Socorro County, New Mexico · 1,675 acres
Bernardo Wildlife Management Area Hunting 2026: Species & Access
Bernardo Wildlife Management Area covers 1,675 acres near Bernardo (between Belen and Socorro) in Socorro County. Managed wetland and agricultural fields along the middle Rio Grande, between I-25 and the river — one quarter of the state-owned Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex, purchased in 1971 specifically to feed and shelter wintering waterfowl.
01 — What you can hunt here
| Species | Notes |
|---|---|
| Waterfowl | The area's reason for existing — geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes winter here in large numbers (25,000+ snow geese, 12,000+ sandhill cranes some seasons). |
| Sandhill crane | Bernardo is one of the check-station areas for New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Valley crane draw hunts. |
02 — Access rules specific to this WMA
- Part of the Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex, where several units run on NMDGF's Light Goose Conservation Order and youth-hunt special rules alongside the regular Central Flyway waterfowl seasons.
- One section (a designated no-hunting area) is closed to hunting year-round for wildlife viewing and photography.
- The Bernardo Youth Hunt Unit runs a separate first-come, first-served resident-only youth waterfowl program with adult supervision required.
04 — Facilities
Camping: Not permitted. No shooting range on-site.
Managed primarily for wildlife viewing and photography access alongside hunting — a genuinely dual-use property, not just a hunting ground with incidental birding.
05 — Where to go next
Bernardo is one-quarter of the Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex — the same state-run system that includes La Joya, Casa Colorada, and Belen waterfowl areas along the middle Rio Grande — and was bought in 1971 specifically to winter waterfowl on managed wetland and grain fields. It's also one of New Mexico's designated Middle Rio Grande Valley sandhill crane check-station areas. A no-hunting viewing section sits alongside the huntable ground, and a resident-only youth hunt unit runs its own separate access rules from the general public hunting area.
New Mexico hunting license costs and permits →
Verified · New Mexico Department of Game and Fish · Last verified 2026-08-13
Publisher's note. Read from NMDGF, retrieved 2026-08-13. Review due 2027-08-01. WMA-specific rules and closures can change between seasons — confirm before you hunt.