Hunting in New Mexico: 5 Things to Know About Hunting on Private Lands

With habitat ranging from the Lower Sonoran Zone at 3,000 feet to the Alpine Zone's highest elevation of 13,000 feet, New Mexico offers a variety of game species and hunting opportunities. "Popular game species include deer, elk, quail, dove, pheasants, and teal, while lesser hunted species include pronghorn and javelina and exotics such as oryx, Persian ibex and Barbary sheep," according to OurPublicLands.org. The rules for hunting these animals varies depending on whether the land is public or private, so knowledge of state regulations is essential. Here are five things hunters need to know about hunting on private lands in New Mexico.

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1. Obtaining written permission from the landowner is key to legally hunting on private land. On their website, the New Mexico Game & Fish Department states, "it is unlawful to knowingly enter any private property to hunt, capture, take, attempt to take or kill any protected species on posted private property without written permission from the landowner or person in control of the land." Hunters may not remain on the land if permission has been denied or withdrawn. The state has the right to seize any game taken illegally on private property.

2. Some private landowners enter into unitization agreements with the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish, the State Land Office, or the Bureau of Land Management. These temporary agreements allow hunters access to private lands during a specified hunting season for specified game. Unitization agreements are reviewed each year.

3. Hunters must have a valid New Mexico hunting license corresponding to the season and species specified in the unitization agreement in order to gain access to the property. The New Mexico Department of Game & Fish website provides aUnitized Ranch page for help in finding these properties.
4. Special private-land licenses are available online for hunters seeking to hunt antelope and elk on private lands. Known as the Antelope Private Lands Use System, or A-PLUS, and the Elk Private Lands Use System, or E-PLUS, the purpose is to balance the needs and contributions of landowners with "appropriate biologically sound, and effective harvest through sport hunting," as outlined by the state's Game & Fish Department.
5. New Mexico's Open Gate properties are another way private lands can be open for hunting. The Open Gate Access Program grants use of enrolled private lands to hunters with a valid license for the specified season and species at no additional charge. A listing of participating properties can be found at the New Mexico Game and Fish website.


This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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