By Lindy Browning | Contributor, Rocky Mountain Voice
Although Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) does not take a position on Proposition 127, all it takes is a cursory look at their website to see that Prop. 127 is in direct conflict with science based and biologists’ expertise in mountain lion and bobcat management efforts for a healthy and robust population in Colorado.
Prop. 127 is the result of an animal rights activist group, Cats aren’t Trophies (CATs) , a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization, gathering enough signatures to place the issue on the November ballot. This is the same process that led to the reintroduction of wolves in Colorado.
Scott Summers, owner of Canyon Rim Outfitters in western Colorado worries about how he is going to make a living for his family if Proposition 127 is passed by voters. Summers has owned and operated his licensed business since 2001, and he exclusively caters to mountain lion hunters.
“If this passes, it will put me out of business,” Summers said.
Colorado professional hunting guides are not the only people who see Prop 127 as an attack on their way of life; many western slope residents also express concern for the impact on big game herds such as antelope, deer and elk populations.
Prop. 127 bans all hunting and trapping of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx in Colorado. It is already illegal to hunt or trap lynx in Colorado, as they are a federally-protected species. According to CPW, there have been no lynx killings since they were re-established in 1999 in Colorado, despite claims in CAT’s website that they are often accidently trapped and killed.
With a license, mountain lions and bobcats are considered legally hunted and trapped animals in Colorado, and there are robust regulations concerning their harvest and management. With more than 4,000 mountain lions in Colorado, and 2 million bobcats nationally, bobcats are the most common species of all the Colorado big cats.
Without the basic knowledge and expertise of wildlife management best practices, well-meaning voters may not consider predator and prey balances, unintended consequences resulting from overpopulation of apex predators on the other 900 plus species of wildlife, increased competition for food resources and habitat because of unmanaged numbers of lions, wolf, and bear, and the unintended consequences of increased livestock predation.
These are all things that should be decided by experts who have all the relevant information to manage not only the big cats of Colorado, but all of Colorado’s magnificent and diverse wildlife.
CATs claims that it’s unethical to hunt and trap mountain lions and bobcats. They allege that practices such as using dogs, GPS devices and bait unfairly advantage hunters, according to their website.
In fact, according to CPW hunting regulations, using dogs to tree lions is considered the best way to reduce female harvesting by examining lion tracks and “tree’d” mountain lions for determination of gender prior to harvesting. It is also illegal to use artificial light, bait and electronic calls when hunting lions. Harvesting a female lion with one or more kittens, kittens being defined as any lion with its spots, is illegal.
While both CATs and CPW agree that the female mountain lions are the most critical to ensuring healthy lion populations, wildlife managers say that Colorado regulations are designed to limit the harvest of female cats.
CATs relies heavily in Prop. 127 on using the term “Trophy Hunting” when in fact it is illegal to trophy hunt mountain lions in Colorado. Colorado mountain lion hunting regulations state that if harvested, all edible parts of a mountain lion and bobcat must be prepared for human consumption. Both species are regularly eaten in Colorado, according to CPW.
“Hunting mountain lions in Colorado is a challenge for any sports person up for the task,” reads the CPW website, a noticeable contradiction to CATs claims that mountain lions are unfairly disadvantaged during the hunt.
Hunters are allowed only one mountain lion per year in Colorado, and the number of available licenses is a direct result of studies determined annually to ensure that lion mortality does not exceed management objectives. CPW requires that all mountain lion and bobcat hunters immediately tag their carcass, contact the office within 48 hours of harvest and provide their name and license number, and present themselves in person to a CPW office within 5 days for inspection.
In 2022, after the worst winterkill of elk in 70 years in the northwest region of Colorado, CPW along with big game hunters were astounded by the devastating effects on herds. As a result of the staggering number of big game animals lost, CPW made unprecedented and significant license reduction recommendations within this severe winter zone to account for high mortality rates experienced by mule deer, elk and pronghorn.
In an area known for some of the largest elk herds in the nation, severe winter conditions resulted in high elk calf and above-average cow mortality. Survival rates are the lowest Colorado Parks and Wildlife has ever documented and below what was previously thought possible in elk.
Ironically, if passed, voters will have unintentionally put mountain lions and wolves in direct competition for food and habitat resources and in many of the areas where elk and deer are still in recovery after the 2022 winter kill off.
Joseph Livingston, Public Information Officer for CPW said, “Colorado Parks and Wildlife takes no position for or against proposed initiatives such as Initiative 91{127} and will diligently implement all laws duly passed by the legislature and the Governor or by the voters.”