Denver Post editorial board opposes ban on mountain lion, bobcat and bobcat hunting

Coloradans are asked to ban mountain lion hunting, the hunting and trapping of bobcats and endangered bobcats if the animal is removed from the list.

‘No’ vote appeared Proposal 127 will allow hunting and trapping to continue under the careful regulations and scientific control of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

The Denver Post editorial board has long supported wildlife officials. CPW pursues scientifically managed populations and the promotion of hunting as both recreation and a source of food and as a tool for population control.

The group that proposed Proposition 127, known as CATS, focused its campaign on arguing that trophy hunting, or sport hunting, is inherently unethical and should be banned in a state known for its hunting recreational opportunities. For now, the target is big cats, but we are afraid of what might be targeted next. Hunting a bear?

No one hunts deer primarily for meat, and although the fish generally survive capture and release, sometimes the stress or injury becomes too much and they die. Hunting and fishing are not necessarily unethical, even if meat supply is not the primary motivation.

While most Coloradans would not participate in a mountain lion hunt or hesitate to kill a bobcat caught in a live trap, we do not think these practices are beyond their limits. Like all outdoor recreation, it has an impact on wildlife, but CPW’s mission is to carefully regulate and manage the balance between hunting and healthy ecosystems, and between fisheries and thriving trout populations in Colorado’s rivers and streams.

Colorado’s mountain lion populations appear to be on the rise. Lynx are not listed in insufficient numbers, although it is difficult to make population estimates on the elusive animals and lynxes are already an endangered species and hunting and trapping of the animal is not permitted.

However, some shocking revelations came from the CATS campaign. In a state known for recreational hunting, all is not lost as voters rejected a hunting ban outright.

First, mountain lion hunters kill too many lionesses. About half of the 500 lions killed last year were female; this can endanger the lion population and also lead to the death of inadvertently nursing cubs if signs are missed or ignored by hunters. As for moose and elk, CPW start limiting How many licenses are issued to lionesses each year?