N.M. Admin. Code § 19.31.10.13

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 23, December 10, 2024

Section 19.31.10.13 - UPLAND GAME AND MIGRATORY GAME BIRDS

A.Upland game hunting hours: Upland game species may be hunted or taken only during the period from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. It is unlawful to take or attempt to take upland game outside of legal hunting hours.

B.Killing out of season: It is unlawful to kill any migratory game bird or upland game out of season.

C.Exceeding the bag limit: It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to take more than one daily bag limit of any migratory game bird species or upland game species allowed by state game commission rule. There shall be no daily bag or possession limit for light geese during the light goose conservation order hunt dates.

D.Possession limit: It is unlawful for any person to possess more than one possession limit of any migratory game bird or upland game species.

E.Proof of species or sex: It is unlawful for any person to possess any migratory bird or upland game without proof of species or sex as required below:

(1) One foot shall remain attached to each quail taken until the bird has arrived at a residence, taxidermist, meat processing facility or place of final cold storage.

(2) The head or one leg of each pheasant taken must remain attached to the bird until the bird arrived at a residence, taxidermist, meat processing facility or place of final cold storage.

(3) One fully feathered wing must remain attached to all migratory game birds, except dove and band-tailed pigeon, until the bird has arrived at a residence, taxidermist, meat processing facility or place of final cold storage.

F.Youth-only (YO), mobility-impaired (MI) and military-only (MO) hunts or military discounted licenses: It is unlawful for anyone to apply for or receive or use any YO, MI, or MO license or any military discounted license except as allowed by state game commission rule.

G.License sale: It is unlawful for anyone to sell or offer for sale any hunting, fishing or trapping license, permit or tag which has been issued by the department, or to sell or offer for sale any commercial collection permit or scientific collection permit.

H.Use of dogs in hunting: Dog(s) may be used to hunt migratory game bird species and upland game. It is unlawful to pursue migratory game birds or upland game with dog(s) outside of the hunting seasons established except in conjunction with a permitted event.

I.Use of bait: It is unlawful for any person to take or attempt to take any migratory game bird species or upland game by use of baiting or for any person to take or attempt to take migratory game birds or upland game from an area which has not been completely free of bait (including in feeders) for at least 10 days. Preexisting legitimate livestock salt and mineral and natural attractants such as cultivated fields, water, orchards, carrion or offal are not considered bait unless they have been moved there from another location.

J.Live animals: It is unlawful to use live protected species as a decoy in taking or attempting to take any migratory game bird species or upland game species.

K.Use of calling devices: It is unlawful to use any electrically or mechanically recorded calling device in taking or attempting to take any migratory game bird or upland game species. During the light goose conservation order hunt dates, electronic calling devices are allowed for the take of light geese.

L.Automatic firearms: It is unlawful to take or attempt to take any migratory game bird or upland game species with a fully automatic firearm.

M.Non-toxic shot: It is unlawful for any person to use or possess any shotgun shell loaded with anything other than non-toxic shot or for any person using a muzzle-loading shotgun to possess anything other than non-toxic shot while hunting for any migratory game bird species, except when hunting dove, band-tailed pigeon or eastern sandhill crane. Non-toxic shot is required for all migratory game birds and upland game species on Bernardo WMA, La Joya WMA, and Huey WMA.

N.Drugs and explosives: It is unlawful to use any form of drug to capture, take or attempt to take any migratory game bird or upland game species unless specifically authorized by the department, or to use arrows driven by explosives, gunpowder or compressed air.

O.Legal sporting arms and ammunition: It is unlawful to use sporting arms other than those listed below to take or attempt to take of any migratory game bird or upland game species.

(1) The following are legal sporting arms for pheasants and quail:

(a) shotguns firing shot;

(b) bows; and

(c) crossbows.

(2) The following are legal sporting arms for dusky grouse, chukar, Eurasian collared-dove, Abert's squirrels, Arizona gray squirrels, fox squirrels, eastern gray squirrels and red squirrels:

(a) shotguns firing shot;

(b) rimfire firearms;

(c) muzzle-loading firearms;

(d) bows;

(e) crossbows; and

(f) compressed air guns, .177 caliber or larger.

(3) The following are legal sporting arms for migratory game birds:

(a) shotguns firing shot, shotguns shall not be capable of holding more than three shells except while hunting light geese during the light goose conservation order hunt dates, as defined in 19.31.6 NMAC;

(b) bows; and

(c) crossbows.

P.Areas closed to migratory game bird hunting: It shall be unlawful to hunt migratory game birds in that portion of the stilling basin below Navajo dam lying within a line starting from N.M. 511 at the crest of the bluff west of the Navajo dam spillway and running west along the fence approximately one-quarter mile downstream, southwest along the fence to N.M. 511 to the Navajo dam spillway, across the spillway, and to the crest of the bluff.

Q.Collars or tracking devices: It is unlawful for any person to attach any collar or electronic tracking device to any migratory game bird or upland game except as specifically authorized by the department.

R.Use of traps and snares: It is unlawful for any person to intentionally set any trap, snare, cage, box or other device to capture or attempt to capture any migratory game bird or upland game or for any person to intentionally capture or attempt to capture any migratory game bird or upland game unless specifically allowed by license or permit.

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.31.10.13

19.31.10.13 NMAC - Rp, 19.31.10.17 NMAC, 4-1-2007; Amended, New Mexico Register, Volume XXV, Issue 17, September 15, 2014, eff. 9/15/2014; Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXVI, Issue 17, September 15, 2015, eff. 9/1/2015, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXVII, Issue 23, December 15, 2016, eff. 12/15/2016, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXIX, Issue 24, December 27, 2018, eff. 4/1/2019, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 21, November 8, 2022, eff. 4/1/2023