With Proposition 127 on the state ballot, Colorado voters will decide whether to continue or ban decades of mountain lion hunting and bobcat fishing.

The measure has drawn widespread support from animal rights activists and strong criticism from major hunting organizations. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which regulates hunting in the state, has not taken a position on the issue, and agency leaders have promised to carry out the will of voters.

Regulated mountain lion hunting began in Colorado in 1965 in response to decades of unregulated hunting and poisoning that drastically reduced the big cat population.

Proposition 127 was placed on the ballot by a coalition called Cats Are Not Trophies. Because it would implement the hunting ban into state law, the measure requires a simple majority to pass in the Nov. 5 election.

Here is an overview of the issues surrounding the proposed ban.

What would Proposition 127 do if passed?

The measure would ban mountain lion hunting and bobcat trapping, making it a misdemeanor. Lions and bobcats could still be killed by Colorado Parks and Wildlife or other government officials if they are found to be a threat, or by someone acting in self-defense or in defense of livestock.

While the title of the proposal includes lynx, hunting of the Canada lynx is already prohibited because it is protected as an endangered species in the lower 48 states under the federal Endangered Species Act. If Prop. 127 passes, the lynx would be protected from hunting in Colorado regardless of its status under the Endangered Species Act.

How many mountain lions and bobcats live in Colorado?

Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates that there are between 3,800 and 4,400 mountain lions in the state. The wildlife agency says the population is strong and abundant.

Although there is no estimated number of bobcats in Colorado, state wildlife officials believe the population is healthy and may be increasing in some areas.

Neither species is listed as threatened or endangered in the United States. There are an estimated 1.4 to 2.6 million bobcats and 20,000 to 40,000 mountain lions in the United States

How many are killed by hunters each year?

According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, hunters have killed an average of 505 mountain lions and 831 bobcats per year over the past three years.

Mountain lions are classified as big game in Colorado along with elk, deer, elk, pronghorn, bear and other species. Hunters must purchase a mountain lion license, which costs $60 for residents and $502 for non-residents. Mountain lion season runs from November 25th to March 31st.

Mountain lion hunters make up about 1% of the more than 200,000 big game hunting licenses the state sells each year. During the 2022-2023 hunting season — the most recent for which CPW data was publicly available — 2,599 people purchased mountain lion hunting licenses and hunters killed 502 lions, a success rate of 19%.

While a mountain lion tag allows one animal to be killed, there is no limit to how many bobcats a hunter can kill. Bobcats are classified as a small game furbear species in Colorado, which also includes minks, badgers, foxes, raccoons and coyotes.

Bobcat hunters must purchase a furbearer license – $36 for residents and $99 for non-residents – and must submit all killed bobcats to the CPW within five days of the animal being killed.

How are mountain lions and bobcats hunted?

Mountain lions are usually hunted with a pack of dogs. Hunters search for mountain lion tracks in the snow and send a pack of dogs to find and corner the cat. Then hunters follow the dogs — sometimes with GPS collars — and shoot and kill the cornered mountain lion.

Bobcats can be shot or captured alive using bait and then killed.

State law requires hunters to submit hunted lion carcasses to the CPW and prepare mountain lion meat for consumption. Bobcat meat does not need to be prepared for consumption.

Would the lion population explode without hunting?

There is evidence that mountain lion numbers may be growing but would eventually level off. It is unclear how many mountain lions would live in Colorado’s available habitat because they have been hunted throughout recent history.

Mountain lion hunting has been illegal in California since 1972 – the only state to completely ban the practice. A study published in 2020 found that cougars lived in concentrations similar to those in ten other western states, including Colorado. The study also found average deer density, the third lowest rate of cougar-human conflict per capita, similar rates of cattle predation and lower rates of sheep predation.

How would Prop. 127 affect state finances?

If passed, the ballot measure would reduce both revenue and spending, according to the state’s Blue Book voter guide.

Analysts estimate Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s revenue from hunting licenses would decline by about $450,000 per year. The agency is funded almost entirely by the sale of licenses, passes, fees and registrations, as well as lottery proceeds and federal grants. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, CPW had revenue of $330 million.

However, according to Blue Book, the agency would save about $77,500 a year by no longer having to compensate ranchers and farmers for damage caused by mountain lions. State law requires CPW to pay for livestock killed or injured and other damage caused by big game species, but mountain lions would no longer be considered big game.

Under Prop. 127, the state would also pay about $172,218 in legal fees over the first two years to create new rules and regulations.

What do supporters say?

Proponents of Prop. 127, led by Cats Aren’t Trophies, say the mountain lion hunting methods are unethical and violate the principles of fair hunting that underlie hunting ethics. They also believe that hunting is not necessary to protect the species in Colorado and that mountain lion populations are self-regulating. Instead of managing the species for sport, they should be managed for the intrinsic value they add to the landscape, advocates say.

They also claim that mountain lion hunters are primarily after the head or hide of a trophy and do not hunt the animal for meat. Therefore, hunting of this species should be considered trophy hunting and prohibited.

Bobcats should not be killed so their pelts can be sold commercially, Prop. 127 supporters say.

Supporters include numerous animal protection groups, wildlife refuges, the Mountain Lion Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Division of the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and renowned wildlife biologist Jane Goodall.

What do opponents say?

According to the Blue Book, opponents say decisions about how to manage Colorado’s wildlife should be left to Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists rather than to the general public through a vote. Current populations of bobcats and mountain lions are stable, they say, suggesting they are not being overly hunted.