Thanks to a generous donation from the family of David Soules, a BHA life member, landowner and State Game Commissioner who died suddenly in 2021 and who was passionate about introducing youngsters to hunting, we are giving away a unitwide cow elk license (GMU 34) to a NM BHA member with one stipulation – that it be used by a youth resident who has either never hunted or harvested a big game animal.
We are committed to seeing that our public lands, along with the fish and wildlife they support, are managed as a sacred public trust.
Now through August 7, we are asking you to recruit one new member to join NM BHA and champion wildlife conservation and fair and equitable access for all. Members are the lifeblood of our grassroots organization, and bolstering our ranks will allow us to tackle critical issues like stream access, road closures and affronts to the North American Model of Wildlife Management like New Mexico’s current E-PLUS system that distributes nearly 14,000 elk tags annually to private landowners.
With the goal of improving public access to elk tags in mind, NM BHA will randomly select one current member at our David Soules Elk Tag Giveaway Pint Night in ABQ on August 9 to receive a cow elk tag in GMU 34 for this fall – with the requirement that the tag must be used by a beginner resident youth hunter. The winner may gift this valuable tag to a youth friend or family member. If the winner doesn’t know an eligible candidate they can select one from the additional nominations we gather.
We are thrilled to put a free, highly coveted elk tag in the hands of a budding New Mexico hunter. A winner will be selected randomly from a list of current NM BHA members and alternative entries.
Click Here To Nominate a Beginner Hunter
Become a BHA member by August 7 for your chance to win! Click Here To Join BHA or Renew Your Membership For a limited time, be entered to win a Deluxe NRS Slipstream 120 Fishing Raft with your purchase of an annual individual, annual family or supporting membership. Early bird drawings include prizes from Yeti, Grundéns, and Korkers.
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Issue Background
In recent years a third of all elk hunting licenses in New Mexico have been given to a small group of landowners to sell, give away or not even use. Only after the E-PLUS program takes its share of tags are the remaining licenses allocated to the public, both resident and nonresident. Treating public draw hunters as an afterthought robs us of the opportunity to hunt, to fill the freezer and to pass on our hunting traditions to the next generation who simply can’t afford to purchase high-dollar private land tags. NM BHA believes the State Game Commission should uphold its public trust obligation by reforming the current E-PLUS system to more equitably manage elk tag allocation on public and private land in New Mexico. Read more about the issue here: TAKEBACKYOURELK.COM
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Hunt Details
NM BHA will facilitate the transfer of one private land elk authorization to eligible recipient either in-person or remotely via Zoom. The winner has a choice of four cow elk hunts during the 2023 hunting season only: Youth Only (Oct. 7-11) or regular hunt (Nov 25 – Nov 29), (Dec. 2 - 6), (Dec. 9 - 13), (Jan. 27 - 31), (Feb. 3-7). All hunts are any legal weapon. NM BHA reserves the right to publicize the hunt through any of its media, including the name and photograph of the hunter and details of the hunt itself.
Eligibility
OPEN ONLY TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO, who have either never hunted or never harvested a big-game animal and in possession of a certificate proving that he/she has passed this, or another state’s hunter education course or is currently enrolled in the New Mexico Mentored-Youth (MY) Hunting Program. Hunter is responsible for abiding by all NMGF regulations.
Official Rules & Alternative Method of Entry