Christopher Ortega

Christopher Ortega is the Sergeant in the Las Cruces Supervisory District for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

August, 2016

  • 15 August

    Bull elk or cow elk

    Left: Bull elk grow and shed large antlers each year. Made of bone, as antlers grow they are protected by a fuzzy-like skin known as velvet, but by late summer the antlers have hardened and the velvet is rubbed off or falls off. During the spring the antlers drop and the process begins anew. Photo by Dan Williams. Right: Cow elk do not have antlers. Photo by Zen Mocarski. New Mexico Wildlife magazine, NMDGF.

    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 …

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