Voters on the Western Slope have opinions on Proposition 127, a question dealing with the hunting of big cats, on the Colorado ballot this year.
A "yes" for vote Prop. 127 supports defining and prohibiting trophy hunting as "intentionally killing, wounding, pursuing, or entrapping a mountain lion, bobcat, or lynx; or discharging or releasing any deadly weapon at a mountain lion, bobcat, or lynx.”
A "no" opposes that definition and prohibition.
Locals in the region are speaking out about it in online platforms. The Forum asked some of them to go on record.
Dr. Christine Capaldo, DVM, of Telluride but with connections to Norwood, wants the big cat hunting to stop. She works for the Animal Hospital of Telluride and from San Miguel and Ouray counties has gotten more than 1,000 signatures to help get the issue on the ballot. She’s a core member of the group “Cats Aren’t Trophies.”
Capaldo said there’s no scientific reason to hunt big cats. She said their species self-regulate and will not overpopulate if not hunted.
She’s voting “yes” because she said it’s inhumane to hunt big cats with packs of dogs wearing GPS technology. And, she doesn’t like that they’re cornered in trees or caves and shot point-blank, sometimes mutilated by hunting dogs.
“And, it ends the inhumane trapping of bobcats, which are primarily trapped for their fur, which is sent to China and the carcass discarded,” she said.
Capaldo, a vet for 24 years, has been practicing locally for 21 years. She said 900 unpaid volunteers throughout the state helped her group get the number of required signatures for the issue to go to the ballot. She said 188,000 in Colorado signed the petition in support. She added many members in her big cat advocate group are of diverse backgrounds and are biologists, scientists, ethical hunters, ranchers and more.
Adam Warren, of Dove Creek with ties to the West End, has a degree in wildlife biology and is vice president of the state’s Trappers and Predator Hunters Association. Warren told the Forum the Division of Wildlife’s system currently in place is “gold standard.” He the last 125 years of big cat hunting has been based on science, not emotion.
He said licensed hunters kill 500 mountain lions annually that have an average population of 3,800-4,400. He said not taking the 500 annually will make for an 11-13 percent increase.
According to him, deer is the mountain lion’s main source of food, and on average a single mountain lion eats one deer per week, though they’ll eat elk, raccoons, household pets and more.
He said a recent study conducted in the foothills showed that mountain lions kill 143,500 deer annually. Already, there’s a 33 percent chance any deer in Colorado will be killed by a mountain lion. He said deer populations will suffer if the ballot measure passes.
“It will damage deer and elk herds,” he said.
He added Proposition 127 will negatively impact hunting overall, revenue generated by hunting licenses, and as a result, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) will suffer. He said 55 percent of CPW’s revenue comes from hunting. He’s not sure what will happen to hunting in the future. He's worried about state taxes too, and how CPW will be funded.
He said urban sprawl is also affecting habitats, and big cats will lose fear of humans and dogs if not regulated by hunting. He said hunters are ethical in their takes, regarding age, sex and region.
“Let the managers of wildlife do their job,” Warren said Monday.
