New NM Gov. asks for Game Comish resignations

[hank4elk]

Just saw that MLG has named new game commission. Looks like some real hunters & wildlife advocates along with some ex NMG&F employees. I know several & they are sound choices,IMHO.
Notice was in NM WF page on FB. Bio's. I see no Peta people, people...lol

Should find out soon on E-plus final list of who is still in & such...how many tags etc... My ranch met the criteria..so far.

I also got my tags in mail today,so that is very good news to me too.

 

[beginnerhunter]

Thanks for the update!

 

[Rzrbck918]

Just saw that MLG has named new game commission. Looks like some real hunters & wildlife advocates along with some ex NMG&F employees. I know several & they are sound choices,IMHO.
Notice was in NM WF page on FB. Bio's. I see no Peta people, people...lol

Should find out soon on E-plus final list of who is still in & such...how many tags etc... My ranch met the criteria..so far.

I also got my tags in mail today,so that is very good news to me too.

Thats welcome news! Hope the Commission helps fulfill the potential of NM.

 

[hank4elk]

Well, the Gov. just fired her new head of GC, for no given cause.
This has caused a shitstorm with the NMWF & BHA over the new year, as she was actually doing some good here ,in their book. In my book too,for most part.
She was very qualified & I for one was impressed that things were actually happening with several things I have been involved with personally. I noticed a change in Dept. employees too,for the good.
Guess she was not cowtowing enough to the powers that be, or not. Not enough wolves or too many hits on the gogglemachine I guess.....

 

[Khunter]

I think she pissed off landowners by doing the sensible thing and looking at public access to streams shortcomings in NM.

 

[noharleyyet]

Chairwoman Prukop bumped from State Game Commission

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has decided not to reappoint one of her own picks.

www.santafenewmexican.com

 

[AggieOutlaw]

We need to politically insulate our Game Commission.

 

[hank4elk]

Gov. mouthpiece says policy differences.
Prukop says it was the waterways access rulings recently that was reason. Article in todays Alb. Journal. She knew the rulings would end up in courts,again.
I am sorry her good use of local input from her employees will go. Getting the E-plus cleaned up some was another.
The Politics is truly BS.

 

[VikingsGuy]

We need to politically insulate our Game Commission.

Democracy can be ugly and inefficient at times, but it is still better than a permanent bureaucracy that is beyond the reach of the public. In fact, my concern for our government is that we have already swung too far towards giving great power to unelected and almost untouchable large scale bureaucracies. I leave to the residents of NW how they wish their state to be run, but in general I prefer a government that remains fully accountable to the electorate.

What if a scientifically trained panel of peta sympathizers were a majority of the commission and outlawed hunting of wildlife. Would you want that panel untouchable by the electorate or a future govenor?

 

[AggieOutlaw]

Democracy can be ugly and inefficient at times, but it is still better than a permanent bureaucracy that is beyond the reach of the public. In fact, my concern for our government is that we have already swung too far towards giving great power to unelected and almost untouchable large scale bureaucracies. I leave to the residents of NW how they wish their state to be run, but in general I prefer a government that remains fully accountable to the electorate.

What if a scientifically trained panel of peta sympathizers were a majority of the commission and outlawed hunting of wildlife. Would you want that panel untouchable by the electorate or a future govenor?

There are plenty of game commissions that are politically insulated that do not have the problems you describe (e.g., Montana). Have commissioners appointed for terms as long or longer than that of a governor at staggered intervals. That way some activist treehugging governor can't come in and replace the entire commission of qualified scientists/sportsmen (not that NM had that problem) with ecowarriors and predator-loving preservationists.

I'm talking about a balanced approach. Game commissions should be apolitical. Otherwise, why not just have them be accountable directly to the electorate by direct elections?

 

[VikingsGuy]

There are plenty of game commissions that are politically insulated that do not have the problems you describe (e.g., Montana). Have commissioners appointed for terms as long or longer than that of a governor at staggered intervals. That way some activist treehugging governor can't come in and replace the entire commission of qualified scientists/sportsmen (not that NM had that problem) with ecowarriors and predator-loving preservationists.

I'm talking about a balanced approach. Game commissions should be apolitical. Otherwise, why not just have them be accountable directly to the electorate by direct elections?

