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Tag Archives: population

April, 2017

  • 13 April

    Restoration of Gila trout

    Laurence D'Alessandro, coldwater fisheries biologist, displays a Gila trout during a recent survey conducted at Willow Creek in the Gila National Forest. Cover: NMDGF photo by Jill Wick, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    Restoration of Gila trout opens door for anglers It’s been five years since two massive wildfires roared through the Gila Wilderness and surrounding national forest, destroying years of painstaking native trout restoration work. “I was interviewing for this job while everything was burning up,” said Jill Wick, Gila trout biologist …

  • 13 April

    Bear-resistant dumpsters

    Bob Osborn, assistant chief of private land programs for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, affixes a “Be Bear Aware” sticker to one of the new bear-resistant dumpsters installed at the Los Alamos Medical Center. NMDGF photo by Zen Mocarski, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    Bear-resistant dumpsters benefit wildlife, people There is a difference between unintentional and intentional or negligent feeding of wildlife. Unfortunately, the end result is often the same. Bears are notorious for becoming quickly conditioned to human surroundings and habituated to human foods after consuming enticing treats found in garbage. Following such …

  • 13 April

    Rio de los Pinos

    The scenic Rio de Los Pinos Wildlife Management Area, top, in northern New Mexico boasts impressive scenery in a quiet, remote location. NMDGF photos by Karl Moffatt, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    Improved aquatic habitat expected to improve angling at Rio de los Pinos For years, the remote New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Rio de los Pinos Wildlife Management Area was best known among anglers for its solitude and scenery, not the fishing. That could change now that the department has …

  • 13 April

    Pecos bighorn numbers

    While forage is readily available in the Pecos throughout most of the year, bighorn sheep are dependent on wind-blown areas clear of snow during the winter months. Wildlife biologists believe the population should be maintained at approximately 350 animals to avoid a potential die-off from starvation due to a lack of available food. NMDGF photo by Clint Henson, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    Pecos bighorn numbers are dangerously high There are times when words appear to paint a rosy portrait, but upon closer inspection the painting is found to be a forgery. Such is the case in the Pecos Mountains, where more is not always better. The most recent surveys in the Pecos …

  • 13 April

    Turkey vulture

    A pair of turkey vultures rest on a rock at Lake Roberts. With a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet, they are the second-largest bird species in New Mexico, next to eagles. NMDGF photo by Dan Williams, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    Did you know…? Many people refer to this bird as a buzzard, which is incorrect. The term buzzard in the United States probably is the result of old western movies, but buzzard, in Europe, refers to a member of the buteo, or hawk family. The turkey vulture’s diet consists almost …

  • 13 April

    Ears, not eyes

    Kirsten Cruz-McDonnell, chief biologist for Envirological Services, Inc., walked a predetermined route in the Santa Fe National Forest, stopping at up to 20 points for 10 minutes identifying different bird species primarily by their calls. Photo by Zen Mocarski, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    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, …

  • 13 April

    Gould’s wild turkey

    New Mexico is home to Merriam’s, Rio Grande and Gould’s turkeys. The Gould’s, the largest of the three birds, was first documented in the state in 1892. Photo by Chuck Schultz, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    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. …

  • 13 April

    Citizens in conservation

    Aptly named, the eastern barking frog sounds like a domestic dog when bellowing for a mate. Unlike any other amphibian in New Mexico, eastern barking frogs do not have a tadpole stage. Instead, they metamorphose within the egg, so there is no aquatic stage in the life cycle. Photo by James Stewart, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    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 …

  • 13 April

    Wildlife telemetry

    Tracking devices exist that can aid in the research of birds, mammals, fish, insects and arachnids, but with each different species come separate challenges. This backpack-style transmitter works well with wild turkeys. NMDGF pthoto by Zen Mocarski, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    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 …

  • 13 April

    More than illegal

    Sgt. Kyle Jackson and Capt. Ty Jackson, conservation officers for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, kneel behind evidence collected at the home of convicted poacher Esequiel Mascarenas. NMDGF photo, New Mexico Wildlife magazine Spring 2017 Vol60, Num1, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.

    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 …