Anti-hunting advocates in Colorado have filed a ballot proposal for review titled “Prohibit Trophy Hunting” in Colorado, which will eliminate all hunting and trapping of mountain lions, bobcat and federally protected Canada lynx.
“This is the same attack we thwarted last year when these radicals tried to push their misguided extremism through the Colorado legislature,” said Todd Adkins, vice president of government affairs for Sportsmen’s Alliance. “The hunting community will fight this blatant and egregious proposal every step of the way.”
The ballot proposal was accepted by the state’s legislative council staff for a review and comment hearing before it is sent to the Title Board and Secretary of State.
Once the Colorado Secretary of State approves the petition form, backers of the petition are expected to start the signature-gathering process to obtain the required 124,238 signatures to appear on the Colorado 2024 ballot.
While the title of the petition attempts to deceive voters, the intention of the bill is to end all legal hunting of bobcat and mountain lion in Colorado. Lynx are not currently classified as a game animal in Colorado and are protected nationally under the Endangered Species Act.
Although the language is heavily focused on dogs, calling hound hunting “unsporting” and “inhumane,” the draft language defines “trophy hunting” as ANY intentional killing, wounding or entrapping of a mountain lion, bobcat or lynx. Obviously, this would include trapping, predator calling, spot and stalk, or any other form of hunting. This would ultimately take hunting, the most helpful tool for wildlife conservation, straight out of the hands of the state biologists.
Keep tabs on your email inbox as Sportsmen’s Alliance will continue to notify engaged sportsmen at every step in the long process to election day. This will be a year-long battle to defeat this anti-hunting and anti-trapping proposal and it will take everyone working together to send the extremists packing.
About the Sportsmen’s Alliance: The Sportsmen’s Alliance protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
