Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
Bighorn sheep enhancement program:
A.
Program description: The
director shall collect all proceeds generated through the auction and lottery
of special bighorn sheep permits, and such monies shall be deposited in the
game protection fund. These monies shall be made available for expenditure by
the department solely for programs and projects to benefit bighorn sheep and
for costs incurred in carrying out these programs. These monies shall be used
to augment, and not replace, monies appropriated from existing funds available
to the department for the conservation, restoration, utilization, and
management of bighorn sheep.
B.
Requirements for issuance of special bighorn sheep licenses:
(1) The state game commission authorizes the
director to issue not more than four special bighorn sheep licenses in any one
license year to take one ram per license. The director shall allow the sale of
one Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep authorization and one desert bighorn sheep
authorization through auction to the highest bidder, and one Rocky Mountain
bighorn sheep authorization and one desert bighorn sheep authorization to a
person selected through a random drawing of a lottery ticket. The drawing will
be conducted by the department or an incorporated, non-profit organization
dedicated to the conservation of bighorn sheep.
(2) Unless their hunting privileges have been
revoked pursuant to law, any person is eligible to submit a bid for the special
bighorn sheep auction authorization or purchase lottery tickets in an attempt
to be selected for the special bighorn sheep lottery authorization.
(3) The special bighorn sheep authorizations
issued through auction and lottery may be transferred, through sale, barter or
gift by the successful individuals only to other individuals qualified to
hunt.
(4) Special bighorn sheep
licenses granted through auction or lottery, as described above, shall not be
considered 'once-in-a-lifetime' licenses.
C.
Enhancement hunts: These
licenses shall be valid for any big game sporting arms statewide where hunting
is allowed. The bag limit shall be one ram.
(1) Holders of the auction licenses must
declare their exclusive hunt area by June 30 annually to hunt the designated
subspecies in one of the open hunt areas. Each holder of the raffle license
must declare their exclusive hunt area by July 20 annually to hunt the
designated subspecies in one of the open hunt areas not declared by the auction
hunter.
(2) The remaining hunt
units open to bighorn hunting not declared by the auction or raffle hunter as
their exclusive hunt area, may be hunted by either the auction or raffle
hunter.
(3) The hunt dates for the
auction and raffle licenses shall be 8/1-12/31 annually, except GMU 53 south of
NM 38 and east of NM 522 is closed 8/16 to 8/31 annually to all bighorn sheep
hunters.
