New Mexico Outfitter Draw Set-Aside is Toast -Finally !

[abqbw]

Yesterday a group of 16 New Mexico legislators sent a request to New Mexico Attorney General requesting an opinion if the New Mexico 10% outfitter draw set aside is illegal.

The legislators also asked if the lumping of bighorn hunt codes by the game commission is illegal. The reason bighorn hunt codes are lumped together is to skirt the quota statute to generate outfitter draw set aside tags.

Long story short. The outfitter draw set aside is illegal. Bighorn hunt code lumping is illegal.

New Mexico as most fairly well informed hunters in the west know privatizes more nig game tags then any other western state. Mostly via private landowner permits. But also via the 10% outfitter set aside.

The legislative/ AG action will only end the outfitter set aside. But it’s a damn good start for both public resident and public nonresident hunting.

Those of us working on this initiative intend to have the outfitter set aside stricken during the Jan 2027 legislative session. To be replaced by the standard 90% resident and 10% nonresident quota for most western states.

Currently the unguided nonresident quota is 6% in NM. In all liklehood that will become 10%. Which if you do the math is a 60% increase in unguided nonresident quota. Not too shabby for our fellow public tag public land hunters.

 

[LopeHunter]

E-Plus strips out tags for landowners from the approved total tags for a species before the remaining tags are then split into resident, non-resident and guided buckets, yes? That implies the potential 10% allotment for non-residents is actually less than 10% of total approved tags. Any idea what % of each species is set aside for E-Plus?

I seem to recall around 40% of elk tags never reach the draw that would provide 10% of the remaining tags to non-residents. Might have my wires crossed.

 

[Mallardsx2]

It’s about time the outfitter welfare is stopped. What an atrocity that entire situation is/was.

 

[cgasner1]

Great news it’ll be interesting to see what the draw odds look like moving forward

 

[ccc23454]

While I absolutely hate the whole outfitter welfare system the true problem is eplus. This if comes to fruition is step in right direction, while the NM outfitter lobby isnt big i bet they are about to spend a lot of $ fighting this or finding alternative.

Eplus: all unit wide tags are in draw!

 

[cgasner1]

While I absolutely hate the whole outfitter welfare system the true problem is eplus. This if comes to fruition is step in right direction, while the NM outfitter lobby isnt big i bet they are about to spend a lot of $ fighting this or finding alternative.

Eplus: all unit wide tags are in draw!

I think this will probably actually make draw odds worse for nr diy guy. It needed to happen though

 

[Forkyfinder]

Yesterday a group of 16 New Mexico legislators sent a request to New Mexico Attorney General requesting an opinion if the New Mexico 10% outfitter draw set aside is illegal.

The legislators also asked if the lumping of bighorn hunt codes by the game commission is illegal. The reason bighorn hunt codes are lumped together is to skirt the quota statute to generate outfitter draw set aside tags.

Long story short. The outfitter draw set aside is illegal. Bighorn hunt code lumping is illegal.

New Mexico as most fairly well informed hunters in the west know privatizes more nig game tags then any other western state. Mostly via private landowner permits. But also via the 10% outfitter set aside.

The legislative/ AG action will only end the outfitter set aside. But it’s a damn good start for both public resident and public nonresident hunting.

Those of us working on this initiative intend to have the outfitter set aside stricken during the Jan 2027 legislative session. To be replaced by the standard 90% resident and 10% nonresident quota for most western states.

Currently the unguided nonresident quota is 6% in NM. In all liklehood that will become 10%. Which if you do the math is a 60% increase in unguided nonresident quota. Not too shabby for our fellow public tag public land hunters.

Awesome!

 

[Nameless Range]

Great job. You guys have been working on this for what - a decade? I remember when I first became aware of how goofy NM is with its tag allocations on hear many years ago, and at the time it just seemed like that's how it was gonna be. Just goes to show that change can be a long slog, and you're likely still in for one, but just getting a conversation started can plant a seed, and the change you want might dink and dunk its way to something better.

