Raúl Torrez calls outfitter hunting tags system unconstitutional in New Mexico
Raúl Torrez challenged New Mexico hunting rules in a formal legal opinion on Tuesday. The official finding targets commercial tag allowances to help local sports enthusiasts draw licenses. Torrez serves as the attorney general for the state.
The formal opinion states private commercial operators receive an illegal share of state licenses. Torrez stated this structure unfairly benefits non-resident participants over local applicants.
“We are way outside the norm in terms of how many tags go to out-of-state hunters, and there’s a lot of understandable frustration on the part of hunters who put in year in and year out and never seem to draw a tag.”
A fifteen-year-old policy sets aside 10% of hunting authorizations for commercial enterprises. These private outfits frequently resell those allotments to outside clients. Torrez stated the practice violates the state constitution’s anti-donation clause.
The state receives too little return for this giveaway, according to Torrez. The system also harms resident hunters. About 90% of elk authorizations under that program went to non-residents during the 2022-2023 cycle.
Under the overall framework, local sportsmen acquire roughly 65% of all elk tags. Torrez stated that resident share ranks far below other western jurisdictions. State Rep. Nathan Small of Las Cruces endorsed changing the statute.
“We’ve all heard just how hard it is to draw a tag, how unfair the system is, beyond whether or not someone draws a tag every year. A system that puts wealthy out-of-state residents first is not a system that works for New Mexico.”
Official legal letters from an attorney general do not mandate immediate statutory revisions. State lawmakers must approve revisions. The governor must sign changes into law.
Small plans to submit hunting reform measures during the January legislative session in New Mexico. That session addresses statutory adjustments across departments.
State agencies regulate seasonal outdoor activities through permit allocations and commercial guidelines. Legislative bodies establish hunting caps to manage public wildlife populations.
The current guidelines remain active across New Mexico until legislators take action on the proposal.
