N.M. Admin. Code § 19.31.10.15

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

Section 19.31.10.15 - FURBEARERS

A. Shooting hours:

(1) Hunting and falconry - Restricted to the period one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset except that a licensed furbearer hunter is authorized by the department to hunt for and take raccoons by use of artificial light while hunting at night with a rim-fire rifle or handgun no greater in size than a .22 caliber, shotgun, bow or crossbow during open season. The artificial light used for raccoon hunting must be a headlamp or hand-held flashlight. It is unlawful for any artificial light to be cast from a vehicle while raccoon hunting.

(2) Trapping - There are no restrictions on shooting hours for trapping.

B. Legal methods of taking furbearers shall include any sporting arm, falconry, traps and snares.

C. Dogs are allowed for hunting all furbearers during open season.

D. It is unlawful to kill any mink, otter, black-footed ferret, coatimundi or Pacific (pine) marten.

E. It is unlawful to kill any furbearer outside of the seasons established for that species, except as authorized by state statute or otherwise allowed by game commission rule.

F. Raccoon may be hunted or trapped during the extended season with a current trapper license. Only cage traps and foot encapsulating traps are allowed for raccoon trapping during this period. It is unlawful to hunt or trap raccoon during the extended season contrary to this section.

G. All land sets must be visually checked every calendar day. Water sets must be checked at least once every other calendar day. A licensed trapper may designate an agent to check their set traps and snares on alternating check days, but the licensed trapper must personally check the traps every other check day. Any person may be designated as an agent for any licensed trapper, but the agent must possess written permission from the trapper and a valid trapper license. The permission must include the licensed trapper's full name, contact information, and the agent must know the location of traps.

H. It is unlawful for any person to trap for any furbearer without having successfully completed a department approved trapper education course.

I. It is unlawful for any person to hunt for any furbearer without having successfully completed either the New Mexico trapper education course or a New Mexico law and species identification course.

J. No person may hunt furbearers or nongame, or set any trap or snare on any wildlife management area (WMA), except prairie-chicken wildlife management areas (PCWMA), without a trapper license, habitat management access validation (HMAV) stamp and written permission from the department. Restrictions may be placed on this permission, and this permission may be rescinded at any time for violations of the restrictions. All PCWMA are open to furbearer, coyote and skunk hunting and trapping from November 1 to March 15 annually, without written permission, provided that every person hunting or trapping for any furbearer, coyote or skunk on a PCWMA must have a trapper license and HMAV stamp. It is unlawful to take or attempt to take any furbearer, coyote or skunk on any WMA contrary to this section, contrary to the restrictions written on any department issued permission or without a current trapper license and HMAV stamp.

K. It is unlawful to place or use restricted-use pesticides for the take of any furbearer.

L. The following restrictions shall apply to traps that could reasonably be expected to catch a furbearer:

(1) Each trap or snare must be either permanently marked with, or have a tag securely attached with, a department issued user-identification number or the name and address of the trapper using the trap or snare.

(2) No foothold trap with an outside jaw spread larger than six and one-half inches, or seven inches maximum if laminated above the jaw surfaces, or tooth-jawed trap may be used in making a land set.

(3) No body-grip trap with an inside jaw spread greater than seven inches may be set on land. Body-grip traps with inside jaw spreads of between six and seven inches set on land must be recessed in a cubby at least eight inches from the entrance.

(4) All foothold traps with an inside jaw spread equal to or greater than five and one-half inches used in making a land set shall be off-set a minimum of three-sixteenths of an inch between the contact surfaces of the closed jaws, unless they have been constructed or modified so that a portion of the jaw is padded with a soft material such as rubber or canvas.

(5) No land set shall be placed on public land within one-half mile of:

(a) an established and maintained public campground or boat-launching area;

(b) a designated and signed roadside rest area, public picnic area or trailhead. "Trailhead" as used herein shall mean an officially designated, mapped, maintained and marked terminus of any trail closed to all vehicles having three or more wheels, and is published on the most current map issued by the state or federal land management agency responsible for that property;

(c) an occupied dwelling without written permission of the occupant of the dwelling.

