Encouragement elk license sale begins July 14

New Mexico resident youth and senior hunters who applied and were unsuccessful in the 2021-2022 big-game draw are eligible to purchase one of nearly 1,900 antlerless elk licenses. The licenses will go on sale through the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish’s Online License System at 10 a.m. MDT July 14.

The sale is designed to encourage unsuccessful youth and senior draw applicants and includes almost 1,500 licenses for any legal sporting arm and 390 licenses for muzzleloader, crossbow or bow.

Licenses will be sold online only on a first-come, first-served basis. To purchase a license, customers will need to log in to their Online License System account.

Eligibility and requirements:

• For the first 14 days, the sale is open only to resident youth who have applied in the current license year for one or more draw hunts for deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, oryx or ibex and were not successful for any hunt.
  • Must have a valid Hunter Education certification.
  • Must be 17 years of age or younger on the opening day of hunt.
• Beginning at 10 a.m. MDT, July 28, the sale will open to all resident seniors, 65 years of age or older, who applied in the current license year for one or more draw hunts for deer, elk, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, Barbary sheep, oryx or ibex and were not successful for any hunt.
• Nonresidents and youth and/or senior applicants who were successful for another species are not eligible for these hunts.
• Hunters must have a current annual Game Hunting or Game Hunting and Fishing License with a Habitat Management and Access Validation and Habitat Stamp prior to purchasing an elk license. Customers without these items will be directed to purchase one before continuing to the encouragement sale.

All purchases will be audited to verify the customer’s eligibility.

Hunters planning to purchase an encouragement license must have completed all mandatory 2020-2021 harvest reporting requirements or their purchase will be rejected in the post-sale audit. The license fee, but not the application fee, will be refunded for rejected purchases. After eligibility is verified – usually within a few days – the license will be available to print from any computer by logging in to your account and selecting “My Purchases” in the main menu.

Following the successful purchase of an encouragement license, the license/tag will be mailed to the hunter, unless the e-tag option is selected. Complete information about the new tagging requirements is available on the Department website and in the Hunting Rules and Information booklet.

Encouragement licenses will not be sold over the phone. For the list of available hunts please see pages 81 and 82 of the 2021-2022 Hunting Rules and Information Booklet available online or at license vendors.

Special oryx hunts available for injured service members

Injured military service members can apply online, starting June 16, for an upcoming special drawing to award up to 10 special oryx authorizations for hunts on White Sands Missile Range. Deadline to apply is July 21, 2021.

Applicants must be veterans of the U.S. military with a disability rating of 50 percent or greater in accordance with U.S. Veteran’s Administration guidelines for receiving disabled veteran benefits. Significantly injured, active-duty military members who do not have a VA disability rating also may apply.

All applicants (except Disabled Veteran card holders) will need to submit supporting documentation to the Department prior to the July 21 application deadline.

Proof of eligibility may be emailed to specialhunts@state.nm.us or by postal mail with a postmark on or before July 21 to:

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

Attn: Special Hunts

1 Wildlife Way

Santa Fe, NM 87507

The drawing is open to resident and nonresident eligible applicants who do not hold a current-year oryx license. Applications will be accepted only through the Department’s Online License System by clicking Injured Military Oryx Hunts in the main menu. Successful applicants will be notified by the Department and must buy the appropriate license(s) and pay White Sands Missile Range’s access fee.

The hunts will be three days between Sept. 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022, with dates and areas to be determined by the successful applicants in coordination with White Sands Missile Range. These hunts will not be considered once-in-a-lifetime.

Additional Opportunities

• Fishing Licenses are on sale and valid from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
• Over the Counter (OTC) Licenses for javelina, fall turkey, private-land deer, private-land pronghorn, private-land Barbary sheep, secondary management zone private-land elk and federal duck stamps will be available beginning July 1.