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

[npaden]

This isn't a done deal. It's a request by some legislators.

In all likelihood the lumping of bighorn codes is going to be the only change as a result of this, just like the rounding change forced through. The outfitter set aside has been challenged before and wasn't knocked out.

Basically this is just going to end the chance of any nonresident drawing a bighorn sheep tag in New Mexico guided or unguided.

 

[cgasner1]

This isn't a done deal. It's a request by some legislators.

In all likelihood the lumping of bighorn codes is going to be the only change as a result of this, just like the rounding change forced through. The outfitter set aside has been challenged before and wasn't knocked out.

Basically this is just going to end the chance of any nonresident drawing a bighorn sheep tag in New Mexico guided or unguided.

It seems like the state is trying to increase residents draw odds but not willing to do what it would take to increase residents draw odds. But in these types of situations any small win is a giant victory

 

[npaden]

It seems like the state is trying to increase residents draw odds but not willing to do what it would take to increase residents draw odds. But in these types of situations any small win is a giant victory

Based on last year and doing a rough calculation because they have the 1st and 2nd choice that both really gets a chance it means that the 4 nonresident bighorn tags given last year (1 to nonguided and 3 to guided) will go to zero. The odds for those were .04% and .09%. 1 in 2,669 and 3 in 3,417.

Moving those to the residents will increase their odds from .29% (already 3 times better than the outfitter pool and 7 times better than the nonguided pool) to a whopping .33%! 24 in 8,387 to 28 in 8,387.

For desert is was pretty similar except somehow they gave 2 tags to unguided and 2 tags to the outfitter pool. Odds were .08% and .06%. 2 in 2,550 and 2 in 3,379. Residents would go from .28% to .34%. 21 in 7,444 to 25 in 7,444.

We are all really kidding ourselves to think we are ever going to draw one of these tags but I guess someone has too!

 

[5yearcoueshunter]

If they change to 90/10, it will not be a big change to draw odds but will make the system more fair in most people's eyes and definitely provide net tags to both residents and diy NR. As mentioned, there a lot of Pronghorn hunts with 10 tags and thus the diy NR didn't even have a chance at a tag. With this change they would. In the 2025 draw, it would have moved 2,280 tags from the guided pool to Resident and 1,491 to the NR pool. As mentioned, if everyone in the guided pool still applied in the other pools, draw odds would go up for Residents, down for Non Residents. Either way, I think this is a win for residents for sure and the right thing to do IMO. This letter doesn't mean anything is changed yet, but looking good.

 

[gonhunting247]

90/10 split without guide/outfitter set asides would be great for residents and make the NR pool fair across the board, whether the odds were better or worse for NR we would just have to see. As a NR DIY guy, this would be what I'd like to see anyway!

 

[Nick87]

while the NM outfitter lobby isnt big i bet they are about to spend a lot of $ fighting this or finding alternative

My first thought as well. They're not going to just take that laying down.

 

[brownbear932008]

My first thought as well. They're not going to just take that laying down.

No they are not which is why this post title is highly misleading. You can bet many of those outfitters/ranchers have the ear of their local congressman.