_by_ Levon Lee[1]
The vast sweep of New Mexico’s 77 million acres, which ranges all the
way from the Alpine tundra of the tallest mountains down to the heat of
the lower Sonoran desert, offers a home and sanctuary for many kinds of
wild life.
Some of these animals are considered game animals; others may be pests,
since they prey upon or destroy what mankind regards as its own. The
coyote which takes a sheep from the small herder is wicked indeed in the
eyes of the sheepman. Predatoriness on all living things by other things
has gone on since time began and will continue—mankind being not the
least predator.
A good definition is that composed by the late Judge C. M. Botts who
defined a predator as “a critter that takes another critter that I
want.”
New Mexico’s immense topographic and geologic differences make for a
very wide range of habitats preferred by the various species. The elk
and deer, being highly adaptable, may be found from the Alpine tundra of
the higher mountains clear out into the creosote desert. Deer occur in
four separate subspecies: the Rocky Mountain and the desert mule deer,
the western whitetail, and the Sonoran fantail deer, which is also a
whitetail. These animals may be found all the way from the dense
coniferous forests of the north with perpetual gloom and cold to the
sun-scorched granite mountains such as the Florida and the Organ
mountains of southern New Mexico; from great towering granite spires to
the folded blocks of limestone such as comprise the Big Hatchets, the
Guadalupe, and the San Andres mountains.
The javelina, or little wild pig, lives along the watercourses in the
south west part of the state. Its thin spiky hair gives it little or no
protection against cold, and only in the balmier parts of New Mexico
does it feel at home.
The desert bighorn sheep, as distinguished from his cousin the Rocky
Mountain bighorn, goes around on a sun-scorched, ocotillo-covered
limestone-rubble slope in the full glare of the sun and lies down to
take his afternoon siesta. The Rocky Mountain bighorn, on the other
hand, with his preference for cooler climates does not shun even the
dense spruce timber at the very top of the Sandia Mountains as the
hideout for his afternoon rest.
This adaptability by New Mexico’s species to the tremendous differences
in altitude, rainfall, and temperature makes them all the more valuable
as a resource for the pleasure and enjoyment of everyone.
[Illustration: (_Photo courtesy of Forest Service_, U.S.D.A.)
Pack train on a wilderness trail]
The most popular big game animals in New Mexico are the mule deer in
either of the two subspecies. Every fall, beginning in late October and
extending ordinarily through December, more than 100,000 hunters take to
the woods for their 50-50 chance of bringing home the sought-after mule
deer. A hunter may shoot his mule deer at the Alpine tundra timber line,
out in the blazing heat of the creosote desert, or among the rock crags
of some of the southern desert mountains. He will find his quarry a
worthy opponent. Shy, wild, and with terrific eyesight and hearing,
these animals provide a true challenge.
Elk and antelope, as well as bighorn sheep, are hunted by special
licenses only, since their numbers do not warrant a general open season.
These special licenses are much sought after and are ordinarily made
available by application and a public drawing in the fall. The javelina,
confined to our southwestern counties, is also hunted by special
license. It is noteworthy that although New Mexico had protected them
for many years, the javelina did not increase its numbers. As a matter
of fact, the natural losses applied against any game species are going
to be in effect no matter whether hunting is permitted or not, the
hunting being merely subtracted from what would be lost to nature
anyhow.
Our state mammal, the black bear, is found throughout the wooded areas
of the state and occasionally wanders out into the plains or down into
the desert mountains of the south. Bears are hunted avidly in the fall
by sportsmen with dog packs before the regular big game seasons begin,
when the use of dogs is prohibited. They are again hunted during the big
game seasons by anyone bearing the proper license, but no packs of dogs
are allowed. This is to prohibit the possibility of dogs being used to
pursue elk, deer, or wild turkey, an illegal act in New Mexico.
New Mexico is fortunate in having a tremendous diversity of both upland
game and waterfowl, and big game and small game for her people.
Importantly, the game resources are spread out through every county in
the state.
The state’s richness of bird life is varied and extensive. New Mexico
ranks among the first five in the total number of birds found within its
boundaries. More than 400 species of birds live within the state. These
range all the way from the tiny mites of the bird kingdom, the
hummingbirds, weighing less than an ounce, to the great white whistling
swan, weighing up to 25 pounds, or the Merriam turkey, which may weigh
close to 30. Of the six species of quail found in the United States, New
Mexico has four and may possess the fifth, since the mountain quail of
the western coast have been introduced into this state and still occur
on the west slopes of the Sacramento Mountains near Tularosa. Five
species of doves found throughout the state from the highest coniferous
forest down into the scorching heat of the creosote desert are the Inca
dove, ground dove, mourning dove, white-winged dove, and the bandtail
pigeon, all of them close relatives. Of these, only two, the mourning
dove and the white-winged dove, are commonly hunted as game species.
