On Nov. 5, voters will either pass or reject Proposition 127, the initiative to ban mountain lion, bobcat and lynx hunting.

One fact has been true for this citizen’s ballot initiative — big cats elicit big emotions on both sides.

Animal rights activists, hunters, outfitters, elected officials, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife commissioners and employee association have all weighed in on Proposition 127.

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If passed, the initiative would prohibit the intentional killing of wild cats, except in certain cases, like defense of human life and livestock. It would also make landowners ineligible for state reimbursement for damage caused by mountain lions. This ineligibility would only be temporary, according to proponents of the proposition.   

At their Oct. 22 meeting, Grand County commissioners passed a resolution stating their opposition to Proposition 127.

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The commissioners’ resolution states that a ban would have “damaging ecological consequences” and restrict Parks and Wildlife’s authority. However, Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign manager and Grand Lake resident Samantha Miller pushes back on the resolution.

According to the commissioners, hunting of apex predators such as mountain lions “plays a vital role in maintaining sustainable populations, managing the predation of species such as deer, elk and livestock.” The commissioners added that hunting is “crucial for both ecological balance and rural economies throughout Colorado, including in Grand County.” Miller disagreed with the commissioners’ conclusion.

According to Miller, lion and bobcat populations self-regulate based on factors such as available prey. She believes that the lion population will become healthier without hunting.

“The overwhelming body of scientific research shows that you don’t need to hunt mountain lions or bobcats to manage their populations,” she said in an interview with Sky-Hi News. “The population will stabilize near where it’s at now, just it’ll be more structured. So we won’t throw them into social chaos by killing them indiscriminately.”

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What about ungulate populations, such as deer and elk?

A 2021 report from Parks and Wildlife states that mountains lions in Colorado are believed to kill between 197,600 and 228,800 deer per year. The agency believes that there are about 3,800–4,400 adult lions in the state.

Lions also hunt elk, pronghorns, bighorn sheep and moose.

Hunters have harvested an average of 500 lions each year for the past three years, according to Parks and Wildlife. If lions are no longer harvested, what will happen to ungulate populations?

In the resolution, commissioners stated a hunting ban “will decimate the mule deer population in Grand County and across Colorado within a matter of years.”

According to the commissioners, lions consume nearly half of Colorado’s mule deer population annually.

“Lions harvested by hunters is a necessary science-based wildlife conservation practice that balances predators and prey animals so all Colorado wildlife is protected,” the commissioners stated.

According to Miller, Parks and Wildlife conducted scientific research and found no evidence that killing mountain lions increases deer or elk herd sizes.

“What we have found with scientific research, though, is that mountain lions are actually our allies in the battle against chronic wasting disease, and they help keep our herds healthy,” she said. “By hunting mountain lions, we’re not doing anything to manage their populations. We’re also not doing anything to improve the health of our deer and elk herds.”

Does hunting improve safety of pets, people and livestock?

According to the commissioners, hunting keeps lion populations in balance, ensuring the safety of residents who live in wildland-urban interfaces like Grand County.

“A prohibition on hunting mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx could lead to an increase in predator populations, exacerbating risks to rural communities,” commissioners stated.

They feel these risks would be for both pets and livestock. In recent years, lions have killed pets in Grand County. This September, Parks and Wildlife confirmed a mountain lion attacked a dog at a ranch in Parshall. The dog recovered. In 2023, a lion killed a dog in the town limits of Granby.

Miller believes that hunting destabilizes mountain lion populations by removing mature lions and leaving young lions in their stead, which could lead to immature cats targeting easy prey like pets. In addition, if Proposition 127 passes Parks and Wildlife could still euthanize cats that pose safety issues to the community.

How would less hunting impact Grand’s economy?

Ungulate populations are critical for Colorado, not only for its ecosystem, but also the economy. In Grand County specifically, hunters bring in needed income. Kremmling has long been known as “The Sportsman’s Paradise” and a number of outfitters make a living throughout Grand County.

“Loss of mule deer and elk will impact our local economy and across the West Slope,” the commissioners stated. “Hunting contributes to a strong diverse economy that benefits many sectors of our service industry, especially in fall shoulder season.”

Miller feels that Proposition 127 won’t harm the hunting industry as a whole in the state.

 “It does nothing against ethical hunting of deer and elk, it does nothing to that industry,” she said. “In fact, mountain lion hunting is less than 1% of hunters.”

She added that there is not a significant amount of bobcat hunters, and less than 700 fur trappers in Colorado. In the 2023-24 season, 383 bobcats were hunted and 516 were trapped. For perspective, 31,590 deer were estimated to be harvested in 2023, according to Parks and Wildlife.

“If we look at both of those pieces, they’re a drop in the bucket of the overall budget of (Colorado Parks and Wildlife), and they’re a drop in the bucket of rural economies,” she said.  

She added that she herself has hunted deer, and that Cats Aren’t Trophies fully supports lawful ungulate hunting.

Proposition 127 — voters will decide

There are many ethical and societal issues tied up in the Proposition 127. Hunting is part of human history — from harvesting apex predators such as wolves, bears and mountain lions, to the smallest animals on the food chain, like birds and rabbits.

Stakeholders have differing views on what constitutes ethical hunting and science-based wildlife management. To Miller and Cats Aren’t Trophies, mountain lion hunting belongs in the past.

“It’s a relic of anti-predator policies that we had in the 1930s, the 1950s, to hunt cats with packs of up to eight dogs,” she said. “It’s not fair chase; it doesn’t make sense to do that.”

For groups such as the county commissioners, hunting is an ancient tool that is relevant today and is used to maintain a healthy cat population.

Both mountain lions and people call this area home — on Nov. 5 voters will decide how these species cohabitate.

To learn more about Cats Aren’t Trophies, please visit CatsAren’tTrophies.org. Read the Grand County Commissioners’ full resolution by visiting the “Meetings & Agenda” webpage at Co.Grand.Co.Us/27/Government.