Upcoming Events July 2026

The New Mexico Department of Wildlife has a lot to offer as the summer heats up! Join us for our free Advanced Hunter Education camps this month, and keep an eye on our events calendar for more educational opportunities to come!

Completed online hunter ed, but want
a hands-on experience? We have a camp for you!

Have you finished an online hunter education course, but want to fine-tune your skills? The New Mexico Department of Wildlife is excited to provide a hands-on option, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful summer weather while learning everything you'll need to stay safe during your next hunt!

The Department is hosting a special Hunter Education Skills Camp from July 17-19 in Navajo City, near Navajo Lake State Park, for youth who have completed the official New Mexico online hunter education course. 

Department staff and volunteers will help participants build on the knowledge gained through the online course, as they will teach them about safe firearm handling skills, learn proper shot placement, basics of survival, shotgun skills, fishing and archery. They'll also get to shoot .22 rifles and learn about the unique job of a Department conservation officer, learning about decoy operations and wildlife investigations.

Lodging will be provided, but participants may bring their own campers or camping gear if they choose. Meals will be provided from Friday's dinner through Sunday's lunch.

Click here to register. To qualify, participants must be age 10 or older at the time of registration and have an adult register and participate as well. Each youth and adult must have a Department Customer Identification Number (CIN) account.Space is limited to 15 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Still need to take hunter ed? Here's your chance! Join us at our free camp!

If you haven't completed the online or in-person course, here's your chance to get your hunter ed certification and gain hands-on experience in the process!

The Department is teaming with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to host a Hunter Education Skills Camp from July 31-Aug. 2 at the Rio Mora Wildlife Refuge near Watrous. This free camp will teach safe firearm handling skills, proper shot placement, survival basics and archery skills, as well as details about Department conservation officers' unique jobs.

Participants must complete the homework in the back of the Today's Hunter manual by the time of check-in. Participants will be responsible for providing their own campers or camping gear. Meals will be provided from Friday's dinner through Sunday's lunch.

Click here to register. To qualify, participants must be age 10 or older at the time of registration and have an adult register and participate as well. Each youth and adult must have a Department Customer Identification Number (CIN) account.Space is limited to 15 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Give 3D archery your best shot!

The New Mexico Department of Wildlife will host a 3D archery shoot on Saturday, July 25, from 7 a.m.-noon at Monica Cabin, located west of Magdalena off Forest Road 549.

This event is open to archers of all ages and abilities. The Department will provide archery equipment from its National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) trailer, though participants may also bring their own bow to use during the event.

Hit or Miss Archery and the Archery Shoppe in Albuquerque have generously provided prizes, a bow from Hit or Miss for the top youth shooter using NASP equipment, and a gift card from the Archery Shoppe for the top youth shooter using his or her own equipment.

Click here to register. This link will create a scorecard that will be given to shooters the day of the event. Participants may also show up on the day of the event and participate without registering in advance.

Learn how to hunt waterfowl!

The New Mexico Department of Wildlife, in conjunction with Roadrunner Hunting Retriever Club, will host a beginning adult waterfowl hunting workshop at the Department's Northwest Area Office in Albuquerque on Sunday, Aug. 30.

Participants will learn hunting techniques, waterfowl identification, necessary gear, rules and regulations, locations, dog use and calls. This workshop is open to adults with little or no previous waterfowl hunting experience.

Click here to register. This link will not be active until registration opens at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 10. It will close when the workshop is full. Please only register if you have not previously attended this workshop.

Be bear aware this summer!

The New Mexico Department of Wildlife is reminding the public to be aware of increased bear activity while enjoying the outdoors this summer.

Officers across the state are seeing an increase in bear activity, including reports of bears entering urban areas and visiting campsites.  This pattern is part of a broader uptick in sightings throughout New Mexico, with reports emerging from communities including Jordan Hot Springs, Capitan, and other nearby areas.  Seasonal food availability continues to play a major role in bear movement.

"Bears move around the landscape searching for food," said Assistant Chief of Wildlife Elise Goldstein. "At this time of year, the initial spring green-up has passed, but fruit and mast crops such as acorns and piñon nuts are not yet ripe. As summer progresses, these food sources improve and the amount of natural forage helps keep bear populations in balance with what the ecosystem can support. When drought conditions limit food resources, bears may have trouble finding food drawing them to urban areas. Pet food, bird seed, fruit, barbecue grills and garbage lure bears out of their natural habitat and into neighborhoods and campsites."

"Oftentimes bears show up in neighborhoods and campsites because they're following food smells," Conservation Officer Alyssa Flores said. "If folks secure their trash, clean their campsites, and never approach a bear, it helps keep everyone safe, including the bears."

Bear awareness will help keep both bears and the public safe.

The Department recommends the following steps to avoid human‑bear conflicts:

  • Never feed or approach bears. Feeding—intentional or not—teaches bears to seek food near homes and people.

  • Secure food, garbage and recycling. Unsecured trash is the leading cause of human‑bear conflicts.
    Clean and store grills.

  • After using an outdoor grill, remove all grease and store grills and smokers in a secure location.

If you see a bear, do not run. Make yourself appear large, use a strong voice to make noise, wave your arms and back away slowly. Never position yourself between a mother bear and her cubs. If attacked, fight back aggressively. Bears typically avoid humans unless provoked or attracted by food sources such as garbage or food scraps.

More safety tips for those living or recreating in bear country are available in the Department's brochure, "Keeping Bears Alive and Yourself Safe," accessible on theDepartment's website and at NMDOW offices statewide.

The public should contact their local Department of Wildlife conservation officer if they encounter a nuisance bear on their property.

Fish Art Contest winners cast off for a day of fun!

Last month, the top finishers in the K-3 and 4-6 divisions of the New Mexico Fish Art Contest enjoyed their prize: an afternoon of fishing at Monastery Lake near Pecos.

"The day blended creativity, learning and the outdoors, giving the kids a chance to see their art come to life," said Storm Usrey, the Department's conservation education manager. "It was made even better by the supportive families who joined them and turned the experience into a special summer outing."

The day began with a tour of the Lisboa Springs State Fish Hatchery, where young artists and their families learned how rainbow trout are raised. Hatchery employee Steve Vanderbeek led the tour and explained key biological details about trout rearing, as well as how fish and wildlife projects are funded through Sportfish Restoration and Pittman-Robertson programs.

Before they started fishing, the group also took part in a macroinvertebrate lab, where they viewed aquatic insects and learned about their role in the food chain and how trout locate natural food sources.

After the tour, the group transitioned to Monastery Lake with Chris Jarvis, where they learned how to rig a fishing rod, tie on a fishing hook and practice their casting skills.

The day concluded with a few hours of fishing in the beautiful Pecos area.

Congratulations to all of this year's winners! A full list of winners is available here.

Upcoming Events

July 15: Deadline for special military/veteran hunt applications; click here for more information