Coloradans Reject Mountain Lion Hunting Ban
Posted 2024-11-25 by
Proposition 127 was defeated in the general election with a 55.5 percent vote in opposition of the bill
Colorado voters rejected Proposition 127, which would have outlawed hunting and trapping mountain lions, bobcats and lynx. (Photo by Jim Cumming)
Colorado citizens voted to reject a ballot initiative that would have banned the hunting and trapping of mountain lions and bobcats during the November 5 general election.
The Associated Press called the Proposition 127 race the following day when results showed 55.5 percent opposed and 45.5 percent in favor.
According to coloradonewsline.com, under the measure, which was backed by the group Cats Aren’t Trophies, a person who hunted any of these cat species would have been charged with a misdemeanor and faced jail time, fines or the revocation of hunting licenses.
Mountain lion hunting is a popular tradition among Colorado sportsmen and women. Each year, hunters shoot around 500 mountain lions during the winter hunting season, which is tightly managed by state wildlife officials. An average of 880 bobcats are also trapped each year in Colorado, also under tight regulations. The state and federal law already prohibits hunting or trapping of lynx, a federally protected species.
Hunting and trapping advocates opposed Proposition 127, claiming that it wasn’t supported by science and that a ban on hunting mountain lions would cause deer and elk populations to decline.