 

[BDH]

Hopefully this changes. On a side note lots of New Mexicans also need to learn how the draw works. Speaking with a few co-workers who are the population who haven’t drawn an elk tag in 10 years. Their 3rd choice doesn’t break 10% draw odd. ( on 2nd thought, maybe thru just keep doing what they have been doing) I would feel bad for you non-residents but then again I’m a non resident in 49 other stated

 

[ccc23454]

Hopefully this changes. On a side note lots of New Mexicans also need to learn how the draw works. Speaking with a few co-workers who are the population who haven’t drawn an elk tag in 10 years. Their 3rd choice doesn’t break 10% draw odd. ( on 2nd thought, maybe thru just keep doing what they have been doing) I would feel bad for you non-residents but then again I’m a non resident in 49 other stated

New Mexico should be looking out for the best interest of its residents! The current system doesn't favor residents or non residents its terrible for both! Non residents we have a choice, Residents don't and should be able to utilize their own resource. The enemy is not the NR trying to draw a 6% tag that if lucky will pay a premium price to G&F, its the Eplus system and to a small part the outfitter welfare. I really do wish the best for the residents of NM, this system is way past broken.

 

[typhoon916]

@Valley1320

 

[BDH]

New Mexico should be looking out for the best interest of its residents! The current system doesn't favor residents or non residents it’s terrible for both! Non residents we have a choice, Residents don't and should be able to utilize their own resource. The enemy is not the NR trying to draw a 6% tag that if lucky will pay a premium price to G&F, it’s the Eplus system and to a small part the outfitter welfare. I really do wish the best for the residents of NM, this system is way past broken.

As a resident I think it could be better. In the past 10 years I have had an elk tag in my pocket 7 times. I wouldn’t call that terrible.

What is the hunt talkers thoughts on something like this?
Do the 90/10 split. Keep E-plus and allow land owners to sell bull tags like they always have. For cow tags in the e-plus system those can only be sold to residents. This would build land owner relations with hunters. If said land owners doesn’t sell the cow tags they lose them and those tags go into the draw next year.

 

[Archelk]

What about our lovely SNAP 25% license discount for people on snap to supplement their nutrition. Seems like people on snap shouldn't have enough money to buy a gun/bow. I mean if they have a gun and need food, sell the gun and go buy it if you are that hard up. I wouldn't be impressed to run across one of these snap benefit holders that was hunting with high dollar equipment.

 

[cgasner1]

As a resident I think it could be better. In the past 10 years I have had an elk tag in my pocket 7 times. I wouldn’t call that terrible.

What is the hunt talkers thoughts on something like this?
Do the 90/10 split. Keep E-plus and allow land owners to sell bull tags like they always have. For cow tags in the e-plus system those can only be sold to residents. This would build land owner relations with hunters. If said land owners doesn’t sell the cow tags they lose them and those tags go into the draw next year.

This move really only benefits the residents. Which is great but as far as us nr diy guys it looks like your adding a few percent to our draw but really you just saturated our pool with all the guys that use to apply with outfitters. It doesn’t hurt my feeling one bit to loose a percentage on the draw odds for what you guys just accomplished great work.

 

[rmyoung1]

This move really only benefits the residents. Which is great but as far as us nr diy guys it looks like your adding a few percent to our draw but really you just saturated our pool with all the guys that use to apply with outfitters. It doesn’t hurt my feeling one bit to loose a percentage on the draw odds for what you guys just accomplished great work.

And, yeah, while it probably doesn’t move the needle for NR draw odds, it may add some tags where the rounding rules currently don’t allow for a nonguided NR tag. Haven’t done the math, but I suspect that will also be a perk in some select instances.

 

[cgasner1]

And, yeah, while it probably doesn’t move the needle for NR draw odds, it may add some tags where the rounding rules currently don’t allow for a nonguided NR tag. Haven’t done the math, but I suspect that will also be a perk in some select instances.

I think it’ll move it the wrong way for us but help the residents and sets a precedent which is great.

 

[rmyoung1]

Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but I think NM rounds up, for tag allocation purposes, at .75. So that means that the hunt code currently needs at least 13 tags before the nonguided NR has any chance at all. Under a straight 90/10, the hunt codes that offer at least 8 tags would then offer 1 tag to the NRs. Granted, odds will be tough with the formerly guided NR applicants in the pool, but some sort of chance is better than no tags offered at all.

There are actually quite a few pronghorn hunt codes where the nonguided NR would have a tag allocated where currently there is none.

 

[ccc23454]

Do less people apply in regular pool (previously in guide pool now with us peasants) since the odds can drop dramatically? Do they just take business elsewhere or buy eplus tags? Interesting if it pans out to see.

 

[D_Walt]

Great news it’ll be interesting to see what the draw odds look like moving forward

They will be much worse, I doubt EPlus goes anywhere, all this will do in practice is take 38% of the NR draw tags away. (From 16% to 10% of total tags). Now, if they combined this with making hunters choose between entering the regular draw or buying an E plus tag that would make a difference.

 

[Matthew57]

Great news!