Officer’s Log

August, 2022

3 August
One anonymous tip leads to multiple poaching convictions

Thanks to a tip from a local resident and the efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, three individuals have been convicted on a total of 20 charges related to the illegal killing of elk on the Cross D Ranch near Mayhill, New Mexico. Otero County residents Alix Miller, Kasen Flotte …

29 July
Becoming a conservation officer

A Q&A with Lieutenant Brady Griffith The Department of Game and Fish is always on the lookout for qualified men and women to become New Mexico conservation officers. Lieutenant Brady Griffith, who started out as an officer with the Department 14 years ago, is responsible for recruiting and training conservation …

28 April
Jury convicts La Jara man of outfitting without registration

A Sandoval County man was recently found guilty of outfitting without registration in Lincoln County. Eddie Pacheco, age 48, was convicted in February based on charges filed a year earlier and received a 364-day suspended sentence, 364 days of probation and was ordered to pay a $500 fine in addition …

26 February
Skiing at the Sargent

The Edward Sargent Wildlife Management Area is a coveted spot for elk and mule deer hunting. A conservation officer shares his unique experience enjoying the Sargent on skis. Recently, I took an excursion into the powder of the Edward Sargent Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Chama. The snow was deep …

27 September
A Day in the Life of a Conservation Officer

Meet Corporal Jacob Lobato, Roswell Supervisory District The morning was just beginning and the heat was setting in as I climbed into the front seat of Corporal Jacob Lobato’s truck. The dispatchers’ calls were already coming across the radio. Spring had recently started in southeast New Mexico. It was time …

13 June
Conservation officer assists disabled hunter

During a wildlife complaint call in 2017, Sergeant Andrew Armendariz of the Roswell Supervisory District provided information about huntingv opportunities to Richard Cole, a handicapped, mobility-impaired (MI) hunter from Alamogordo. Cole, a military veteran whose left leg was amputated above the knee, was tasked with fueling 12 ships as a …
13 June
Salvaging roadkill

Conservation officer assists family with harvesting meat from roadkill Getting dispatched to deal with injured or road-killed wildlife such as a deer or elk is fairly common in my district, an area in northwestern New Mexico that spans from the Arizona state line east to the community of Thoreau and …

13 April
Albuquerque wildlife calls

Memorable Albuquerque wildlife calls Nuisance wildlife calls can fall into a variety of categories: urgent, entertaining, painstaking, frustrating and “I have got to see this.” New Mexico Department of Game and Fish personnel who spend time in the field will at some point experience a myriad of calls and may …

28 October
Live and learn

Don’t ever wrestle a bear. Doesn’t matter how big a person might be and how small it is, just don’t do it. Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. It was spring 2008 or 2009 when I was the Las Vegas Supervisory District sergeant. You’d think I’d remember not just the …

15 August
Bull elk or cow elk

To suggest people are passionate about wildlife might be an understatement and attempts to dispel preconceived notions might be considered blasphemy. Such was the case with a man at the New Mexico State Fair. It was mid-September and the state fair was in full swing. I was assigned to work …