(6) It shall be unlawful to make a land set within 75 feet of the edge of any public road or trail (including any culvert or structure located beneath it) if no right of way fence is present, except on private land. No land set shall be made within any right of way fence on any public road. "Public road"as used herein shall mean any road, street or thoroughfare open to motorized vehicle travel which was constructed and is maintained with public funds and is open to the public; or any road, street or thoroughfare open to motorized vehicle travel that is officially numbered or named on the most current published map issued by a municipal, state or federal agency and is open to the public. "Trail" as used herein shall mean any officially designated, mapped, maintained, and marked path open for public use and published on the most current map issued by a state or federal land management agency.

(7) No land set may be placed within 150 feet of any man-made livestock or wildlife catchment, pond or tank containing water, except on private land.

(8) It is unlawful to place, set or maintain any land set within 30 feet of any bait over two ounces in weight which is visible to airborne raptors. Bones that are entirely free of bait are legal.

(9) No foothold trap with an inside jaw spread larger than seven and one-half inches or body-grip trap with a jaw spread greater than 12 inches shall be used in making a water set.

(10) Body-grip traps used in water sets with a jaw spread of eight inches or more must be submerged in water to their jaw pivot or deeper.

(11) Any snare set on land must have a lock or break-away device which is designed to release or fail when a maximum of 350 pounds of pressure is applied to it. Locks or break-away devices must be attached in a way which leaves no part of the snare attached to an animal when it releases or fails. All snares must be securely anchored and cannot be attached to a drag. Exception: foot snares.

(12) Each foothold trap set on land must have at least two separate swivel points in the anchor chain. At least one of these swivel points must be within six inches of the trap.

M. A release device or catchpole shall be carried by trappers, and all captured animals must be removed or released from any trap or snare at the time of check. In cases where assistance is required for safe release of the animal, or when biological data is sought by the department, the department must be notified as soon as possible.

N. It is unlawful to set any trap or snare on land without stakes, chains, drags or other anchoring such that any furbearer, coyote or wolf caught will be prevented from escaping with the trap.

O. No person may kill any species listed in 19.33.6 NMAC - LIST OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES, including by the use of any body-grip trap or snare.

P. As long as the Mexican wolf is listed as a federally threatened or endangered species in the United States, any trapper who captures a Mexican wolf must report the capture to the U.S. fish and wildlife interagency field team:

(1) as soon as possible to arrange for radio-collaring and release of the wolf; or

(2) within 24 hours if the wolf is released or has pulled out of the trap.

Q. Tagging:

(1) Every person who takes a bobcat in New Mexico shall present the pelt for tagging in New Mexico prior to transporting the pelt out of the state, prior to selling the pelt, or no later than April 14, annually; whichever occurs first.

(2) Every person who presents a bobcat for tagging shall display a current New Mexico trapper license except residents 11 years of age or younger. Tags may be obtained from any conservation officer or any department office. In addition, pelts may be tagged by New Mexico licensed fur dealers following policies set forth by the department.

(3) It is unlawful for any person to transport across state lines, sell, barter, otherwise dispose of, or possess any bobcat pelt taken in New Mexico that has not been tagged in accordance with this rule.

(4) It is unlawful to present for tagging, or to have tagged with a New Mexico tag, any pelt from a bobcat taken outside of New Mexico.

(5) It is unlawful for any licensed fur dealer to charge a fee for tagging any bobcat. It is unlawful for a licensed fur dealer to refuse to tag a bobcat unless the licensed fur dealer has cause to believe the bobcat was taken in another state or jurisdiction, or the bobcat was unlawfully taken in New Mexico. Licensed fur dealers who believe a bobcat has been taken illegally, or has been presented for pelt tagging in New Mexico when it was taken in another state or jurisdiction, shall report the event to their local conservation officer immediately.

(6) It is unlawful for licensed fur dealers to tag any bobcat contrary to this rule, purchase any bobcat pelt which has not been tagged, or is not immediately pelt tagged at the time of purchase.

R. Tampering with traps: It is unlawful to destroy, damage, disturb, steal or remove any trap, snare or trapped wildlife without permission of the owner of the trap or snare. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a person from releasing any domestic animal from a trap or snare.

S. Exemptions: The provisions of this section shall not apply to personnel of the department of game and fish or designated agents who are acting in their official capacity in the control of depredating animals, for law enforcement purposes, to protect human health and safety, or for research or management purposes.

N.M. Admin. Code § 19.31.10.15

19.31.10.15 NMAC - Rp, 19.31.10.19 NMAC, 4-1-2007, 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, Amended by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXI, Issue 03, February 11, 2020, eff. 4/1/2020, Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 21, November 8, 2022, eff. 4/1/2023