Young New Mexicans have a chance starting next week to obtain a license to hunt elk this season.
The Game and Fish Department is offering for sale more than 2,000 youth licenses for hunting antlerless elk.
The online sale starts July 9 and the licenses are for hunters who will be under age 18 on the opening day of the hunt.
The licenses are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. They are available for two weeks to New Mexico residents who didn't draw a big game hunting license in this year's lottery.
Starting July 23, young out-of-state hunters are eligible to buy a license if they didn't previously draw an elk permit in the lottery.
The department said the sale is intended to encourage hunting by young sportsmen.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.