Stop the New Mexico mountain lion hunt!
The New Mexico Department of Game & Fish (NMDGF) is conducting its quadrennial review of its so-called bear and cougar rule, which includes mountain lion sport hunting. Using a methodology developed by Sean Murphy of the University of Kentucky with federal Pittman-Robertson funding, NMDGF asserts that mountain lions are prevalent enough to encourage more hunters, particularly those who pay out-of-state license fees.
NMDGF is now accepting comments on its bear-cougar rule at DGF-Bear-Cougar-Rules@state.nm.us. The next State Game Commission meeting August 25 in Raton (with Zoom remote) is scheduled to hear an updated status report on the rule but not to take any action at that time. The final version of the rule, which is to be made public in September, is scheduled for final approval by the State Game Commission at their Oct 20 meeting in Farmington.
Reducing mountain lion quotas, as some environmental and animal lobbies have advocated, would have no effect, as hunters are not killing as many as quotas would permit. There is no justification for sport hunting of mountain lions. If the Game Commission and its Game Department insists on killing mountain lions, it is time to Abolish the Game Commission!
