Colorado group submits petition to ban hunting of bobcats, mountain lions, lynx

A volunteer group seeking to ban the hunting of Colorado wildcats has submitted signatures to election officials to get the measure on the November ballot.

The group called "Cats Aren’t Trophies," which is behind Initiative 91 , delivered 188,000 signatures to the Secretary of State on Wednesday. The state requires valid signatures from 124,238 registered voters to secure the measure's placement on the November ballot.

Supporters described the hunting of mountain lions and bobcats "inhumane" and called it "commercial killing."

Opponents, meanwhile, countered that it's a threat not just to Colorado's hunting tradition but also to wildlife management itself.

“Today we submit signatures to give Colorado voters an opportunity to stop the inhumane, unsporting killing of mountain lions and bobcats for their heads and their beautiful coats,” said Samantha Miller, the group's campaign manager. “This is commercial killing, with lion-hunting guides charging an $8,000 fee to guarantee a ‘trophy’ and trappers selling bobcat pelts to China.”

The initiative would declare "the intentional killing, wounding, pursuing or entrapping” of any mountain lion, bobcat or lynx as illegal. Individuals found in violation of its provisions would face a Class 1 misdemeanor, and, if convicted, would be unable to hold or exercise a wildlife license for five years.

Two or more offenses would result in a lifetime suspension.

Opponents argue that decisions about managing wildlife resources should be left to wildlife experts — not in the hands of "fringe animal rights activists."

“Decisions about how best to manage our rich wildlife resources should be left to the experts at Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission — not fringe animal rights activists,” Bryan Jones, Colorado and Wyoming coordinator for Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, said in a statement on the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project website. “Colorado already has strong regulations in place to ensure a healthy mountain lion population, including harvest limits and hunter reporting and inspection requirements.”

Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management said it would "strip away the very foundation of science-based wildlife management," and thereby "deprive Colorado’s Wildlife Managers and the sporting community of their rights to manage, pursue, and harvest these well-regulated species."

The Secretary of State has 30 days to review the petition to determine whether it contains a sufficient number of valid signatures.