Hunting fans in New Mexico have the opportunity to track down some truly majestic game animals. In addition to elk and deer, there are antelope, turkey, bears, and oryx, which are only found in America in the states of New Mexico and Texas. The New Mexico Game & Fish site is the starting point for all prospective hunters, and includes license and permit applications, records, population information, and more.Hunting in New Mexico is done via a draw process, where hunters apply based on their location, type of sporting arm, dates, species, and more. Applications must be done early in the year: February 3 was the cutoff this year for bear, population reduction, oryx, and turkey hunts, and April 7 marked the deadline for deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, ibex and javelina hunts. Javelinas are pig-like mammals which originated in the American Southwest and below.Hunting lands and species vary across the state. Scattered across the state are National Grasslands and forests. The east is where you’ll find shortgrass prairie and scrublands, as well as private ranches like Rancho Rojo Outfitters. These private ranches offer hunters guaranteed licenses without having to go through the draw process, and feature many of the top game, such as mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and oryx.New Mexico keeps its hunting seasons short to keep pressure from getting too great at any one time. Most elk and deer seasons last for only 5 days, with rifle seasons occurring later in the year than muzzleloader and archery seasons. This should keep the species populations high for many generations to come. If you’re planning on going out for a hunt in New Mexico, make sure you follow all laws and regulations, and keep an open mind if you don’t get your first choice of hunt. After all, there’s always next year.