Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game NM bear/lion proposal.

There is going to be a push to eliminate hound hunting this year in the legislature. Send in your comments for the proposed changes through the commission which ups the take for both in most zones. There are more lions than they are estimating, I have seen 3 in the past year and am catching more on cameras than I ever have.

https://www.wildlife.state.nm.us/do...d-Cougar-Rule-19.31.11-NMAC-V9.14.23.pdf

This is what we will be fighting.

https://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/...bd3cbcc-6892-11ee-9734-7f1fc0520d14.html


The New Mexico Department of Game & Fish — NMDGF — is proposing to extend current hunting limits on our iconic mountain lions (cougars). Given that mountain lions are hardly a realistic food source; that the mountain lion has no idea they are involved in a life or death struggle where it’s most likely to be shot point-blank … ; and only the hunter is fully equipped with gadgets, radio-collared dogs, GPS, and weaponry, the department is essentially selling out our mountain lions to trophy hunters. How is this ethical, humane, or remotely fair?

Estimates have placed New Mexico’s cougar population somewhere around 3,500. In the last two years, the number of known mountain lion deaths per the NMDGF website was nearly 350 per year. That means 10% of the state’s estimated mountain lion population is now being killed annually from known causes, according to NMDGF’s own statistics — primarily from hunting. However, this data does not include unknown cougar deaths from natural causes, starvation, dehydration, disease, poisonings, wildfires, or attacks from bears and wolves; etc.

But, here’s the kicker — based on the department’s own proposed limits, as many as 563 individual mountain lions could potentially be killed per year over each of the next four years. That equates to 16% of the estimated population per year without counting unknown deaths. How is that sustainable?


Many people live in New Mexico or move here in part due to its gorgeous scenery and the amazing array of wildlife. Exactly when will the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish start considering our interests? Mountain lions mean so much more to us than being a target — they are a keystone species that other wildlife depends upon and without which New Mexico would certainly lose a significant part of its enchanting charm. For the NMDGF to maintain such high hunting limits on our majestic mountain lions is just plain wrong and totally unacceptable.

If you, too, oppose this awful plan, please email the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish at DGF-Bear-Cougar-Rulesstate.nm.us or phone them at 505-476-8000 or toll free at 888-248-6866, as soon as possible. Because they are scheduled to act on Oct. 27.

It's part of a much larger political movement against hunters, hunting and ultimately 2A.

The left has had success with it in CA, OR, and WA, so other liberal voting cores (NM, CO, MI etc.) are trying to push it.

They want you out of the wilderness, so they build up large predators so you aren't necessary.

How exactly is stopping hound hunting (by your admission the most effective style) going to increase the take by significant numbers?

But worse, why are you arguing with the whiney emotional nonsense arguments?

Two different issues, NMDGF is proposing increasing the quota on both species..Good thing.

Multiple groups have already stated they will be going after hounds in the next session..Bad thing.

It wouldn’t, and nowhere in SLiMdong’s post did I see any indication of that being part of the message. Maybe I am just misreading your question….


To the OP, I will send in some comments after I can read that NMG&F draft proposal more in depth. It looked to me like the only change for lions is to decrease the lion quota from 34 to 17 (and females from 11 to 6) in zone Q, but you and the linked anti-hunting article are saying that NMG&F is proposing to up the take. Am I missing something? I’ll admit I just skimmed through that NMG&F proposal.

Not OP's opinion Art- he wads posting the anti-s idiot proposal.

That lion can't be eaten is BS- it's good, at least according to the one time I've had it. "Isn't eaten", is maybe a different ball park.

I don't have enough info, but reducing hunting and means of hunting is generally not a good thing, except for biological needs. This is strictly political, it appears, which is usually BS.. That is ALWAYS a bad thing, IMO.

Correct, they are doubling Q and the others are the same. Bear zone 10 has a good increase.


IMO, hunters need to get involved in the rule making before the big fight comes up next legislative session.

Eta; G and H IMO needs a substantial increase as well.

I was confused by this as well?

Clarity is lacking due to no indication of which side was being presented in the first two posts. OP's opinions apparently were not present.

Only thing lacking was your reading comprehension.

Call it whatever you will... and you may be right, but I do not suffer fools well and likely gave little thought to what I saw as whiney emotional bullshit.

If you think I should own it, I will, without rancor or hard feelings.

I reread my OP and see the confusion I caused. Should have read some, not most. I had just sent another comment and was discussing most. The original draft had most.

It is strictly political and it will have the same effect that it had in Oregon by crippling the game population. They say that the cougar population has been estimated to be four times what it was prior to the ban but it’s higher than that as the hunters without dogs are seeing and killing them on a regular basis. They have moved into suburban areas with lots of pet and livestock loss. New Mexico hunters need to fight this tooth and nail.

And finally, when hunters lose incentive and/or opportunity to hunt, recruitment of new hunters will decline, and eventually, die off. When the subsequent generation no longer sees the need to hunt, they won't connect the need to own firearms with freedom and will gladly forfeit them.

Game over for USA.

NM has the same problem that CO has had for the last 30 years, too many idiots from CA moving to the state.

I will NEVER understand the logic behind people who are against hunting with hounds or dogs. It’s about as basic and true of a method of hunting as it gets. If it wasn’t for hunting we wouldn’t have dogs and if it wasn’t for hunting with dogs the human species wouldn’t have evolved to the point we are at. There are few things in this world, if any, that have stood the test of time than man and dog hunting together. When you understand the history of it and realize how far back it goes you would never think to question it. But, then again the people that are against it don’t think. They’re emotional idiots.