Colorado wildlife experts, hunters and residents are battling a proposed ballot initiative that could ban trophy hunting of big cats statewide in November.
Wild America's agricultural and natural landscapes are always in a delicate state balanceWildlife management may sound like it goes against God's will, but it's an essential part of our existence and survival here, and nowhere is this truer than in Colorado, according to local hunters and wildlife experts. Initiative 91 The measure proposed on the November ballot has the potential to disrupt ecosystems, economies and cultural traditions across the state and neighboring states.
Hunt mountain lions, bobcats and lynx Trophy The purpose is already quite illegal In Colorado, all edible mountain lion parts must be “prepared for human consumption.” According to Complete Colorado. Lynx Why is it that, despite being fully protected under state and federal law as an endangered species, group An organization called Cats Aren't Trophies (CAT) is trying to completely ban this behavior, which is essentially already prohibited.
Unsplash/Kenny Goossen/Lynx
Unsplash/Priscilla Duprez/Mountain Lion
Unsplash/Eddie Black/Bobcat
Trophy Hunting is not specifically illegal in Colorado, so hunters can take as many bobcats as they want and sell their pelts on the international market, CAT campaign manager Samantha Miller told The Daily Caller by phone. (Related: Alligator eats football player, then swims away with body)
“This is one of the few loopholes that still exists, allowing hunters to kill bobcats, skin them, and waste everything except the fur,” she explained. “Because there is no longer a market for fur in the United States, fur trappers can capture an unlimited number of bobcats, dog hunt them for recreation, and ship the fur to China.” Only about 1 percent of Colorado hunting licenses are for mountain lions. According to According to Phys.org , why are hunters and other residents so incensed by the debate over a law that will only affect a few people?
Well, this could have far-reaching implications for both the big cats and Colorado… and no one knows what that means exactly.
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estimate A report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI) found that a big cat hunting ban could reduce the state's economic output by more than $61.65 million. The Common Sense Institute (CSI) also claims that the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) budget could drop by $4 million to $6 million, although initial reports suggested this figure was much lower.
“CPW revenues will decrease by $410,000 due to the direct loss of mountain lion and bobcat hunting licenses.” CSI Citing financial impact findings from a state vote analysis, the report states: “When considering the reduction in elk and mule deer hunting license revenues due to increased mountain lion populations, the dynamic impacts range from $3.6 million to $5.8 million, a nine to 14 times increase.”
This number is expected to swell over time. Even Colorado State Game Reserve data shows Colorado's mountain lion and bobcat populations are abundant, Phys.org reports. If the ban goes into effect, these numbers will likely skyrocket, Jerry Apkar, a former wildlife biologist at the Colorado State Game Reserve, told the outlet. This could lead to a decline in elk and deer populations. (RELATED: Wildlife video shows man get into full-scale hand-to-hand combat with bear)
Fewer elk and deer mean fewer hunting licenses, and fewer licenses and more wildlife management issues mean less funding for CPW, which could have a snowball effect on the daily lives of Colorado residents.
“When I was a kid, this was the way we ate, and it's still the way we ate today,” Jeremiah Wilbur, a hunter from Colorado, told The Daily Caller. “Not only are they making laws that we don't need, they're making laws that are taking food out of people's mouths, either through livestock predation by big cats and other prey, or through economic impacts. Cat populations could explode, upsetting the entire ecosystem and threatening all other species down the food chain.” (Related: Crazy video of orangutan attacking man at zoo)
Miller said the net loss to the state should only be the $400,000 mentioned above, but a PETA representative told The Daily Caller in a phone interview that they weren't concerned about any potential threats that might result from that estimate. The representative said big cats are “ecological engineers that keep the whole ecosystem functioning properly.”
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I've seen a lot of awful videos since returning to news and commentary writing, but this is one of the worst. https://t.co/6GK73PVqzn
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“All the provisions to protect property, people and agriculture are still in place,” Miller said, and he's mostly right. It's all written into law. Apparently there will also be ongoing controls to mitigate the risk of animal attacks, but that will depend on a system that may see funding cuts.
Personally, I see this law as a lose-lose situation no matter how you look at it. In the short term, trappers (who are people too) will be starved of cash and forced to diversify in an ever-shrinking industry. The uncertainty about big cat population growth makes me nervous, as does the potential economic loss to the state.
But I would never advocate hunting animals for sport. There are hundreds of other ways for insecure men and women (who aren't talented enough to actually hunt) to feel special, and killing animals for no reason is not one of them. (Related: 'Tiger King' team brings new nightmare: 'chimpanzee-crazy' women)
What happens in November is up to Colorado residents, and for me, it boils down to one question: can we trust our government, with a limited budget, to be a good steward of our natural landscape?
