Environmental Project
Poaching takes away from New Mexico residents, harms genetics
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When a moose wandered into New Mexico in September, someone shot it near Bloomfield and left it to die. Ultimately, an officer from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish had to kill the bull as it was unable to be saved. Poaching is not uncommon in New Mexico and this can not only impact wildlife populations but also is considered a form of theft.
Illegally killing wildlife takes away from all New Mexicans, including responsible hunters and anglers, according to department spokeswoman Tristanna Bickford. “There’s also an impact for people who just enjoy seeing wildlife, whether you’re taking a drive through the calderas and see a herd of elk or, you know here on Santa Fe, we have quite a few animals that you can see right on the fringes of town,” she said. “And also it really takes away from people that just enjoy seeing or photographing wildlife, as well as for hunters and anglers.”
The extent to which poaching financially impacts the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is not completely known, but Bickford said a significant amount of staff time is devoted to investigating poaching incidents.