Colorado voters will decide via Proposition 127 on the state ballot whether the decades-old hunting of mountain lions and bobcat trapping should continue — or be banned outright.

The measure has stirred fervent support among animal welfare advocates and fierce denouncement by major hunting organizations. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, which regulates hunting in the state, has not taken a stand on the question, and agency leaders have promised to fulfill the will of the voters.

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

Proposition 127 was petitioned onto the ballot by a coalition called Cats Aren’t Trophies. Because it would place the hunting ban in state law, the measure needs a simple majority to pass in the Nov. 5 election.

Here’s a rundown of the issues around the proposed ban.

What would Proposition 127 do if passed?

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

While the proposition title includes lynx, the Canadian lynx is already illegal to hunt since it is protected as a threatened species in the Lower 48 states under the federal Endangered Species Act. If Prop. 127 passes, 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 between 3,800 and 4,400 mountain lions live in the state. The wildlife agency says the population is strong and abundant.

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

Neither species is listed as threatened or endangered in the U.S. An estimated 1.4 to 2.6 million bobcats and 20,000 to 40,000 mountain lions live in the U.S.

How many are killed by hunters each year?

On average, hunters have killed 505 mountain lions and 831 bobcats annually over the last three years, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife data.

Mountain lions are classified as big game animals in Colorado, along with elk, deer, moose, pronghorn, bears and other species. Hunters must obtain a mountain lion license, which cost $60 for residents and $502 for non-residents. The mountain lion season runs Nov. 25 through March 31.

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

While a mountain lion tag allows for the killing of one animal, there is no limit to how many bobcats a hunter can kill. Bobcats are classified as a small-game furbearer species in Colorado, a category that also includes mink, badgers, foxes, raccoons and coyotes.

Bobcat hunters must obtain a furbearer license — $36 for residents and $99 for non-residents — and must present all killed bobcats to CPW within five days of killing the animal.

How are mountain lions and bobcats hunted?

Mountain lions are typically hunted using a pack of dogs. Hunters look for mountain lion tracks in snow and send a pack of dogs to find the cat and corner it. Hunters then follow the dogs — sometimes using GPS collars — and shoot and kill the cornered mountain lion.

Bobcats can be shot and killed, or trapped live using bait and then killed.

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

Without hunting, would lion population explode?

Evidence suggests the number of mountain lions could grow but eventually would level off. It’s unclear how many mountain lions Colorado’s available habitat would support, as they have been hunted for all of recent history.

Mountain lion hunting has been banned in California since 1972 — the only state to fully outlaw the practice. A study published in 2020 found pumas lived in concentrations similar to those in 10 other western states, including Colorado. The study also found average deer densities, the third-lowest rate of cougar-human conflicts per capita, similar rates of cattle depredation and lower rates of sheep depredations.

How would Prop. 127 affect state finances?

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

Revenue to Colorado Parks and Wildlife from hunting licenses would decrease by about $450,000 a year, analysts estimated. The agency is funded almost entirely by the sale of licenses, passes, fees and registrations, along with lottery proceeds and federal grants. In fiscal year 2022-2023, CPW collected $330 million in revenue.

But the agency would save about $77,500 a year because it would no longer have to compensate ranchers and farmers for damages caused by mountain lions, according to the Blue Book. State law mandates that CPW pay for livestock killed or injured and for other damages by big game species, but mountain lions would no longer be considered big game.

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

What do supporters say?

Supporters of Prop. 127, led by Cats Aren’t Trophies, say the methods used to hunt mountain lions are unethical and violate fair chase principles that underlie hunting ethics. They also believe that hunting is not necessary to manage the species in Colorado and that mountain lion populations will self regulate. Instead of managing the species for sport, they should be managed for the intrinsic value they add to the landscape, supporters say.

They also assert that mountain lion hunters are primarily seeking a trophy head or pelt and are not hunting the animal for the meat. Therefore, the hunting of the species should be considered trophy hunting and banned.

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

Supporters include numerous animal welfare groups, wildlife sanctuaries, the Mountain Lion Foundation, the Rocky Mountain chapter of the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and famed wildlife biologist Jane Goodall.

What do opponents say?

Opponents say decisions about how to manage Colorado’s wildlife should be left to Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologists, not the general public through voting, according to the Blue Book. Current populations of bobcats and mountain lions are stable, they say, suggesting they are not being overhunted.

Some opponents say that banning hunting would result in “rapid population increases” that could threaten other species in Colorado, like elk and deer, and pose an increased threat to people, pets and livestock.

Opponents also dispute the contention that mountain lion hunting is trophy hunting. While cougar hunters often seek large animals or animals to mount — like many elk and deer hunters — they are required to prepare the meat for consumption, like all other hunters. Opponents allege Prop. 127 is the first step in efforts to limit or ban hunting more broadly.

Among opponents of the measure are state and national hunting groups and ranching and farming associations.

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