Recently, a lawsuit was filed in Mora County alleging that a conservation officer from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish was calling an outfitter’s clients and telling them that the guide was acting illegally causing the cancellation of the hunts by the hunters. The Conservation Officer also called the private landowners that the outfitter had contracted to guide hunts resulting in further cancellations. The outfitter had been previously charged with being an unregistered guide or outfitter and the case was later dismissed by the State. The outfitter believed he was working under an exception to the guide/outfitter regulations known as the landowner agent exception. We have heard rumors of conservation officers making preemptive calls to hunters to “inform” them that a guide may be, in their opinion, acting illegally, and support this lawsuit to stop these tortious activities and hopefully it will clarify the landowner agent exception. If you are a hunter/guide/outfitter and you have been charged with a crime by New Mexico Department of Game and Fish please call at 505-247-9500 for a free consultation.