What are the laws for hunting fox in New Mexico? This article covers many of the fundamental laws you will need to know to get started. It also provides information such as seasons, harvest limits, and required permits for bobcat hunting in New Mexico. It is not a legal document and is not intended to cover all hunting laws and regulations.
In New Mexico, the fox hunting season runs from November 1 to March 15. A valid hunting license is required. Legal shooting hours are restricted to the period one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset. There are no bag limits.
Purchase a New Mexico hunting License here.
Check out all the New Mexico Hunting Seasons.
First time hunting fox? Check out these articles:
Read: How to call in a fox.
Read: How to use tracks and scat to hunt a fox.
Related: Read the laws for hunting coyotes in New Mexico.
Related: Read the laws for hunting bobcats in New Mexico.
General laws for hunting fox in New Mexico.
Night Hunting. Night hunting fox is not allowed in New Mexico. As a result, the use of artificial light is illegal.
Please note: It is also illegal to use a spotlight or any other artificial light to hunt any furbearer (except raccoons, see legal shooting hours above) or nongame species, including coyotes and rabbits, even on private land and have landowner permission, unless you have an artificial light permit.
Predator callers and decoys. Are legal to use.
If you are unfamiliar with mouth and hand calls, here’s two articles with instructional videos that will help you learn to use them.
Check electronic predator caller prices here.
Need more land to hunt? Read here to discover 8 ways to get permission to hunt private property.
Can you use a suppressor while hunting fox in New Mexico?
Yes, in New Mexico you can use a suppressor for target shooting, home defense, hunting, or any other legal use.
Specific licenses needed for fox hunting in New Mexico.
Trapper License: Required for all furbearer trappers and hunters 18 years of age and older. The license will display whether you are authorized to hunt and trap or hunt only.
Junior Trapper License: Required for all furbearer trappers and hunters 12–17 years of age (Hunter Education also required if hunting furbearers).
Habitat Management and Access Validation: Required for all hunters, trappers, or anglers.
Habitat Stamp: Required for all hunters, trappers, or anglers on U.S. Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands.
Written Permission: All hunters and trappers on private lands must possess written permission from the landowner or person authorized to grant permission.
New Mexico asks that you shoot any feral hogs you encounter.
Feral hogs damage habitat, contaminate water, and compete with native wildlife. Because of the negative impact this non-native intruder causes, residents and nonresidents legally may hunt feral hogs year-round without a license. General hunting rules still apply—such as obtaining permission if hunting on private land, no hunting with the aid of artificial light, and no discharging of firearms within 150 yards of an occupied dwelling.
Hunting fox in New Mexico : Many ways to get in trouble.
Remember, New Mexico takes its game laws very seriously!
It is unlawful to:
- Recklessly or carelessly handle a firearm.
- Hunt while under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicants, including marijuana.
- Litter and/or pollute streams, lakes and other waters.
- Leave a fire unattended or improperly control 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 14–15).
- 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.
- 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 fly an aircraft in any manner which causes any non-domesticated animal to move from its place of rest or change its direction of travel.
- Hunt from an aircraft, use aircraft to signal locations of protected species to hunters from or harass game species with an 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.
- Use any cellular, Wi-Fi or satellite camera for the purpose of hunting or scouting remotely for any big game animal.