NM commission apporves antler restrictions

nmtaxi

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I guess this could be seen as a good move, but the last part of the article about the ranchers sure makes it suspect.

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - The state Game Commission has decided to increase the number of antler points a deer must have to be considered legal quarry during the upcoming fall and winter hunting seasons.

The commission decided Monday that bucks must have at least three distinct points on one side of their antlers.

The previous regulations required a minimum of two points. The commission decided to change the antler rules in an effort to increase the number of deer in New Mexico.

Deer populations have been dropping across the West. The commission also has approved a proposal to allow ranchers in limited deer-hunting regions to have as much deer hunting on their land as they wish.
 
As a follow-up, I just talked to an officer at game & fish. Next year the whole state will go to limited-entry permits. However, landowners can managae their deer herd as they see fit. Which means, they decide how many tags they get to sell for their land, and do not participate in the draw.
 
Wow......and I thought the landowner vouchers and the Ranching for Wildlife program were a joke here, but New Mexico is gonna have a million "Ranching for Wildlife" place's.
 
I'm sure a lot of ranchers will do an admirable job of managing the deer. But, it seems like in these kinds of situations, there's always a greedy few that will find a way to take serious advantage of it (as we've seen in AZ). Overall, though, the deer situation here cannot get any worse. I don't know if this is the solution, but at least steps are being made.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jul-20-04 AT 04:59PM (MST)[p]If you go to the NM G&F website, they have the proposed changes. They also have the proposed number of deer permits for each unit. Its interesting to note that in some units they are proposing mule deer and separate whitetail hunts.

In addition, they are also proposing "restricted muzzleloader" hunting in certain units, these will only be primitive muzzy hunts.
 
Just to clarify - The landowners will not be able to set their own dates for hunts. It means that if you hunt on private land you will not have to draw, hunt dates will be the same as public land, it will probably require a presigned voucher with ranch # or name.
Proposed tag #s were calculated by previous tags sold in the units- no surveys or science.
Jared
 

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