Colorado Parks and Wildlife Sued Over Hunting Limits and Alleged Public Notice Violations

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics

Two sportsmen’s groups are suing Colorado Parks and Wildlife over its July vote to impose a two-per-day limit on certain species.

The dispute stems from the commission’s July 16 vote, which narrowly approved the lower limit on mink, pine marten, badger, red fox, gray fox, swift fox, Western spotted skunk, striped skunk, beaver, muskrat, long-tailed weasel, short-tailed weasel, bobcat, opossum, ring-tailed cat, raccoon and coyote.

CPW staff initially recommended a 15-bag limit last March, but commissioners asked for fewer. For the July meetings, staff returned with species-specific limits of four or eight, while noting that current harvest estimates are conservative, sustainable and consistent with scientific literature.

The lawsuit, filed in Denver District Court on Oct. 2 by Safari Club International and Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, said the commission gave no prior notice of its intent to significantly reduce bag limits below what it had publicly proposed and the public had no opportunity to comment on the changes. 

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