Fair points.

 

[hank4elk]

The Gov. appointed a fairly balanced group. Not all ranchers, nor outfitters. Not all PETA people either.
The wealthy still have a big pull it appears, even the Dems.

 

[AggieOutlaw]

The Gov. appointed a fairly balanced group. Not all ranchers, nor outfitters. Not all PETA people either.
The wealthy still have a big pull it appears, even the Dems.

It’s true. Dems have a better record than Reps when it comes to Game and Public Lands issues in NM

 

[OldTexicanNewMexican]

I think part of the issue is the number of tags put in the public draw vs. the numbers given to landowners. Public share vs. private share. Yes, residents still get 84%, but you can increase or decrease the numbers of those tags by taking or giving more/less to landowners.

 

[hank4elk]

I think part of the issue is the number of tags put in the public draw vs. the numbers given to landowners. Public share vs. private share. Yes, residents still get 84%, but you can increase or decrease the numbers of those tags by taking or giving more/less to landowners.

The E-plus system had nothing to do with the Game Commission head being dismissed,from what I can see.
E-plus program has been in review for 3 years. Many ranches have been cut out that do not meet criteria and the rest just cut.
In my unit which is 60% private lands ,40% public ,the public got 3-4 times more tags last year and ranches cut 50-100%.
Many are gone,most get 1 tag now. I was getting 6 tags & now I get 1,maybe . My place meets criteria.

 

[OldTexicanNewMexican]

The E-plus system had nothing to do with the Game Commission head being dismissed,from what I can see.
E-plus program has been in review for 3 years. Many ranches have been cut out that do not meet criteria and the rest just cut.
In my unit which is 60% private lands ,40% public ,the public got 3-4 times more tags last year and ranches cut 50-100%.
Many are gone,most get 1 tag now. I was getting 6 tags & now I get 1,maybe . My place meets criteria.

Man, that's insane. I had also heard that if a land owner opted to not open his ranch to public hunting he received fewer tags. I'm still pretty new to this and trying to learn as I go.

 

[hank4elk]

You had to sign up as RO or UW as a choice in this years contract.
In my unit, if you have 3000ac or less you are in SCR now and it is a lottery. If you choose UW and SCR then you will get less chances in the lottery and only 1 voucher assigned. But even ranches over 3000 ac only got 1 tag in my unit last year anyway. I know of one with 10 sections that only got 1 tag,used to get 10 MB tags alone.
No way to make enough $ now for improvements, let alone that new truck every year that some got used to. Buying places for tags is gone too.
That's OK by me,I never got near what anyone else did.If I got paid...
I'm working on habitat improvements & fence crossings on my place....got a riparian area going now too. Hope I get a cow tag.

 

[hank4elk]

OH, Game Commish meeting in Cruces on the 17th of Jan....new Chair & Vice to be choosen,E-plus workshop....

 

[Labman]

Hank, every SCR ranch got a MB tag in 12 last year, nothing else. So you will probably be disappointed if you want a cow tag. Also in unit 12, 16 of the 31 ranches on the regular Landowner list (non SCR) are under 3000 acres. Only a few ranches in the SCR list that have 4 digit acreage with the biggest 1300 acres.

 

[hank4elk]

Hank, every SCR ranch got a MB tag in 12 last year, nothing else. So you will probably be disappointed if you want a cow tag. Also in unit 12, 16 of the 31 ranches on the regular Landowner list (non SCR) are under 3000 acres. Only a few ranches in the SCR list that have 4 digit acreage with the biggest 1300 acres.

New list out.
Those ranches scored high too I imagine,or something. There are discrepencies in scoring still. I did know they all got 1 tag too. Just about everyone except the very big places got 1. To keep the locals calmer? LOL It also goes on deeded acerage and folks who claim 10 sections are including leased lands still......like they own it, as always...lol
Also there is no choice in what tag you get in SCR, MB,A,ES. It is what G&F decides that year now. This year I heard it will be A,or a cow tag. Next year a ES or bow tag and it will be MB again the following...this is all speculation from locals & G&F folks I have talked to. Won't know for sure about anything til the mail comes this summer.