New Mexico Statutes
Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 17-2-7 - Unlawful hunting or fishing.

A. Except as permitted by regulations adopted by the state game commission or as otherwise allowed by law, it is unlawful to:
(1) hunt, take, capture, kill or attempt to take, capture or kill, at any time or in any manner, any game animal, game bird or game fish in the state; or
(2) possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase or purchase in the state all or any part of any game animal, game bird or game fish.
B. Notwithstanding any other law, the owner of domestic livestock in this state or his regular employee may hunt, take, capture or kill any cougar or bear which has killed domestic livestock. The owner of livestock or his regular employee who takes action under this provision will report this action to the department of game and fish, who will verify the necessity of the action taken.
C. Violation of this section is a misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in Section 17-2-10 NMSA 1978.
D. The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to prohibit the possession of game animals, birds or fish taken legally in any other jurisdiction.
History: Laws 1931, ch. 117, § 8; 1941 Comp., § 43-207; 1953 Comp., § 53-2-7; Laws 1971, ch. 75, § 2; 1979, ch. 340, § 1.
Cross references. — For penalty for taking fish or killing animals in state park, see 16-2-32 NMSA 1978.
Plain view exception to search warrant requirement. — Plain view exception did not apply to warrantless search of defendant's home for violation of game and fish laws under Section 17-2-7 NMSA 1978, because incriminating nature of hunting trophies would not have been immediately apparent to any lawfully positioned officer. State v. Moran, 2008-NMCA-160, 145 N.M. 297, 197 P.3d 1079.
Indian reservations. — Where an Indian tribe working with the federal government exercises its authority to develop and manage the reservation's resources for the benefit of its members and the exercise of concurrent jurisdiction by the state would nullify the tribe's authority to regulate the use of its resources by tribal members and non-members, and would interfere with the comprehensive tribal regulatory scheme and threaten congress' commitment to tribal self-sufficiency and economic development, and in the absence of state interests which would justify assertion of concurrent authority, the application of the state's hunting and fishing laws to the reservation are preempted. Mescalero Apache Tribe v. State of New Mexico, 677 Fed. 55 (10th Cir. 1982), aff'd, 462 U.S. 324, 103 S.Ct. 2378, 76 L. Ed. 2d 611 (1983).
Evidence of unlawful possession held sufficient. — Where evidence showed defendant had no permit to possess elk meat, refrigerator in the home of defendant contained three packages of elk meat and defendants had discussed the tracking and killing of the elk before witnesses, evidence supported conviction for unlawful possession of elk meat. State v. Booher, 1967-NMCA-004, 78 N.M. 76, 428 P.2d 478.
Cruelty to animals provisions inapplicable to wild animals. — Section 30-18-1 NMSA 1978 applies only to cruelty to domesticated animals and wild animals previously reduced to captivity, and under the "general-specific" rule of statutory construction, treatment of wild animals is presumed to be governed by the comprehensive hunting and fishing laws contained in this chapter. State v. Cleve, 1999-NMSC-017, 127 N.M. 240, 980 P.2d 23.
Possession of game obtained with tribal license on Indian reservation. — Absent justification, the state may not discriminatorily prohibit possession of game lawfully obtained from an Indian reservation while permitting possession of game elsewhere and the state may not prohibit the possession of game legally obtained from an Indian reservation with a proper tribal license. Mescalero Apache Tribe v. State of N.M., 630 F.2d 724 (1980).
Return of game or proceeds after wrongful confiscation. — Where the department of game and fish confiscated an elk from a person charged with a hunting misdemeanor, and the magistrate court dismissed the case because the game officer failed to identify the defendant at the hearing as the person charged, the department was not required to return the elk, or the proceeds from the sale of the elk, to that person. 1988 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 88-43.
Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 35 Am. Jur. 2d Fish and Game § 38.
Entrapment with respect to violation of fishing or game laws, 75 A.L.R.2d 709.
Possession of game or of specified hunting equipment as prima facie evidence of violation, 81 A.L.R.2d 1093.
Right to kill game in defense of person or property, 93 A.L.R.2d 1366.
Validity, construction and application of state wildlife possession laws, 50 A.L.R.5th 703.
36A C.J.S. Fish § 28; 38 C.J.S. Game §§ 8, 22-28, 30, 51, 76.

