the impactzone
New member
going to take a trip to NM to do some work on a friends ranch, 16,000 Acers and was told to shoot every coyote we see after we install a new water pump and do some work on the vehicles, about a days worth of work so we have 5 days left to hunt coyotes and ride bikes.
My buddy wanting to be on the right side of the law checked with DGF on the use of NV gear, and was told at the time
"It is legal as long as you’re not spotlighting. You’d need to either be able to prove that you’re an agent of the landowner or have a use of artificial light permit to use a spotlight.
You will need a valid NM hunting license and the Habitat Management and Access Validation".
Chad Nelson
Information Center Supervisor
New Mexico Game & Fish
So NV vision and hunting coyotes at night was fine on private property with the owner present or a letter of authorization from the owner , but if using a IR light them we should get a artificial light permit $15 not a big deal
so he gets his license on line and I call and get mine and have a good conversation with Lisa Brejcha and receive this e-mail
Please find your attached license.
Have a great day and good luck!!!
Thank you,
Lisa Brejcha
Public Relations Coordinator
New Mexico Game & Fish
Lisa instructed me to contact Tish Mee about a artificial light permit, I do and she is short and rude with me telling me it is against the law to hunt coyotes at night and they have never issued a artificial light permit to just hunt coyotes ???? I explain to her that the land owner has livestock and game animals he wants protected she rudely responds that the state owns the wildlife not the land owner. and that the only exemption to the use of a artificial light was C.
17-2-31. Use of artificial light while hunting prohibited.
It is unlawful for a person or a group of persons together in possession or control of a firearm or other implement to throw or cast the rays of a spotlight or other artificial light into any field, pasture, woodland, forest or prairie where big game or domestic livestock may be, or are reasonably expected to be, whereby any big game animal or domestic animal could be killed by aid of an artificial light.
However, the following shall be exempt from the provisions of this section:
A . an officer authorized to enforce the game and livestock laws of the state;
B . a government employee acting in an official capacity;
C . a landowner or lessee or employee of such landowner or lessee, while on the land owned or leased in connection with legitimate activities;
D . a person who has received a permit or authorization from the department of game and fish to conduct such activities.
I thank her for her time, and my buddy gets another email
"I should amend my previous response: We don’t really issue these artificial light permits, unless there is a legitimate purpose like protecting livestock, etc. You won’t be able to get one just to hunt coyotes at night. Furthermore, I should tell you that hunting coyotes at night with a night-vision scope could be construed as negligent use of a firearm. That would depend on the officer’s interpretation of the negligent use statute. Because coyotes are unprotected, there’s nothing in our rules about legal hunting hours. However, legal hunting hours for cougar (and all other protected species) are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset
Chad Nelson
Information Center Supervisor
New Mexico Game & Fish
It really seems that NM does not want none residents coming to NM to hunt coyotes, yet they pay guys to shoot them from the air, if they made it more inviting for None residents they could collect more revenue in fees and licenses and may not have to pay for the aerial control ??
Going with letter in hand from the land owner with a list of the work that he wants done and specific instruction to protect his livestock at night from coyotes with the use of NV and lights and a fee to be paid for every coyote killed!
Sorry for the rant just seems to be a pain trying to do the right thing and they try and discourage you from a legal activity
My buddy wanting to be on the right side of the law checked with DGF on the use of NV gear, and was told at the time
"It is legal as long as you’re not spotlighting. You’d need to either be able to prove that you’re an agent of the landowner or have a use of artificial light permit to use a spotlight.
You will need a valid NM hunting license and the Habitat Management and Access Validation".
Chad Nelson
Information Center Supervisor
New Mexico Game & Fish
So NV vision and hunting coyotes at night was fine on private property with the owner present or a letter of authorization from the owner , but if using a IR light them we should get a artificial light permit $15 not a big deal
so he gets his license on line and I call and get mine and have a good conversation with Lisa Brejcha and receive this e-mail
Please find your attached license.
Have a great day and good luck!!!
Thank you,
Lisa Brejcha
Public Relations Coordinator
New Mexico Game & Fish
Lisa instructed me to contact Tish Mee about a artificial light permit, I do and she is short and rude with me telling me it is against the law to hunt coyotes at night and they have never issued a artificial light permit to just hunt coyotes ???? I explain to her that the land owner has livestock and game animals he wants protected she rudely responds that the state owns the wildlife not the land owner. and that the only exemption to the use of a artificial light was C.
17-2-31. Use of artificial light while hunting prohibited.
It is unlawful for a person or a group of persons together in possession or control of a firearm or other implement to throw or cast the rays of a spotlight or other artificial light into any field, pasture, woodland, forest or prairie where big game or domestic livestock may be, or are reasonably expected to be, whereby any big game animal or domestic animal could be killed by aid of an artificial light.
However, the following shall be exempt from the provisions of this section:
A . an officer authorized to enforce the game and livestock laws of the state;
B . a government employee acting in an official capacity;
C . a landowner or lessee or employee of such landowner or lessee, while on the land owned or leased in connection with legitimate activities;
D . a person who has received a permit or authorization from the department of game and fish to conduct such activities.
I thank her for her time, and my buddy gets another email
"I should amend my previous response: We don’t really issue these artificial light permits, unless there is a legitimate purpose like protecting livestock, etc. You won’t be able to get one just to hunt coyotes at night. Furthermore, I should tell you that hunting coyotes at night with a night-vision scope could be construed as negligent use of a firearm. That would depend on the officer’s interpretation of the negligent use statute. Because coyotes are unprotected, there’s nothing in our rules about legal hunting hours. However, legal hunting hours for cougar (and all other protected species) are ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset
Chad Nelson
Information Center Supervisor
New Mexico Game & Fish
It really seems that NM does not want none residents coming to NM to hunt coyotes, yet they pay guys to shoot them from the air, if they made it more inviting for None residents they could collect more revenue in fees and licenses and may not have to pay for the aerial control ??
Going with letter in hand from the land owner with a list of the work that he wants done and specific instruction to protect his livestock at night from coyotes with the use of NV and lights and a fee to be paid for every coyote killed!
Sorry for the rant just seems to be a pain trying to do the right thing and they try and discourage you from a legal activity
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