Staff Reports
Once upon a time, back in 1995 (yeah, it’s been a while), a dear friend of mine was out in the great outdoors doing what he loves best: collecting shed elk and deer antlers. Picture this, folks: the sun was setting, shadows were growing long, and my buddy was strolling back to his truck with a five-point elk antler in one hand and a trusty folding knife in his pocket.
But then, out of the blue, his senses tingled. Something was watching him, and it wasn’t some friendly woodland creature. No, it was a big, menacing mountain lion, crouched on the trail, only about 30 feet away. Yikes! My friend didn’t waste a second. He whipped out that trusty knife, waved the elk antler over his head like a flag, and let out a battle cry that could make a grizzly bear quiver.
A Colorado advocacy group is pushing for a ban on trophy hunting of mountain lions, citing the need to manage for healthy ecosystems. However, wildlife biologists argue that managing the lion population is necessary due to the growing human population in… https://t.co/PRcLcwhwHt
— The America One News (@am1_news) February 5, 2024
Amidst the chaos, the lion actually stopped and sized up the situation. Lucky for my buddy, the big cat thought better of tangling with a knife-wielding antler-waving human. It sauntered away, leaving my friend shaken but grateful for his quick thinking. And let me tell you, folks, after that scare, he never set foot in the mountains without some serious firepower on his belt.
Now, let’s talk about mountain lions, folks. These creatures are no joke. A full-grown tom, like the one my buddy encountered, could weigh up to 200 pounds. And get this, they can take down an elk that weighs three times as much! Just imagine the power, the fearlessness, the sheer grit these lions possess. They hunt by biting the base of an animal’s skull and snapping its spinal cord in one swift motion. Frankly, their jaws are perfectly designed for chomping on the delicate necks of deer, and yes, even humans.
But here’s the thing, folks. These lions are smart enough to give us humans a wide berth. They see us as a threat, and rightly so. We may not have the jaws of a lion or the muscles of an elk, but we sure know how to defend ourselves. That’s why it’s alarming to hear that some Colorado activists want to ban trophy hunting of mountain lions. They claim it’s all about “managing for healthy ecosystems” and preserving the balance of nature. But come on, folks, let’s be real. If we start interfering with the natural order of things, we’ll be risking our own safety.
This advocacy group called CATs, or Cats Aren’t Trophies (what a catchy name…not), is pushing for ballot initiative 91 to ban trophy hunting of mountain lions. They even want to put a stop to fur trapping of bobcats. But hey, guess what? The experts at the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) who have been managing mountain lion populations since 1965 are not on board with this idea. They know that managing wildlife requires considering not just the needs of the ecosystem but also the needs of the nearly 6 million people who call Colorado home.
See, here’s the thing, folks. In the 2022-23 season alone, 2,599 hunters hunted down 502 mountain lions. That’s right, folks, these hunters, who have honed their skills and taken on incredible challenges, are doing their part to manage the lion population. And let’s not forget, the CPW has estimated that there are about 3,800 to 4,400 adult lions in Colorado. Talk about a conservation success story! According to the CPW, mountain lions are thriving, not threatened or endangered. So why would we mess with a good thing?
These activists may argue that it’s all for the sake of “healthy ecosystems,” but let’s be honest here, folks. They’re just trying to push their own agenda. They want to prioritize the lives of lions over the safety of humans. They want to play Mother Nature, as if they know better than the dedicated wildlife biologists who work day in and day out to manage our precious wildlife.
And here’s something to ponder, folks. When apex predators like mountain lions learn that humans are not a threat, they start seeing us as prey. Picture this: a lion, no longer afraid of humans, lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. These lions are cunning, folks. Unlike wolves that have a success rate of about 15 percent when hunting, lions boast an impressive success rate of over 80 percent! We can’t afford to become easy targets, folks. We need to respect the wild, admire it from a distance, and let the experts manage the wildlife.
Now, back to my fearless friend and his little tango with a mountain lion. After that close call, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He got himself a lion tag from the Division of Wildlife (now known as the CPW) and ventured back into the mountains. His goal? To find that lion and make sure it never messed with another human again. Long story short, he succeeded, and now that lion’s skin adorns his living room wall. It’s a constant reminder of the dangers lurking out there.
So, folks, let’s not be fooled by these so-called activists who want to meddle with wildlife management. We need to trust the experts, listen to those who understand the delicate balance of nature and human safety. So when ballot initiative 91 shows up, I urge you to vote against it. Let’s keep our mountains wild, our humans safe, and our lion populations managed responsibly. After all, folks, it’s not about “believing the science” but about using common sense.