An unexplained and precipitous decline struck the bandtail pigeon about
ten or twelve years ago, from which it apparently has never recovered.
Although hunting was undoubtedly part of the pressure exercised against
these birds, it in no way accounted for their sudden and dramatic
decline in numbers. This decline may gradually be reversed, since more
and more of these birds are being seen. It is well known that animals
with a high reproductive capacity can endure much heavier losses to
their population than can those with low or very limited reproduction,
such as the bandtail, which normally lays only a single egg. The
mourning dove, on the other hand, lays two eggs at a time and may raise
as many as five or more broods in one year. Take this one step further
with the scaled or Gambel quail, which may lay up to 12 or 15 eggs, and
it can readily be seen that the population of bandtail pigeons can never
endure the losses that the much more prolific mourning dove and quail
can. The same might be said by comparison of elk and deer. Elk do not
bear their first young until their third year, and then the cow may not
bear young but alternate years until her seventh or eighth year; by that
time she has begun to decline in vigor; in her total life she may not
produce more than four or five calves. The mule deer, on the other hand,
start bearing at the age of two, with their first birth normally single;
from then on, twins are usual for the rest of the doe’s life. Thus, deer
have a considerably greater reproductive potential than do elk or
bighorn sheep, which have one young at a time.
The fleet-footed antelope of the open rolling plains is another example
of fairly high reproductive capacity, since they breed earlier than do
deer and normally bear twins. Antelope are confined to the more open
country where their prodigious running ability and marvelous eyesight
stand in good stead in protecting them against their natural enemies.
The wild turkey, classified by law in New Mexico as big game, is found
throughout the mountainous areas of the state, not excepting some of the
desert ranges. New Mexico is one of two states fortunate enough to
possess three of the five forms of the wild turkey known to the United
States: the Merriam turkey, found in the higher elevations of the
mountainous areas, usually the ponderosa forest; the Rio Grande turkey,
confined to the watercourses of the eastern plains; and the fairly rare
Mexican turkey, found in the Animas and Peloncillo mountains of extreme
southwestern New Mexico. In Hildalgo County these mountains are actually
largely Mexican in both flora and fauna. Some of the rarest, most
beautiful birds of North America are also found in this area and nowhere
else in the United States with the exception of southeastern Arizona.
Our most abundant game bird, the mourning dove, is found in every county
of the state and nests from the coniferous forests of the north and the
higher mountains of the south clear out into the plains where there is
not a tree in sight for miles. Doves are extremely adaptable and very
prolific. They provide the finest kind of sport shooting and are avidly
sought, particularly by shotgun enthusiasts of the eastern and southern
parts of the state.
Scaled quail are found throughout New Mexico, being absent only in
elevations above 7000 feet. Even there, they periodically occur but are
ordinarily driven back by winter snow. Gambel quail are found throughout
the river courses of the Rio Grande Valley, the San Juan Valley, and the
southwestern watercourses. The Mearns’ quail is found in the southern
half of the state in the higher mountain elevations, whereas the
bob-white quail occupies the grassy rolling sandhills of the eastern
counties where it is commonly found together with scaled quail.
Quail hunting is one of the most popular sports in New Mexico and many
thousands of hunters can hardly wait from one season to the next. New
Mexico is in the heart of the scaled quail country and provides some of
the finest shooting to be had anywhere.
Migratory waterfowl, while not considered abundant, are not uncommon in
this state, known more for its aridity than for its rivers and lakes.
The two main fly ways are the Rio Grande Valley and the Pecos Valley,
with the Pecos Valley being somewhat ahead in total numbers.
Ducks commonly found in New Mexico in abundance are teal, both
green-winged and blue-winged as well as the lesser-known cinnamon teal,
mallards, widgeon, pintails, gadwall, scaups, canvasbacks, redheads, and
other species.
