Editions: Recent

Ears, not eyes critical in documenting small birds Walking through the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the Santa Fe National Forest offers the opportunity to see wildlife diversity. Sometimes, however, seeing isn’t the best option. When trying to identify small birds, there are times it helps to close your eyes, …

Gould’s wild turkey in New Mexico The wild turkey is a popular game bird throughout the United States, with their excellent eyesight and cautious behavior making for a challenging hunt. The excitement of calling in a tom or hearing the first gobble of the morning will create a lifelong memory. …

There are days when nothing goes right In my 14 years working for wildlife agencies, many exciting and sometimes frustrating experiences have presented themselves. Capturing wildlife certainly can get the adrenaline flowing when everything goes as planned. However, no matter how well everything is planned, success depends on animals doing …

Opportunity for citizens to aid in conservation In some areas of New Mexico, the anxious sound of a dog might just be … a frog. The two share a common trait: They both bark. The word is even in its common name, the eastern barking frog. Found in the Chihuahuan …

Timing is right to target walleye As the last rays of daylight fade over the horizon, a voracious predator with needle-like teeth and large reflective eyes goes on the prowl. It’s not a large, furry mammal, but a fish. Walleye are a popular sport fish because of their delicious white, …

The importance of telemetry in wildlife conservation Wildlife tracking has been around for centuries, but most of the time it had little to do with research. More than 500 years ago, falconers in Europe were known to place leg bands on their birds as a sign of ownership, but it …

Game and Fish unveils new magazine online format After years of being available as downloadable PDF editions, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish now has a dedicated, interactive website for its New Mexico Wildlife magazine publication. The magazine, available in print since January 1961, now can be viewed …

Poaching case – a reminder that it is more than illegal The photo tells a story: two conservation officers kneeling in front of two recently killed deer, a number of skull-capped antler mounts and the tools used for an illegal enterprise. The case involved brazen acts of poaching by individuals …

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 …

Putting food on the table only part of the fun The hours passed for three young hunters who lay stealthily in tall alfalfa, waiting for the moment when time would stand still, the moment when their prey would come within range to strike. Nov. 7, 2015, they were in an …