Structure New Mexico Statutes

New Mexico Statutes

Chapter 17 - Game and Fish and Outdoor Recreation

Article 2 - Hunting and Fishing Regulations

Part 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS

Section 17-2-1 - Commission powers.

Section 17-2-2 - Game to be protected.

Section 17-2-2.1 - Artificial wildlife.

Section 17-2-3 - Protected wildlife species and game fish defined.

Section 17-2-4 - Repealed.

Section 17-2-4.1 - Jaguar to be protected.

Section 17-2-4.2 - Amphibians and reptiles; protected; permits; unlawful taking; misdemeanor; penalties.

Section 17-2-5 - Adoption of regulations; effective date.

Section 17-2-6 - Game and fish management areas; closed lakes or streams; notice.

Section 17-2-7 - Unlawful hunting or fishing.

Section 17-2-7.1 - Interference prohibited; criminal penalties; civil penalties; revocation of license, certificate or permit.

Section 17-2-7.2 - Landowner taking; conditions; department responsibilities.

Section 17-2-8 - Unlawful taking of big game and waste of game.

Section 17-2-9 - Jurisdiction of magistrate court.

Section 17-2-10 - Violation of game and fish laws or rules; penalties.

Section 17-2-10.1 - Game and fish penalty assessment misdemeanors; definition; schedule of assessments.

Section 17-2-10.2 - Game and fish penalty assessment; payment.

Section 17-2-10.3 - Game and fish penalty assessment; license revocation.

Section 17-2-10.4 - Game and fish penalty assessment revenue; disposition.

Section 17-2-11 - [Witness testifying for state; evidence not to be used against him.]

Section 17-2-12 - Refuges; firearms on; prohibited; exceptions.

Section 17-2-13 - Songbirds; trapping, killing or injuring prohibited.

Section 17-2-14 - Hawks, vultures and owls; taking, possessing, trapping, destroying, maiming or selling prohibited; exception by permit; penalty.

Section 17-2-15 - [Horned toads; killing, selling or shipping from state unlawful.]

Section 17-2-16 - Repealed.

Section 17-2-17 - [Storage of game or fish.]

Section 17-2-18 - [Menu as evidence of possession of game or fish.]

Section 17-2-19 - Enforcement of game laws; powers of conservation officers.

Section 17-2-20 - [Seizure of devices used for violating law; nuisance; destruction; firearms excepted.]

Section 17-2-20.1 - Seizure and forfeiture; property subject.

Section 17-2-20.2 - Repealed.

Section 17-2-20.3 - Penalties.

Section 17-2-21 - [Sale or disposition of game or fish after seizure; invoice furnished purchaser or donee; disposition of proceeds of sale.]

Section 17-2-22 - Sale of evidence in cases of appeal.

Section 17-2-23 - [Reports of seizures and sales.]

Section 17-2-24 - [Officer's right to use animal or vehicle transporting seized game or fish; public conveyances excepted.]

Section 17-2-25 - [Game or fish in possession of passenger; carrier exempt from liability; seizure.]

Section 17-2-26 - Civil liability.

Section 17-2-27 - [District attorneys to prosecute and defend actions under fish and game laws.]

Section 17-2-28 - [Indians hunting off reservations; hunting on reservations; application of laws.]

Section 17-2-29 - [Hunting and boating while intoxicated or under the influence of narcotic drugs prohibited.]

Section 17-2-30 - [Person convicted of hunting or boating while intoxicated or under influence of narcotic drugs; revocation and withholding of hunting and fishing license privileges.]

Section 17-2-31 - Use of artificial light while hunting prohibited.

Section 17-2-32 - Diseased rabbits; hunting and trapping.