2015-2016 Rules booklet is up

[Phantom Hunter]

The 2015-2016 Big Game Rules and Info booklet is up on-line. Looks like alot of the elk season dates are a week later than I remember???

 

[earlyriser]

I haven't looked yet, but got the email always exciting when it comes out!

 

[salsola]

Phantom--

Can you cut and paste the web link?

All I see on the new website is the old booklet.

 

[Phantom Hunter]

Salsola,

It took a few minutes after I got the e-mail before the website had the new years info up. I followed the link below.

http://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/home/publications/

 

[salsola]

Thanks!

Yup, guess I was checking before they updated it.

 

[crazeymaez]

Looks like the second elk archery hunt up north.got a couple extra days.

 

[BioHazrdMan]

Havent had a chance to look at it yet... did they cut any of the deer tags?

 

[hank4elk]

Looks like they increased some elk tags and decreased some deer,at least in units I'm interested in. That's good,mostly for the decrease in deer.
Most dates do look to have moved back.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

Not to thrilled in the two hunt system in the gila boys, had a good thing going with the three,I didn't see any increased tags in those units. ..... they all total up to the numbers from last years draw.

 

[cmbbulldog]

All archery units went with 2 hunts instead of 3. The good news is that the seasons are longer than they were in the past. All rifle hunts are 6 days later.... might push some of that out of the rut.

 

[lve2143]

They moved a few muzz dates that always start 24th
to 27th.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

I do like the fact the rifle seasons were pushed back. The two hunt season does have the benefits of a longer seaon , but now more applicants are piled up in two draw pools instead of spreading them out over three. Regardless of number of tags given draw odds will decrease in Gila units due to the massive amount of applicants.

 

[WapitiBob]

33 tags each in 3 hunts with 50 apps per hunt is the same odds as 50 tags each in two hunts with 75 apps per hunt.

 

[JACOB2006]

Problem is that their are three app choices. Two hunts makes everyone throw a different unit third choice. There will be more apps per hunt and way more pressure on your hunt.

 

[flyfishmadison]

This is why I think they should draw all first choice before moving on to second choice. It would make people really decide if they want to go for primo tags or maybe get better odds with an early archery hunt or a less desirable unit. It would be easier to calculate true draw odds also.

 

[BUGLEnmIN]

Jacob hit the nail on the head, take 16 e for example, the number of tags given for the third archery were 50 now the "2nd" season they give 60. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that last hunt draw pool is gonna be way more then ten applicants heavier then usual. Not to mention the stress on the animals,but oh well, good luck to all.

 

[WapitiBob]

>Problem is that their are three
>app choices. Two hunts
>makes everyone throw a different
>unit third choice. There will
>be more apps per hunt
>and way more pressure on
>your hunt.

Except that the distribution of tags was heavy to the 1st hunt and those have historically had fewer applicants. I would agree that the 2nd season odds will drop but I believe the 1st season odds will be better. My guess is the first two choices will be 2nd season hunts and the 3rd choice a 1st season hunt.
In the end, it's all a guess until the odds come out.

 

[muley505]

I found the Bighorn section to be quite a bit different this year with the four possible codes for Rocky's, Desert's, Ewe's, and Ewe's with archery tackle. I'm curious to see how that looks on the website once it opens up. It looks to me like we're going to have three main codes to apply for, and then under each hunt code, there are going to be three additional choices for the area we would like to hunt, so we're going to have a total of 9 hunt options listed on our application the way I understand it. I'm not sure how one would go about calculating draw odds in that type of scenario. Does anyone have any inside information on how that whole process is going to play out?

 

[earlyriser]

Why are none of the youth antelope hunts assigned a ranch? I'm new to the youth hunts and may not have noticed in prior years. Youths are left with just asking permission I guess?

 

[tega52]

Youth hunters can hunt State and BLM lands or Private with permission. Just like the MI draw tags for antelope

 

[OCHO]

Man some of the numbers for deer have improved by dropping by nearly half! Perfect & thanks.

However some of the elk hunts... Madre' De' Dios! 600 bow hunters in 3 weeks in Unit 15 350 in the first 14 days. How long will that thake till that unit does a complete 180?


I think some changes are an improvement, no doubt. But I have not seen any of the management techniques(if you can call it that) yield results.

To me management has to be more preventative and proactive verses change due to complaining and b*tching by hunters about how piss poor the hunt qualities are. I mean there does need be a mix of listening by the G&F but the primary should be done based on factors as animal count, predator count, success rate and weather.

If I am wrong here please correct me?...

Its managmoneyment more so than mannagement.

I need a beer now!

 

[Pnuts]

Looks like the ML hunts moved a week later. The caldera stayed the same.
The youth hunts also moved a week later. This might increase the application pool for archery and improve odds for ML. Maybe time will tell.

 

[hank4elk]

I like some of the changes ,but some numbers just don't make sense to me.
Except the $ they take in.
This is why G&F should make up some lost revenue by increasing some fee's for resident hunters. I'd pay more for deer and double for a bull....
IMHO this might preclude G&F from turning more of our prime elk units into junk....which they seem to have done with several...9,10,36,34....

 

[hunting1]

>I like some of the changes
>,but some numbers just don't
>make sense to me.
>Except the $ they take in.
>
>This is why G&F should make
>up some lost revenue by
>increasing some fee's for resident
>hunters. I'd pay more for
>deer and double for a
>bull....
>IMHO this might preclude G&F from
>turning more of our prime
>elk units into junk....which they
>seem to have done with
>several...9,10,36,34....

I agree 100%! Likewise with deer, give them some breathing room!