Carson

Carson NF https://www.fs.usda.gov/carson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carson_National_Forest Carson National Forest is in northern New Mexico, United States. Big game animals roam this forest. They include mule deer, elk, pronghorn, cougars, black bears, and bighorn sheep. There are also many species of smaller mammals and songbirds. Carson has four hundred miles of sparkling clean mountain streams and numerous lakes. Many of them are stocked with native trout by the Game and Fish Department. Forest headquarters are located in Taos, New Mexico. There are local ranger district offices in Bloomfield, Canjilon, El Rito, Penasco, Questa, and Tres Piedras.

Jicarilla RD 1110 Rio Vista Lane, #2 Bloomfield, NM 87413 (505) 632-2956 Carson National Forest 208 Cruz Alta Road Taos, NM 87571 (575) 758-6200 LAS CRUCES 10 ! ! SILVER SILVER CITY £ ¤¤ £ DEMING 54 70 ALAMOGORDO ! ! CONSEQUENCES !OR 180 £ ¤ £ ¤ ROSWELL 380 TRUTH £ ¤ ! 25 £ ¤ 60 !CARRIZOZO 380 £ ¤ ! 70 SOCORRO ! QUEMADO £ ¤ CLOVIS! 54 SANTA ROSA ! ! ! 40 GRANTS ALBUQUERQUE 40 ! GALLUP ! SANTA FE 25 £ ¤ 84 £ ¤ 64 ! TAOS £ ¤ 285 £ ¤ 64 ! RATON 2018 Photo by Gak Stonn Forest Service Southwestern Region Fishing at Hopewell Lake Some of the finest alpine downhill skiing in the US is found at Taos Ski Valley, Red River, and Sipapu Ski Areas. While nordic skiing can be found throughout the forest, the Enchanted Forest Cross-Country Ski Area provides miles of groomed cross-country ski trails. Wilderness Roughly 8 percent of Carson National Forest (over 130,000 acres) contains congressionally designated wilderness. These areas are lands set aside to preserve wild America, where humans are only visitors, the environment is untrammeled and unconstrained, and land management activities take a back seat to natural processes. In wilderness, there are no roads; travel is by foot, horseback, or canoe. Mechanized equipment, including bicycles and drones, is not allowed. Group size is limited to 15 people to protect resources. Whether in wilderness or elsewhere on public lands, please pack out your trash! Each year thousands of visitors come to the Carson to fish, hunt, and view wildlife, providing an important source of income for businesses and local communities. Big game species such as black bear, elk, and mule deer are common on the Carson. Bighorn sheep are frequently seen at higher elevations and pronghorn antelope forage on the grasslands. Other wildlife include the reclusive mountain lion, porcupine, bobcat, various smaller mammals, and almost 134 species of birds. Due to its wide range of elevations and corresponding vegetation types, the forest has a diverse fauna that includes 53 fish species, 13 amphibians, 28 reptiles, 110 mammals, and 341 invertebrates. Designated wilderness areas in the Carson include Wheeler Peak, Latir Peak, Cruces Basin, Columbine-Hondo, Chama River, and Pecos. The unique 100,000 acre Valle Vidal Unit, donated by Pennzoil Company in 1982, boasts spectacular scenery with vast open meadows and abundant wildflowers. Management of this area prioritizes wildlife, which includes a trophy elk herd of up to 2,000 head. Motorized travel is restricted and special hunting and fishing seasons and bag limits have been implemented. Two seasonal closures, one winter and one spring, help elk conserve resources during harsh winter weather and protect them during spring calving season. Public land is managed in trust for all citizens and international visitors. Inform yourself regarding local conditions and requirements for your safety by checking with local offices, reading signs, and reviewing bulletin boards. Changing terrain and weather conditions present a variety of hazards, including but not limited to snow, landslides, slick roads, falling trees or limbs, high waters, wild animals, severe weather, becoming lost or overexerted, hypothermia, and exposure to the unreasonable acts of other people. Please recognize hazards and take precautions. After camping for 14 days, campers must move a minimum of three miles (or to another developed campground) and can stay an additional 14 days, for a maximum of 28 days in a 45 day period. Other Points of Interest Other points of interest in the area include the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, the Rio Grande Wild and Scenic River, and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument (administered by the Bureau of Land Management). Several Indian tribes in the vicinity also welcome visitors into their historic villages to view ceremonies throughout the year. Eagle Rock Lake Community Partnerships In addition to regular hunting and fishing licenses, Habitat Improvement Stamps are required in some areas of the Carson. These are available at many local sporting goods stores along with regular licenses and printed copies of New Mexico Game and Fish Regulations. Some fishing is limited to artificial lures with a single barbless hook. For a full list of requirements check the New Mexico Game and Fish Regulations. Shuree Ponds on Valle Vidal Be Responsible Campfires are allowed in the forest except during times of extreme fire danger. Before you head into the forest, always check to see if campfire restrictions are in place for your destination. NEVER build a fire on a windy day. NEVER leave a campfire unattended – keep a shovel and water close by. ALWAYS put your campfire out COLD; mix and stir coals with water and dirt. Crush cigarette butts completely. Photo by Jim O’Donnell Questa RD P.O. Box 110 184 SR 38 Questa, NM 87556 (575) 586-0520 Camino Real RD P.O. Box 68 15160 SR 75 Peñasco, NM 87553 (575) 587-2

