MILD
HB 586
COUGAR HUNTING & TRAPPING
- Legislative URL:
- HB 586 on nmlegis.gov
- Emergency Clause:
- No
- Germane:
- N/A
- Location:
- HRPAC
- Action:
- [15] HAWC/HRPAC/HJC-HAWC [28] w/o rec-HRPAC API.
- Issue(s):
- Animals & Wildlife
Related Legislators
- Bill Sponsor:
- Zachary Cook
Related Documents
- Downloads:
-
Introduced
HAWC Committee Report
Fiscal Impact Report
Summary
This bill removes cougars from the list of game mammals, so that the cougar is no longer a protected species and can be hunted without a license. The bill makes conforming changes to other sections of law to reflect the non-protected status. The bill also provides that no nonresident shall capture, trap or possess any cougar.
A possible concern regarding the bill might be that as a species without protection, New Mexico’s cougar population could be driven down. Another concern might be that if the cougar population should decrease, the populations of cougar prey may increase and cause unintended consequences.