by: Rachel Saurer
Posted: Jun 13, 2024 / 11:02 PM MDT
Updated: Jun 13, 2024 / 11:02 PM MDT
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DENVER (KDVR) — A proposed ballot measure would prohibit the hunting of mountain lions, lynx and bobcats. It would allow for the killing of these animals if they threatened human life, livestock or property.
The Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project, which comprises 20 different organizations, unveiled its opposition to Proposed Initiative #91.
“The future of Colorado’s wildlife management is at a crossroads, frankly, and the underpinnings of 125 years of sound, science-based wildlife management is on the ballot this November,” said Gaspar Perricone, chair of Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project and former Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioner.Night, thermal vision allowed for hazing, possibly killing preying wolves
For over a hundred years as human populations have risen, threatening wildlife and habitat loss, conservation groups have worked to maintain and preserve the ecosystem and wildlife populations.
“The healthy wildlife populations we have in Colorado today are no accident,” said Pat Dorsey, director of conservation for the National Wild Turkey Federation operations for the West region. “Instead, they’re the result of a lot of effort and active management with science as its cornerstone.”
Big cat hunting touted as a conservation measure
The Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project said hunting of wildlife has factored into their efforts by controlling herds and other animal populations, including big cats.
“In 1965, mountain lions were classified as a big game species, which then subsequently allowed for lions to be managed primarily by regulated hunter harvest under the North American model of wildlife conservation, using scientifically motivated regulatory management,” said Luke Weidel, a volunteer for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.How a Denver actress inspired the famous Tony Awards for Broadway
Weidel said hunters of mountain lions must take classes and be specially trained to identify the sex of a lion per regulations and to ensure the hunter is using that animal’s meat for human consumption.
“Lion harvest is highly regulated through strict harvest quotas that are managed literally daily by area by wildlife professionals,” Weidel said.
Opposition raises concern with big cat hunting methods
Samantha Miller, campaign manager for Cats Aren’t Trophies, said this initiative would help bring more balance to the ecosystem.
“A new study just came out that shows that mountain lions actually pre-select animals with chronic wasting disease,” Miller said. “Then, lions themselves won’t catch the disease, so it has a cleansing effect on herds, which is great.”
She also said hunters target adult lions, which leaves the cubs to fend for themselves.
“Once mom and dad are out of that house, then you have teenagers running around, they’re more likely to cause conflict, they eat things they can find and then engage in territorial disputes. So if you want less conflict with lions, you don’t hunt lions indiscriminately,” Miller said.Abandoning a campfire in Colorado is a criminal offense
She also said the ways mountain lions are hunted are unethical, and this initiative would put a halt to that.
“In Colorado, you can hunt mountain lions with packs of up to eight dogs. The dogs wear GPS collars, and then the hunter will follow the signal of those collars and then shoot a cornered cat out of a tree, which is contrary to fair chase ethics,” she said.
Still, the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project maintains the initiative would fix what is not broken and leave it up to Colorado voters rather than Colorado Parks and Wildlife or other wildlife organizations.
“You’ll trust the management system that’s brought them to the high population that we’ve never had before,” Dorsey said. “If it does get onto the ballot, that the voters really think about what’s good for Colorado’s wildlife.”
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