New Mexico Mule Deer hunting Unit 30 camp fires allowed????

Maybe I am reading this wrong and will likely have to check with the area ranger, but it appears that it is not allowed to have a campfire within the Lincoln National Forest except at the camp ground at Sitting Bulls Fall designated camp ground. Can any of you guys that hunt this unit regular, have any experience with this?

Campfires

Be careful with fire at all times! Areas can be devastated by thoughtlessness or indifference on the part of anyone - hunter, camper, local resident, or visitor. New Mexico often suffers from drought, making the risk of fire very high, and it is up to all of us to protect our lands. Here are some easy rules and guidelines to follow:

Check fire conditions before heading out by calling the appropriate field office, or look up the most recent information at www.nmfireinfo.com.
Obey all fire use restrictions issued by the State of New Mexico or the BLM. You can find a list of BLM’s fire restrictions at: www.blm.gov/nm/firerestrictions.
You may not collect wood when in a developed campsite. However, you may use "dead and down" wood for small personal campfires, unless collection of wood is otherwise restricted, on the rest of BLM-managed lands if there are no fire restrictions.
Do not burn trash or material that produces toxic or hazardous material.
Always build fires in the stove, grill, fireplace, or ring provided in developed campgrounds.
Never leave a fire unattended.
Carry a shovel and water with you and be sure all fires are "dead out" before you leave.
Consider cooking on a camp stove rather than over a fire.

Check with the local authorities. This can change daily, and there is a ZERO tolerance in most areas. At some places if there are no outside fires, there also might be no outside smoking, no warning tickets, they issue tickets only.

I've been hunting Unit 30 for 20 years and always had a campfire. The one thing they will frown on is going hunting with a fire smoldering and no one around. I have a fire ring that I bring to build our fire in. When we go to bed at night or anytime we leave camp, we have a piece of metal we use to cover it with. When we get visited by a ranger and they see that, they show appreciation and never visit camp again. Also, keep your camp clean. Beer cans and trash laying around is an invitation to a ticket and rightly so. We've also been told no cans in the fire.

Oh, and we'll be there for the second rifle season.

Thanks Copperhead.

We are heading out October 29th for the first rifle season. Plan on hunting south of Queens. It least hope that is a good plan, first time to hunt this unit.

That's the area we hunt as well. Hunt toward Carlsbad Caverns NP. I've seen some really good ones heading for the promised land when the hunting pressure started. If you need anymore info, let me know and I'll be glad to help.

Yes you may have a campfire in the Lincoln. I have an mule deer archery tag for unit 30 this year and hunted all over the forest. Had some opportunities on a couple small ones but couldn't seal the deal. Hope you rifle hunters leave some for the January archery season!

I'll be heading out around Nov. 11 with Copperhead for the second season. Let us know how your first season hunt goes.