Shooting from a boat in NM

[Sundevils79]

Does anyone know the rules around shooting deer from a watercraft in New Mexico? I’ve scoured the regs and can find anything that prohibits it. Only thing I found was regarding waterfowl

[PRDATR]

If there is nothing prohibiting it you technically should be ok as long as the boat isn't underway and you're not within a 1/4 mile of a boat ramp or pinic area.

[Mathews]

Boat has to be on shore, can’t be free floating in the water. I’m assuming you’ve got a 2b deer tag 

[Outdoor Writer]

6 hours ago, Mathews said:

Boat has to be on shore, can’t be free floating in the water. I’m assuming you’ve got a 2b deer tag 

Do you have a cite for this rule?

I did a search all through the regulations and NM 17 statutes and didn't find anything that states that other than the reg that addresses MIGRATORY BIRDS as in:

Legal Methods

It is legal to use artificial decoys, blinds and dogs. It is illegal to shoot at any protected species from within a motor vehicle, power boat, sailboat or aircraft. Migratory birds may be taken from a motor-driven boat (or other craft with attached motor) or sailboat, provided that craft is resting at anchor, fastened within or alongside a fixed hunting blind or used solely as a means for retrieving killed birds. 

These are the prohibitions shown for BIG GAME:

It is unlawful to:

• Recklessly or carelessly handle a firearm.

• Hunt while under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, including medical marijuana.

• Litter and/or pollute streams, lakes and other waters.

• Leave a fire unattended or to improperly handle fire.

• Hunt protected species without a license and all applicable permits, tags, stamps or validations, or fail to tag any big game or turkey.

• Hunt protected species using licenses, tags, permits, stamps or validations belonging to another individual or take or attempt to take a protected species for another person, except as permitted when assisting a licensed mobility-impaired hunter (pages 15–16).

• Kill more than one of the following: elk, pronghorn, Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, ibex, javelina, oryx, bear or deer during any license year, except as permitted by rule.

• Apply for, buy or use more than one license for any species per license year.

• Shine spotlights or other artificial lights into areas where big-game species or livestock may  be present, while in possession of any sporting arm, except as permitted by rule for raccoon (page 127).

•  Take or attempt to take game species by the aid of baiting. An area is considered to be baited for 10 days after the removal of the bait. It is also unlawful to take bear by the aid of scent.

• Use live protected species as decoys to take or attempt to take game species.

• Use electronically or mechanically recorded calling devices, except as permitted for protected furbearers, cougars, bears, javelina and nongame species.

•  Use tracer ammunition, full-metal jacketed bullets or fully automatic weapons.

• Park any motor vehicle or camp within 300 yards of any man-made water hole, water well or watering tank used by wildlife or domestic stock, without the prior consent of the private landowner, private-land lessee, public-land lessee or public-land management agency.

•  Shoot at protected species or artificial wildlife from a motor vehicle.  

• Shoot at game on, from or across any paved, graded or maintained public road or within the fenced right-of-way of any paved, graded or maintained public road.

• Shoot at, pursue, harass, harry, drive or rally any protected species by any means except while legally hunting.

•  Use motor-driven vehicles on roads closed under the Habitat Protection Act or other federal regulation.

• Hunt or shoot at any animal from an aircraft or drone or cause any non-domesticated animal to move from its place of rest or change its direction of travel.

• Hunt from, signal locations of protected species to hunters from or harass game with aircraft; hunt protected species observed from aircraft within 48 hours of observation; or hunt protected species the same day of air travel, except by commercial airline or direct flight to a landing strip.

•  Discharge a firearm within 150 yards of a dwelling or building (not including abandoned or vacated buildings on public land) without the permission of the owner or lessee.

• Take any animal that is protected by law but not listed as a game species and/or any animal that is listed as an endangered or threatened species.

 

 

[Mathews]

2 hours ago, Outdoor Writer said:

Do you have a cite for this rule?

I did a search all through the regulations and NM 17 statutes and didn't find anything that states that other than the reg that addresses MIGRATORY BIRDS as in:

Legal Methods

It is legal to use artificial decoys, blinds and dogs. It is illegal to shoot at any protected species from within a motor vehicle, power boat, sailboat or aircraft. Migratory birds may be taken from a motor-driven boat (or other craft with attached motor) or sailboat, provided that craft is resting at anchor, fastened within or alongside a fixed hunting blind or used solely as a means for retrieving killed birds. 

These are the prohibitions shown for BIG GAME:

It is unlawful to:

• Recklessly or carelessly handle a firearm.

• Hunt while under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, including medical marijuana.

• Litter and/or pollute streams, lakes and other waters.

• Leave a fire unattended or to improperly handle fire.

• Hunt protected species without a license and all applicable permits, tags, stamps or validations, or fail to tag any big game or turkey.

• Hunt protected species using licenses, tags, permits, stamps or validations belonging to another individual or take or attempt to take a protected species for another person, except as permitted when assisting a licensed mobility-impaired hunter (pages 15–16).

• Kill more than one of the following: elk, pronghorn, Barbary sheep, bighorn sheep, ibex, javelina, oryx, bear or deer during any license year, except as permitted by rule.

