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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The State Game Commission approved an increase in elk licenses for the 2001-2002 big game hunting seasons during its Sept. 28-29 meeting at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
Rather than adopt an increase of 20,000 elk licenses, as it requested in August, the Commission chose to increase available licenses by roughly 2,500 over the number available for the 2000-2001 hunting seasons. The exact number is still being determined because the Department was instructed to reduce by 50 percent its recommended increase for southwest New Mexico.
Conflicts between landowners and the stateÕs elk herd, estimated to be between 70,000 and 90,000 animals, have been exacerbated this year because of drought and low hunter harvest the last two seasons. Elk hunters are more successful when October snow storms push the animals to lower elevations, making them more accessible.
The Commission also decided to open Game Management Units 54 and 55 to primitive-weapon bear hunting during September, but only to hunters who also have deer or elk licenses valid during muzzleloader or bow seasons. Dogs cannot be used to hunt bears during the primitive-weapon seasons.
Two species of spring snail were uplisted from threatened to endangered during the meeting. The KosterÕs spring snail and the Alamosa spring snail both occur in only one or two locations in New Mexico. The Alamosa spring snail also is listed as an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Hunting was closed on the Valles Caldera National Preserve during the meeting. In August, the Commission closed the area to fishing and trapping. The U.S. Forest Service already closed the area to public access until a governing board is selected.
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Uploaded: 10/5/2000
Uploaded: 10/5/2000