Poaching in NM unit 15!!!!!

huntswnm · Dec 10, 2003

I live in Silver City, NM and Monday's local paper there is a short article about some cases of poaching that the G&F is lookin into. It states that since September there have been 11 reports of trophy class bulls being poached in Unit 15 alone. It also goes on to say 2 bulls were killed and presumably the meat was used, in the rest of the reports either the heads were removed or the antlers were cut of at the skull. In neighboring Unit 13 there is an open case on a bull that was shot and just left on the side of a road.
I don't know about you but this makes me sick. I have been lucky enough to have hunted Unit 15 for the past three years so far without harvesting an animal but I have seen some very BIG bulls. I take time every year and dedicate who knows how many hours into hunting this area, all for what?...so some jerk can go in there and literally waste an animal as beutiful as a bull elk!

crazyaboutcoues · Dec 11, 2003

Yeah I read the same thing, unfortunately thing like this happen everywhere.

I live in Tyrone welcome to MM

Tommy

vinihunt · Dec 11, 2003

#####!! I WILL LIKE TO READ THE ARTICLE..DO U THINK ITS ON WEBSITE OF UR CITY, ?

WELCOME TO MM LIKE CRAZYABOUTCOUES SAY..

I LIVE IN SANTA FE, NM

VINIHUNT

Coueswt · Dec 11, 2003

I have hunted in 15 (A) for the last few years and love the unit.
But, have had some problems with guides cutting trees down to block roads, leaving tree stands up all year long, leaving their hunters in the stands after dark while there is a full moon , ETC. Have only seen NM Game officers while scouting, never while hunting. Would sure like to see more of them out in the field to stop the poaching and other violations. Hear in Arizona we have the same problem!

Jason

desertbull · Dec 11, 2003

I'll bet less than 5% of poached animals are even found, let alone the people that killed them.

Allen_in_NM · Dec 11, 2003

Desertbull,

I have often wondered about this. I have no idea what the percentages are, but I believe you are close. After seeing 7 deer, which I believe were poached, in a single unit in NM, I started to wonder about the percentages. I'd bet MANY more animals are either never found or no one is ever investigated, even if a poached animal is found.

mengland · Dec 16, 2003

Do you know what part of 15 that they are talking about. We have hunted there many times in what used to be 15A, near freeman mountain and centerfire bog. Just curious because there are some awesome bulls in that country.

swivelhead · Dec 16, 2003

Not everybody likes elk. Ranchers generally don't but with the landowner permit system NM has I can't understand why. I like elk but there are way too many of them. Before the elk population took off in the Apache National Forest, B&C muley's regularely came out of the area. Deer are damn scarce now. That's because elk BROWSE the winter ranges, they don't graze them. I don't condone anyone poaching wildlife. It would be nice to see G&F dept. manage for native wildlife and not exotics.