Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) is disappointed that Ballot Initiative 91, which proposes a hunting ban for Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and Lynx, has garnered enough signatures to appear on the Colorado ballot this November. BHA urges its members and all conservation-minded citizens to work within their communities to educate their friends, family members, and neighbors on how this initiative contradicts science-based wildlife management and the use of hunting as a tool to manage vital species in Colorado.
BHA has a long-standing history of advocating for science-based wildlife management practices that ensure the sustainability of natural resources for future generations. We believe that decisions affecting wildlife populations should be based on rigorous scientific research and data. BHA supports regulated and ethical wildlife harvest as a fundamental principle of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Regulated hunting is the best tool available to Colorado Parks and Wildlife for managing the state’s huntable wildlife populations.
According to Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) 33-1-101, it is the policy of the state to protect, preserve, enhance, and manage wildlife and their environment for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and visitors of Colorado. The statutes further declare that hunting, trapping, and fishing are the primary methods for necessary wildlife harvests.
Science-based wildlife management decisions help avoid unintended consequences for people, other species, and the entire ecosystem. Colorado’s current regulations, which consider the biology, habitat, and natural history of mountain lions and bobcats, have resulted in healthy and abundant populations utilizing hunting as the primary management tool. Lynx are already protected by both state and federal law.
BHA supports healthy, statewide mountain lion and bobcat populations through sustainable, regulated hunting. Existing laws ensure the legal and ethical harvest of Colorado’s wildlife. Wildlife management decisions should be guided by scientific research and expertise, not by emotionally driven initiatives that can lead to unintended consequences. BHA will continue to work with our partners like the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project (CWCP) to mobilize our community, provide information, and organize events to raise awareness about the importance of science-based wildlife management and the dangers of this measure.
Consider joining BHA to help ensure there’s a voice at the policy table in support of our shared public lands, waters, and wildlife.
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers seeks to ensure North America's outdoor heritage of hunting and fishing in a natural setting, through education and work on behalf of wild public lands, waters, and wildlife.
About Bryan Jones
Regional Policy Coordinator (CO, MT, WY)