In 2020, voters approved reintroducing wolves to Colorado. Now residents must make another decision regarding the state’s large predators: big cats.

Proposition 127 would ban the hunting and trapping of bobcats and mountain lions, practices that have been regulated in the state for generations.

Hunting lynx is already illegal in Colorado since the federally endangered species was reintroduced to the state in 1999. The initiative would provide preventative protection for lynxes if they lose this federally protected status.

Prop 127 also provides room for exceptions and establishes penalties for violations of the proposed law.

If you vote “yes” on Prop 127, you want to ban the hunting of bobcats, bobcats and mountain lions. Voting no to the measure would allow bobcat and mountain lion hunting to continue as before, while lynx hunting remains illegal under state and federal law.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is the state agency responsible for all wildlife management and regulates the legal taking of fish and wildlife through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.

Currently, bobcats may be harvested with a furbearer license between December and February, with no limit on the number of bobcats killed. According to CPW, an average of 880 bobcats have been harvested per year over the past four years. The species’ total population in Colorado is unknown, but it is considered widespread and stable.

For mountain lions, hunting is much more strictly controlled. The state’s population is considered stable and is between 3,800 and 4,400 animals. To hunt mountain lions, hunters must have a special mountain lion training certificate in addition to the required standard hunter training card. Additionally, obtaining an individual license from the state is required. Each animal removed must also be inspected by CPW and all edible meat must be prepared for human consumption. Over the past four years, an average of 500 mountain lions have been shot per year.

Here is the language you will see on your ballot:

Will there be an amendment to the Colorado Revised Statutes to prohibit the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and bobcats and, in this context, a prohibition to intentionally kill, wound, pursue, capture or fire or release a deadly weapon? on a mountain lion, lynx or bobcat; Creating eight exceptions to this ban, including to protect life, property and livestock; Determining a violation of this prohibition as a Class 1 misdemeanor; and increasing fines and limiting wildlife license privileges for people convicted of this crime?

How would Proposition 127 work?

If passed, people accused of illegally killing these wild cat species could face up to 364 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, or both. Those convicted would not be able to obtain new hunting or fishing licenses in Colorado for five years. And the penalties would increase with further convictions.

The initiative continues to allow the cats to be killed under certain circumstances. These include protecting the life of people or livestock, accidentally hitting a cat with a vehicle, and the actions of government employees in their official capacity.

Prop 127 would impact both CPW revenue and money spent by the department.

The state estimates CPW would lose $410,000 in revenue next year and $450,000 in each subsequent year. This is due to lost revenue from issuing mountain lion hunting licenses and the potential decline in furbear licenses sold if bobcats are removed from the animals on the legal furbear list. However, the state could recoup a small portion of that money through fines and penalties if illegal hunting occurs.

Projects show that the state would spend less money if the initiative were adopted. This is due to a possible decline in so-called “wildlife compensation claims,” which are paid to livestock producers when their animals are killed or injured by mountain lions. (This is expected to reduce government spending by about $39,000 in the first year and by about $77,500 in subsequent years.) If the measure passes, the big cats would no longer be “game” and livestock farmers would not be responsible for the dues Losses compensated for reclassification of the animal. The group supporting Prop 127 is working with NGOs to provide interim funding to ensure livestock producers receive compensation for mountain lion depredations while they work with lawmakers on a long-term funding solution.

The new law would not change the process for pet owners to contact CPW for help with problem animals.

CPW would likely spend more money on legal services — about $57,000 in the first year and about $115,000 in the second year. These fees go to the CO Legal Department to establish the rules and regulations necessary to comply with the policies set forth in Proposition 127. All in all, CPW spending would increase slightly in the first two years and then in the third year legal spending would decrease.

Projections show CPW’s budget would be about $372,000 lower in the third year the law is in effect annually than today.

Who is for Proposition 127?

Supporters of Proposition 127 are led by the Grand Lake-based Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign. After collecting the necessary signatures to place the measure on the ballot, the group campaigned aggressively in progressive circles across the state.

“Cats Aren’t Trophies” has garnered the support of prominent conservationists and celebrities, ranging from Dan Ashe, director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service during the Obama administration, to actor and environmentalist Robert Redford and acclaimed naturalist Jane Goodall.

Advocates point to what they say are unsportsmanlike or unethical tactics used by big cat hunters, including the use of hunting dogs, bait and traps. They argue that killing animals for their fur is an antiquated and unnecessary practice that can cause kittens to lose their mothers and artificially disrupt the predators’ natural place in the ecosystem.

Who is against Proposition 127?

The nonprofit Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management is leading the effort to defeat Proposition 127. The group describes the initiative as a threat to America’s wildlife management system and Colorado’s rich hunting tradition.

Opponents of Proposition 127 say the initiative violates the rights of the state’s sportsmen and limits Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s ability to use legal harvesting to manage predator populations. They also accuse Cats Aren’t Trophies of using the initiative’s language to try to deceive voters into believing that lynx are being hunted in Colorado today.

Opponents argue that wildlife management decisions should not be left to voting but should instead be made by biologists at Colorado Parks and Wildlife. They say CPW has successfully managed the state’s big cat populations for decades.

Editor’s note: This entry has been updated with additional reporting on how the measure could affect livestock reimbursement.