzzleloader and bow:

• Unit 9, Nov. 26-30, 150 either-sex licenses.
• Unit 9, Dec. 26-30, 50 either-sex licenses.

Leftover deer, javelina licenses

• On sale: 10 a.m. Aug. 11 at www.wildlife.state.nm.us.
• Licenses available: Approximately 430 javelina licenses and 2,760 deer licenses. Available deer licenses include about 259 hunts for any legal weapon, 1,668 archery hunts and 838 muzzleloader hunts. A complete list of available hunts, including dates and unit numbers, will be announced soon on the Department Web site.
• Eligibility: Residents and nonresidents of any age who meet youth hunter safety requirements and filed a mandatory harvest report if they held a deer or elk license for the 2009-2010 seasons.

Available deer hunts:

Youth-only, any legal sporting arm:

• Unit 30, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 61 licenses.
• Unit 30, Nov. 13-17, 179 licenses.
• Unit 58, Dec. 4-8, 3 licenses.
• Unit 59, Nov. 25-28, 1 license.
• Unit 59, Dec. 4-8, 15 licenses.

Archery only:

• Unit 2B, youth-only, Sept. 1-22, 9 licenses.
• Unit 13, Sept. 1-24, 70 licenses.
• Unit 13, Jan. 1-15, 65 licenses.
• Unit 15, Jan. 1-15, 46 licenses.
• Unit 16, Jan 1-15, 74 licenses.
• Unit 17, Sept. 1-24, 64 licenses.
• Unit 18, Sept. 1-24, 37 licenses.
• Unit 18, Jan. 1-15, 9 licenses.
• Unit 20, Sept. 1-24, 25 licenses.
• Unit 21, Sept. 1-24, 128 licenses.
• Unit 22, Jan. 1-15, 7 licenses.
• Unit 22, Sept. 1-24, 15 licenses.
• Unit 23, except Burro Mountains, mule deer, Sept. 1-24, 65 licenses.
• Unit 23, except Burro Mountains, white-tailed deer, Sept. 1-24, 72 licenses.
• Unit 23, except Burro Mountains, white-tailed deer, Jan. 1-15, 15 licenses.
• Unit 24, mule deer, Sept. 1-24, 15 licenses.
• Unit 24, white-tailed deer, Sept. 1-24, 48 licenses.
• Unit 24, white-tailed deer, Jan. 1-15, 21 licenses.
• Unit 25, Sept. 1-24, 47 licenses.
• Unit 25, Jan 1-15, 20 licenses.
• Unit 26, except Big Hatchets, Sept. 1-24, 24 licenses.
• Unit 26, except Big Hatchets, Jan. 1-15, 13 licenses.
• Unit 27, white-tailed deer, Jan. 1-15, 3 licenses.
• Unit 29, Sept. 1-22 and Jan. 1-15, 93 licenses.
• Unit 32, Sept. 1-22 and Jan. 1-15, 18 licenses.
• Unit 39, Sept. 1-22 and Jan. 1-15, 12 licenses.
• Unit 40, Sept. 1-22 and Jan. 1-15, 38 licenses.
• Unit 43, Sept. 1-22, 11 licenses.
• Unit 47, Sept. 1-22, 8 licenses.
• Unit 48, Sept. 1-22, 5 licenses.
• Unit 50, Sept. 1-22, 1 license.
• Unit 56, Sept. 1-22, 5 licenses.
• Unit 58, Sept. 1-22, 13 licenses.
• Unit 59, Sept. 1-22, 10 licenses.

Muzzleloader and archery:

• Unit 13, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 131 licenses.
• Unit 15, youth-only, Sept. 25-Oct. 3, 51 licenses.
• Unit 18, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 31 licenses.
• Unit 20, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 64 licenses.
• Unit 21, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 288 licenses.
• Unit 22, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 50 licenses.
• Unit 23, except Burro Mountains, mule deer, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 204 licenses.
• Unit 23, except Burro Mountains, white-tailed deer, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 38 licenses.
• Unit 23, Burro Mountains, white-tailed deer, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 2 licenses.
• Unit 24, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, mule deer, 103 licenses.
• Unit 24, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, white-tailed deer, 42 licenses.
• Unit 25, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 43 licenses.
• Unit 26, except Big Hatchets, Oct. 30-Nov. 3, 59 licenses.
• Unit 30, Oct. 23-27, restricted muzzleloader, 200 licenses.
• Unit 33, Oct. 23-27, restricted muzzleloader, 4 licenses.
• Unit 37, Oct. 23-27, restricted muzzleloader, 24 licenses.
• Unit 40, Oct. 23-27, 15 licenses.

Available javelina hunts:

Any legal sporting arm:

• Statewide, except Units 19 and 23-27, Jan. 16-March 31, 141 licenses.

Archery:

• Units 19 and 23-27, Jan. 16-31, 52 licenses.
• Statewide, except Units 19 and 23-27, Jan. 1-15, 241 licenses.

Hunters are strongly advised to obtain or review an online customer account, including a Customer Identification Number, user name and password before the sales begin. Popular hunts sell out minutes, sometimes seconds after the sales begin.

For more information and updates about the leftover license and Youth Encouragement license sales, please check the Department Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us.

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OFF-HIGHWAY VEHICLE PROGRAM ACCEPTING GRANT PROPOSALS

SANTA FE -- The New Mexico Off-Highway Vehicle Program is accepting proposals for grants related to OHV recreation, safety and education.

The program, directed by the Department of Game and Fish, provides funding to federal, state and local government agencies, tribal governments and qualified nonprofit sponsors for the purpose of advancing the provisions of New Mexico's Off-highway Vehicle Act. Grant application forms and more information about the program's reimbursement process are available on the Department Web sites, www.wildlife.state.nm.us, www.B4uRide.com, or by contacting David Chester at (505) 476-8171 or david.chester@state.nm.us.

The total grant money available for fiscal year 2011 will be $40,000, and individual grants will be limited to $10,000. Proposed projects for OHV recreation areas or trails must be on public lands. OHVs include off-highway motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, recreational utility vehicles and snowmobiles.

The grant application deadline is 5 p.m. Aug. 10, 2010.

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COMMENTS SOUGHT ON STATE ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES LIST

SANTA FE -- The Department of Game and Fish will accept public comments through July 22 related to the biennial updates of state listings of threatened and endangered species under the Wildlife Conservation Act.

The State Game Commission approved the second public comment period at its meeting July 8 in Silver City. The Department received no public comments in the first period March 24 through June 21.

The biennial review of species status is required by law. The current list, adopted by the Commission in 2008, includes 119 threatened and endangered species, plus seven restricted non-native species. The review process determines whether wildlife species will be "uplisted" from threatened to endangered, "downlisted" from endangered to threatened, or remain unchanged in the listings. Adding or removing a species from the state list requires a separate process.

The Department's recommendation is for no changes to the list at this time. A final proposal will be presented to the Commission on Aug. 28.

Listing proposals are based on biological and ecological factors. Social, economic and political considerations noted during the review can be used in the implementation of conservation and recovery actions after a species is listed. The Wildlife Conservation Act contains no provisions for critical habitat, habitat regulation or other restrictions regarding state-listed wildlife except to prevent direct taking of the species.

The review can be viewed on the Department Web site, www.wildlife.state.nm.us, or obtained by mail by contacting the Department of Game and Fish, P.O. Box 25112, Santa Fe, NM 87504; or e-mail, dave.holdermann@state.nm.us. Comments will be accepted by regular mail or e-mail.

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