In addition, New Mexico plays winter home to many thousands of the
lesser sandhill crane which is confined to the river valleys and open
plains of the eastern part of the state, particularly the southeastern
counties. A smaller population of the greater sandhill crane is found in
the Rio Grande Valley and near Columbus. Flocks of the small
Richardson’s goose are found in the northeastern counties, in
particular, and along river courses throughout the state. The small snow
goose is likewise confined mostly to major river courses. The larger
Canada geese are found particularly in the middle Rio Grande Valley
where extensive development has been made by both state and federal
agencies to encourage the use and the presence of bands of geese.
New Mexico is unique in that it was the first state in many years to be
able to open a hunting season on the lesser sandhill crane. This bird is
comparatively abundant, the total population probably being in excess of
200,000, with the vast majority of these birds wintering in west Texas,
New Mexico, and Mexico. They occasionally cause heavy depredation to
grain crops in the southeastern part of the state, and hunting has been
partly justified on the basis that the large wintering flocks might be
broken up and depredation spread over a larger area for less individual
effect. These birds are tall, wild, and shy. They are hard to hunt, even
more so than geese, and although strenuous efforts have been made, not
too many of them are bagged.
One should not overlook the tremendous opportunity for sport hunting of
unprotected species, such as the various rabbits, the mountain lions and
bobcats, and coyotes.
The wolf is now very rare in New Mexico. Only occasionally do wolves
come out of Mexico into the southwestern counties, usually in Hidalgo,
Luna, and Doña Ana. Wolves are large, effective predators and are
incompatible with the cattle-raising industry. Since they have a
fondness for beef, the hand of the cattleman is raised against them.
The mountain lion prefers his natural prey of deer, mule deer being the
principal victims. The bobcat preys on deer and on many of the small
wild animals, rabbits in particular. These predators, when run and
hunted with a pack of dogs, provide a fascinating sport which is growing
in popularity.
The use of calls to attract animals to a “victim” has become widespread.
The calls imitate the distressed cry of rabbits and other creatures
which to the predator means a meal close at hand. Everything from
mountain lions to red-tailed hawks have been hunted by this procedure,
and it can be very successful in bagging quarry. This type of hunting
has value in that it can be enjoyed at any time of the year throughout
the state and with a minimum of time and effort.
Hunting is a conservation practice that, wisely administered, results in
wholesome out-of-door recreation and brings many tons of high protein
food of highest quality to the table. Nature nowhere in her economy
locks up a resource and throws away the key—we should be no less wise.
Long gone are the buffalo which once roamed the High Plains of eastern
New Mexico. Exotic animals, imported and stocked along the rugged canyon
of the Canadian River above Conchas Reservoir, are the Barbary sheep
with their magnificent coiled horns. Beavers dam some of the mountain
streams, badgers and skunks can be seen from the highways, and amid the
forests are squirrels and porcupines, while high on rock slopes, the
Rocky Mountain woodchuck and the gray rock cony dash from ledge to
ledge. The white-tailed ptarmigan also haunts these high crags, and
lower down the mountain, bluebirds nest. Hawks, eagles, magpies, jays,
ravens, orioles, wrens, sparrows, warblers, finches, and many other
birds of endless variety soar over canyon, forest, and sand-dune desert.
Most notable of all is the crested roadrunner, the chapparal cock or
paisano of Mexico and the state bird. In between racing with horsemen or
automobiles, the slender roadrunner cocks his head, strikes swiftly and
victoriously, then swallows his victim, which can be a small
rattlesnake, whole.
Snakes there are aplenty. Mostly, they are nonpoisonous, such as the
garter snake, glass snake, puff adder, ring-necked snake, the coachwhip,
the Mexican blacksnake, and the large western bullsnake. The small but
very venomous coral snake is rare, but common among rocks and near
streams are the large western diamondback rattlesnake, the prairie
rattlers, and the less common green or blacktailed rattlesnake. Every
sun-warmed rock has its scampering lizard, and nearby are horned toads,
dry-land terrapins, tortoises, tarantulas, centipedes, vinegarroons,
scorpions, and spiders. Of these latter desert animals, only the black
widow spider is poisonous.
Contrast in the influence of environments is shown by the animals that
inhabit the “malpais,” the recent flows of black, rough-surfaced lava,
compared with similar animals found among the white gypsum dunes of
White Sands. Black or darkly colored subspecies of mice, plains wood
rats, kangaroo rats, and rock squirrels live on the black lava, whereas
white or pale counterparts of these animals live among the white gypsum
dunes.
[Illustration: Sketch of roadrunner, New Mexico state bird]
The dwellers in the hills and plains of New Mexico are as varied as the
hills and plains; they add their color and movement to the scenes of the
Land of Enchantment.