Changes to the hunting tag system may be on the horizon as the law takes away the governor’s power over appointments to the State Game Commission. The commission, which will be named the State Wildlife Commission, will undergo a restructuring beginning January 1, 2027.
That looming overhaul comes as New Mexico’s big game tag system faces growing criticism. Hunters, outfitters, and conservation groups are questioning whether access to public wildlife is becoming increasingly uneven.
This year, the state has more than 290,000 applicants for big game hunting tags. But the draw results released on Wednesday showed that only about one in five were successful. Around 230,000 applicants went home empty-handed. These unsuccessful applicants may try again next season or pay more for alternative access.
For many hunters, the frustration is not only about odds. “I feel like there should be a chase for quality,” one hunter said while on a trip with outfitter Cole Johnson. “Whether it’s a quality animal, or a quality experience.”
Johnson runs Black Horn Guide Service in Artesia. He said hunting is meant to be about time in the field, shared experience, and tradition. But he admitted that the draw system itself has become part of the modern hunting story. “It’s almost like a welfare system for outfitters,” Johnson said.
New Mexico’s public draw system is designed to favor residents. State law allocates 84 percent of tags to state residents, 10 percent to hunters using outfitters, and 6 percent to nonresidents. But critics say those figures don’t tell the full picture.
The Elk Private Land Use System (EPLUS), a separate channel, allows landowners to receive hunting permits they can either use or sell. These private land authorizations are often traded on the open market, outside the public draw.
A 2020 Legislative Finance Committee report showed that about three-quarters of private land elk tags eventually go to out-of-state hunters. These hunters, according to the report, pay significantly higher fees and sometimes gain access to private land arrangements tied to broader hunting areas.
“The system is rigged against New Mexico residents,” said Jesse Deubel of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. His federation’s analysis suggests that the inclusion of private land allocations resulted in state hunters receiving closer to two-thirds of total elk tags — well below the share that many residents believe they are guaranteed.
“It’s a lifestyle, it’s a tradition,” Deubel said. “But we’re losing it because New Mexicans cannot draw tags.” But industry representatives argued that the structure is an economic engine for rural communities.
“It’s a business incentive,” said Kerrie Romero, executive director of the New Mexico Council of Outfitters & Guides. “Lots of other industries have business incentives… and that’s what the outfitter pool is.”
Nonresident hunters pay more, and the revenue supports local economies linked to tourism and outdoor recreation. Johnson explained that some private land elk permits can sell for between $15,000 and $20,000.
Still, even within the outfitting community, the system’s reputation doesn’t sit well with everyone. “I always thought it was kind of funny,” Johnson said, “because a lot of the people who support the outfitter pool are very much like, ‘We hate welfare.’ But they’re deeply tied into a system that functions like one.”
Officials claim they are aware of the growing debate. They maintain, however, that any structural changes will depend on lawmakers.
“We certainly do hear the concerns of the public at large and are willing to listen to their input,” said Darren Vaughan, communications director for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. He said everything depends on how hard they will lobby for the legislature to change the system, adding that “we will abide by whatever the legislature requires.”
New Mexico is heading toward a restructured wildlife commission in 2027. But the fight over who gets access to its prized big game tags appears far from over: hunters are facing a dilemma between tradition, economics, and a system many describe as under increasing strain.