Colorado voters said no thanks to , which proposed a ban on the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx. This initiative marked the second time in four years that Colorado voters weighed in on wildlife management decisions. The previous ballot measure was on the reintroduction of gray wolves in 2020.
Proposition 127, sponsored by wildlife rights groups, urged voters to declare that the hunting of these wild cats 鈥渋s inhumane, serves no socially acceptable or ecologically beneficial purpose, and fails to further public safety.鈥� The ballot initiative would have provided exceptions for the protection of human life. Non-lethal methods could be used for the protection of livestock and property.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) began managing mountain lion populations in 1965 when it classified them as a big game species. that 3,800 to 4,400 adult lions live in Colorado. During last year鈥檚 hunting season, from September to March, 502 mountain lions were killed.
There is no available estimate for bobcat populations, but CPW maintains that the elusive smaller-sized cats鈥� numbers are stable and healthy. Eight hundred and fifty-five bobcats were killed by licensed hunters last year. Mountain lions and bobcats are not federally threatened or endangered species.
Hunting lynx is already prohibited, as they are classified as endangered in Colorado. Since their reintroduction to Colorado in 1999, CPW has carefully monitored lynx populations. The species was listed in the proposition to prevent lynx from reclassification as a big game species in the future.
CPW says if the measure had passed, in yearly revenue from mountain lion and bobcat hunting licenses.
As a state agency, CPW did not take a position on Proposition 127. The agency maintains that its management strategies over the last several decades have enabled the big cats to occupy all available habitats in strong numbers, contributing to a significant portion of the state鈥檚 carnivore biodiversity.
Proponents of Proposition 127
Cats Aren鈥檛 Trophies (CATs), an animal rights campaign focused on protecting mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx in Colorado, introduced the ballot measure, which went on to gather support from a variety of public figures, including conservationist Jane Goodall, actor and environmentalist Robert Redford, and former director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Dan Ashe.
Julie Marshall, spokeswoman for CATs, said that the existing guidelines for mountain lion hunting don鈥檛 follow the principles of a fair chase, which define ethical and sportsman-like approaches to big game hunting. 鈥淯sing dogs to tree the lions isn鈥檛 a fair chase,鈥� Marshall said. Dogs are also frequently used to track and chase mountain lions.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an ego-driven personal profit sport,鈥� said Marshall. 鈥淚t all comes down to our values. Is this the hunting we really support?鈥�
Opponents of Proposition 127
Organizations that opposed Proposition 127, including the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project鈥攁 group composed of hunters, anglers, and outdoorsmen--described it as a threat to wildlife management, saying such management should be administered by scientists and biology-based decisions and not determined by ballot measures.
鈥淭here is a standard set of criteria by which wildlife is managed,鈥� said Gaspar Perricone, the group鈥檚 chair and a former CPW commissioner. 鈥淢anagement needs to be administered by wildlife biologists.鈥�
Opponents were also concerned that mountain lion populations might significantly increase and ultimately harm the elk and deer populations within Colorado. The yearly revenue from deer and elk hunting in Colorado amasses over $800 million for the state鈥檚 economy.
Cassie Sherwood is a first-year student in the journalism MA program at CU Boulder. This story is part of a collaboration between KUNC 暗黑爆料 and the CU Boulder journalism program. The authors are first-year students in the journalism MA program at CU Boulder.