Dec 23, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Companion Animal, Economic Analysis, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Public Lands, Public Safety, Trap Injuries, Trap Victim Story, Trapping Incidents Map, Trapping on Public Lands, Trapping Regulations, Waste, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
It is hard to believe the state ⏤ always in need of revenue ⏤ is intentionally acting to decrease its most dependable revenue stream: tourism. This is unimaginable; the state is acting to purposely lose residents and tourists by condoning and actively perpetuating...
Dec 20, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Economic Analysis, Letter to the Editor, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Trapping on Public Lands, Wildlife
The potential of non-extractive/non–exploitive wildlife viewing and photography are already huge revenue streams in New Mexico. Shooting wildlife with cameras has far more sustainable financial potential than hunting or the egregious trapping—still legal in New...
Dec 16, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Mexican wolf, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM State Game Commission, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Public Safety, Trap Injuries, Trapping Incidents Map, Trapping is Torture, Trapping on Public Lands, Trapping Regulations, Waste, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
New Mexico has a problem with traps on public lands. The ongoing destruction inflicted by hidden, baited, steel jaw traps is well documented. Users of public lands, companion animals and wildlife, including endangered species, continue to suffer the harm inflicted by...
Dec 10, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Letter to the Editor, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM State Game Commission, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Public Safety, Trapping is Torture, Trapping on Public Lands, Waste, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
This letter was published in the Santa Fe New Mexican on December 10, 2019 New Mexico has a problem with traps on public lands. The ongoing destruction inflicted by hidden, baited, steel jaw traps is well-documented. Public lands users, companion animals and wildlife,...
Dec 10, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Cruelty, Endangered Species, Illegal Trapping, Legislation, Mexican wolf, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM State Game Commission, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Public Safety, Trap Injuries, Trapping Incidents Map, Trapping is Torture, Trapping on Public Lands, Trapping Regulations, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
In early November, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish formally rejoined the federal Mexican Wolf Recovery Program as a lead agency. The department signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish a framework for...
Nov 22, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, NM State Game Commission, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Press Release, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Trapping Regulations, Waste, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
2400 public comments result in zero change to rule proposal ROSWELL, NM—At their November meeting, the New Mexico Game Commission made zero amendments to a set of proposed changes to the trapping rules. Department staff said that approximately 2400 public comments had...
Nov 3, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Bobcat, Coyote, Dog, Endangered Species, Fox, Illegal Trapping, Mexican wolf, NM Department of Game and Fish, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Public Lands, Public Safety, Roxy's Law, Trap Victim Story, Trapping on Public Lands, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
Just in time for trapping season, a coalition calling itself Trap Free New Mexico is launching a new online interactive map that tracks incidences of illegal trapping and locations where dogs, Mexican gray wolves and even people have been caught in traps. Chris Smith,...
Oct 24, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Public Lands, Public Safety, Trapping on Public Lands, Trapping Regulations, Waste, Wildlife
The Game Commission is considering minor changes to the trapping rule: they are inadequate. Another trapping season is looming in New Mexico after last year’s saw at least two dogs killed, a handful of others injured, and untold thousands of native wildlife trapped...
Oct 24, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Editorial, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Trapping on Public Lands
Despite overwhelming support from New Mexicans to eliminate cruel trapping practices — some 69 percent of voters disapprove of the use of traps or snares on our public lands — the rules currently being considered by the State Game Commission do not go far enough. The...
Oct 17, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Cruelty, Dog, Illegal Trapping, Legislation, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Public Lands, Public Safety, Roxy's Law, Trap Victim Story, Trapping on Public Lands, Waste, Wildlife Management
The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office has dropped more than 30 counts of illegal trapping against a Chimayó man after a Magistrate Court judge found the state Game and Fish Department had failed to serve the man with a search warrant and then failed to save...
Oct 17, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Dog, Illegal Trapping, Public Lands, Public Safety, Roxy's Law, Trap Victim Story, Trapping on Public Lands, Waste
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A Chimayo man was facing dozens of charges for illegally trapping animals after a family’s dog died in one of his traps. After a judge dismissed the case, animal advocates fear this will send the message that illegal trapping won’t be...
Sep 16, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Cruelty, Economic Analysis, Editorial, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM State Game Commission, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Public Safety, Roxy's Law, Trapping on Public Lands, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
On the face of it, the announcement last month the New Mexico Game and Fish Department is considering banning the use of poison, as well as traps and snares in four high-use areas and at hiking trailheads, sounded good. Because after all, that’s what smoke and mirrors...
Sep 10, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Cruelty, Public Lands, Public Safety, Wildlife
Trapping is cruel: trapped animals endure stress, dehydration, starvation, broken bones, dislocations, predation, and even self-amputation. Trapping is indiscriminate: unlike hunting, traps maim and kill non-target animals. Endangered species and companion animals are...
Sep 9, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Mexican wolf, NM State Game Commission, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Public Lands, Wildlife
It may still come as a surprise that today, in 2019, it is still legal in New Mexico to set a steel-jawed leg-hold trap or strangling wire snare in order to catch any one of 16 kinds of native wild animal that includes bobcats, foxes and badgers, for fun and profit....
Sep 9, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Bobcat, NM State Game Commission, Outdoor Recreation Industry, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Wildlife
In the waning days of the Susana Martinez administration, the Department of Game and Fish and the state Game Commission entertained marginal changes to state trapping regulations. It was, in the words of former Game Commission Chair Paul Kienzle, “play(ing) some...
Aug 19, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, NM Department of Game and Fish, NM State Game Commission, Public Lands, Trapping on Public Lands
The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is proposing to the State Game Commission changes to the trapping rules. These proposals are inadequate to protect people, pets, and wildlife. Please attend the Santa Fe meeting of the NM State Game Commission and share your...
Mar 21, 2019 | 2019 Legislative Session, Ban Traps on Public Lands, HB 366, Roxy's Law, Wildlife Management
Dear TrapFree NM Friends, The 60-day legislative session has now come to a close and we know you want to know what happened to HB 366, Roxy’s Law, to ban traps and poisons from NM public lands. We regret that it did not pass, and that news is as disappointing...
Mar 12, 2019 | 2019 Legislative Session, Ban Traps on Public Lands, Dog, Endangered Species, HB 366, Legislation, Letter to the Editor, Mexican wolf, Public Lands, Public Opinion, Roxy's Law, Trap Injuries, Trapping on Public Lands
Traps and snares are a threat to public land users, their dogs and wildlife, including endangered Mexican wolves, who are caught, maimed and killed by these indiscriminate devices. Steel jaw traps have been banned in over 100 countries and our neighboring states of...
Mar 4, 2019 | Ban Traps on Public Lands, Cougar, Coyote, Dog, Endangered Species, Mexican wolf, Natural rodent control, NM State Game Commission, Public Lands, Trapping on Public Lands, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Wildlife Management
Dear Mr. McCausland, Thank you so much for shining some light on trapping in the US and in particular in New Mexico in your recent article. I noticed that you embedded in it a video of how to remove a dog from a trap produced by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game....
Feb 27, 2019 | 2019 Legislative Session, Ban Traps on Public Lands, HB 366, Roxy's Law
“Roxy’s Law” to Restrict Traps, Snares, and Poisons on Public Lands SPONSORS: Rep. Matthew McQueen, Rep. Christine Chandler, Rep. Bobby Gonzales The Wildlife Protection & Public Safety Act bans the use of traps, snares, and poisons on New Mexico’s public...