• Apply for, buy or use more than one license for any species per license year.

• Shine spotlights or other artificial lights into areas where big-game species or livestock may  be present, while in possession of any sporting arm, except as permitted by rule for raccoon (page 127).

•  Take or attempt to take game species by the aid of baiting. An area is considered to be baited for 10 days after the removal of the bait. It is also unlawful to take bear by the aid of scent.

• Use live protected species as decoys to take or attempt to take game species.

• Use electronically or mechanically recorded calling devices, except as permitted for protected furbearers, cougars, bears, javelina and nongame species.

•  Use tracer ammunition, full-metal jacketed bullets or fully automatic weapons.

• Park any motor vehicle or camp within 300 yards of any man-made water hole, water well or watering tank used by wildlife or domestic stock, without the prior consent of the private landowner, private-land lessee, public-land lessee or public-land management agency.

•  Shoot at protected species or artificial wildlife from a motor vehicle.  

• Shoot at game on, from or across any paved, graded or maintained public road or within the fenced right-of-way of any paved, graded or maintained public road.

• Shoot at, pursue, harass, harry, drive or rally any protected species by any means except while legally hunting.

•  Use motor-driven vehicles on roads closed under the Habitat Protection Act or other federal regulation.

• Hunt or shoot at any animal from an aircraft or drone or cause any non-domesticated animal to move from its place of rest or change its direction of travel.

• Hunt from, signal locations of protected species to hunters from or harass game with aircraft; hunt protected species observed from aircraft within 48 hours of observation; or hunt protected species the same day of air travel, except by commercial airline or direct flight to a landing strip.

•  Discharge a firearm within 150 yards of a dwelling or building (not including abandoned or vacated buildings on public land) without the permission of the owner or lessee.

• Take any animal that is protected by law but not listed as a game species and/or any animal that is listed as an endangered or threatened species.

 

 

 Nope just going off of what guys have been told from wardens in the area

[Outdoor Writer]

4 minutes ago, Mathews said:

 Nope just going off of what guys have been told from wardens in the area

With nothing in the laws that state that, the hearsay could be wrong. But...that said I would suggest that the OP contact the enforcement division at NMGFD and get clarification for A -- if it's illegal or not. B -- if it's illegal, which rule covers it. 

[Mathews]

35 minutes ago, Outdoor Writer said:

With nothing in the laws that state that, the hearsay could be wrong. But...that said I would suggest that the OP contact the enforcement division at NMGFD and get clarification for A -- if it's illegal or not. B -- if it's illegal, which rule covers it. 

NM notorious for grey area laws, one unit in particular boasts a big advantage for hunting out of a boat with several miles of shoreline that hold deer and many people use boats to access parts of it with no other access 

[trphyhntr]

shooting a big buck off a boat sounds like the funnest hunt ever.  

[Outdoor Writer]

1 hour ago, Mathews said:

NM notorious for grey area laws, one unit in particular boasts a big advantage for hunting out of a boat with several miles of shoreline that hold deer and many people use boats to access parts of it with no other access 

I've spent the last hour making calls, including the enforcement division of the NMGFD. Its rule for shooting from a boat is as stated in my other reply -- as long as its not moving. But..here's the problem; Navajo Lake is a STATE park, thus has its own rules, including where you can and cannot hunt within the park. I haven't found anything yet among the park rules, but I have a call in for the manager there to get clarification. My GUESS is that it will be illegal if the lake itself is considered state park. So stay tuned for the rest of the story. 😉

[Mathews]

20 minutes ago, Outdoor Writer said:

I've spent the last hour making a calls, including the enforcement division of the NMGFD. Its rule for shooting from a boat is as stated in my other reply -- as long as its not moving. But..here's the problem; Navajo Lake is a STATE park, thus has its own rules, including where you can and cannot hunt within the park. I haven't found anything yet among the park rules, but I have a call in for the manager there to get clarification. My GUESS is that it will be illegal if the lake itself is considered state park. So stayed tuned for the rest of the story. 😉

That’s a good point and probably the part I forgot, you’re not considered off the state park unless you’re on land

[Mathews]

1 hour ago, trphyhntr said:

shooting a big buck off a boat sounds like the funnest hunt ever.  

Every year I see people cruise into different coves and hear them shoot, guaranteed they don’t all get out of the boat 

[trphyhntr]

like sight fishing but with a gun for deer 

[ThomC]

Are you going to drag that bloody deer into your boat?  

[bigorange]

43 minutes ago, ThomC said:

Are you going to drag that bloody deer into your boat?  

I have a friend who hunts an area in TN that’s most easily accessible by river...he doesn’t hunt from the boat (I don’t know whether it’s legal there or not), but routinely brings back deer in the boat. One of the funniest pics I’ve seen was a big buck propped up over the bow of the boat like it’s serving as lookout. 

[KoosCrazy]

Yes it is legal to shoot from boat.  Boat has to be stationary or not moving from a power of engine.  If you look in the rules and refs on their website you can read the exact rule.  The whole lake probably isn’t state park only a portion just like Elephant butte.  Call the lake to get where you can and can’t.