rom Paleolithic times to the present, bears have fascinated humans. However, all too often, our interest in bears is misinformed and marred by inaccurate beliefs. On the one hand, we feel a kinship with bears, due partly to the traits we have in common. Bears stand erect on the soles of their feet, sit on their rumps and have shoulder joints which allow free rotation of limbs. Like us, they are omnivorous, eating both plants and animals. Bears can use their front paws like hands, and their eyes are nearly aligned in a frontal plane. Their hind paw prints looks uncannily like a barefoot human print. In addition, bears occupy a distinct, often exalted place in folklore, mythology, legend and literature. Many indigenous cultures in the Southwest have incorporated bears into their system of beliefs. They share a belief that bears possess wisdom and power. Hunting customs, ceremonial feasts, and the depiction of bears in art, song, story and dance highlight the importance of bears to Native cultures. Their popularization in the form of cuddly teddy bears such as Pooh and Yogi has helped create a potentially dangerous misconception in the minds of children as well as adults. Associating these fictional bears with wild bears regularly leads people to risk serious harm in their attempt to befriend these powerful wild mammals. On the other hand, many of us also have a deep fear of bears. Sensational depictions of bears in movies, stories, and tall tales misrepresent actual bear behavior. Such stories leave us with the equally erroneous impression of the bear’s ferocity and viciousness. Actually, the factual information about these remarkable animals is more fascinating than our romantic and sensational misconceptions of bears. ISTORY Historically, both black bears and grizzlies lived in New Mexico. Grizzlies were common in open grasslands as well as in forested areas. Currently, our black bear population is estimated at 5,000-6,000. Why have black bears managed to survive while grizzlies have not? ESCRIPTION The name ‘black bear’ can be misleading. New Mexico’s black bears actually come in a variety of color phases ranging from black and brown, to cinnamon (the most common color), reddish and blonde. Grizzlies are more aggressive than black bears. Grizzlies evolved primarily on the plains where cover is scarce so they tend to stand and fight rather than flee. They are more predatory and carnivorous than black bears. Grizzlies found easy prey when Spanish settlers brought their cattle and sheep to New Mexico. In order to protect the ranching industry (especially wool growers), government and private bear trappers were granted unlimited hunting, trapping and poisoning privileges. At the same time, much of grizzly bear habitat in New Mexico was converted to grazing land and other uses. In 1927 the New Mexico Legislature passed a law adding grizzlies to the list of protected big game species but it was already too late for them. Their numbers were too small and their reproductive rates too low for them to recover. The last recorded grizzly in New Mexico was killed in 1931 north of Silver City. An adult male black bear can weigh up to 400 pounds, though the average male weighs about 250 pounds. Female black bears typically weigh between 150 and 180 pounds. Their powerful limbs each have five toes and five short, curved claws for digging and cutting. Their front feet are about as long as they are wide, but the hind feet are long and narrow and resemble a human foot. Black bears have strong muscular necks and are very adept climbers. Black bears can scramble up a tree with remarkable ease! By contrast, black bears are more reclusive animals. They evolved in the forests where flight behavior (scrambling up a tree) rather than confrontation proved to be a more successful strategy in dealing with humans. Black bears overall are smaller and more agile for climbing than grizzly bears. This allows black bears to forage in dense, hidden areas. Black bears’ potential life span may exceed more than 30 years. In New Mexico, bears have been documented to live Adult male black bear 20-25 years. In most of their range where they are hunted the average life span is about 7-8 years. Their most frequent causes of death are hunting by humans, predation by other bears, and their becoming a nuisance by getting used to human food and subsequently having to be killed. EPRODUCTION The black bear is not a threatened or endangered species in the West. However, because of its mating habits and reproductive cycle, bear populations are watched closely. Bear breeding in New Mexico generally doesn’t begin until an animal is 5-6 years old, and a female who successfully raises cubs will mate only once every two years. For this reason, wildlife management policies take care to prevent over-hunting of black bears. In New Mexico, black bears breed between mid-May and July but give birth in the winter in the den. The reason is the delayed implantati