November ballot to include initiative banning big cat hunting in Colorado

A ballot initiative that seeks to prohibit the hunting of lynx, mountain lions and bobcats has received enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot, the Secretary of State’s office announced.

While supporters of the measure argue it will protect the big cats that call Colorado home, opponents have criticized it as “ballot box biology” and contend it will actually do the opposite of what it’s intended to.

Ballot initiative 91 defines trophy hunting as “intentionally killing, wounding, pursuing, or entrapping” a mountain lion, bobcat, or lynx. The measure says this type of hunting “serves no socially acceptable or ecologically beneficial purpose and fails to further public safety.” Trophy hunting is typically practiced with the intent of displaying an animal’s head, fur, or other body parts, rather than for consuming its meat.

“Colorado voters will have an opportunity to halt the inhumane and needless killing of mountain lions and bobcats for their heads and beautiful fur coats,” said Samantha Miller, campaign manager for Cats Aren’t Trophies, the organization behind the measure. “While the measure stops the recreational trophy hunting and commercial fur trapping of wild cats, it allows lethal removal of any problem animal for the safety of people, pets or farm and ranch animals.”

Opponents say the bill is not in Colorado’s best interest.

“Under the current science-based management, our mountain lion and bobcat populations are thriving,” said Dan Gates, who has been active in Colorado conservation efforts for over three decades. “This measure continues to be driven by out-of-state extremists who are seeking to threaten the balance of Colorado’s fragile ecosystem. This ballot measure is dangerous, reckless, and based on absolutely zero scientific research. This measure has absolutely no place in Colorado.”

Wildlife specialists are split on the measure, with one Fort Collins biologist saying hunting does nothing to decrease human-animal conflict.

“If anything, sport hunting only makes conflict worse by disproportionately removing older males and creating a vacuum that is filled by younger, inexperienced males who are more prone to conflict with humans and domesticated animals,” said Mickey Pardo.

“This proposed hunting ban is nothing more than an attempt to upend science-based conservation strategies that are currently being utilized by Colorado Parks and Wildlife,” read a statement from Colorado’s Wildlife Deserves Better. “This measure seeks to allow predator populations to go unchecked across our state, posing a significant safety risk to people, pets, property, livestock, and other wildlife populations across Colorado.

Read more about the measure here.