Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Wildlife management again on the ballot. This time it's in
the name of protecting large cats like mountain lions and
bobcats from being hunted.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
On the ballot, it'll be Proposition one twenty seven. If
it passes by voters, it would ban the hunting of
big cats in Colorado, where advocates say this would help
return the balance of nature on with this now to
speak from the position of the opposition, he's a former
thirty year employee from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and
with Colorado's wildlife deserves better organization at Lyle Seidner. Lyle,
(00:29):
we appreciate you coming on and you have a unique
perspective with this working for CPW. What is nature ecology
in the data say about big cats and they're important
in the environment.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well that the big thing is that Colorida Parks and
Wildlife has a long history of using science to professionally
manage wildlife management, and this ballot initiative takes that away
it much like we saw in twenty twenty with the wolves.
(01:02):
It's on the ballot and it referred to as ballot
box biology. The voters taking that professional management away from
the people that are hired to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
We'll walk us through the current process of what it
takes or what you can do when it comes to
hunting bobcats and mountain lions in our state.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
The big thing to remember is that it's a very
rigorous process. Actually, mountain lion hunting is probably the most
restrictive of big game hunting activities. The hunter has to
meet several benchmarks before they can go hunting, the first
(01:45):
of which is that they have to pass a hunter
Education test class and tests if they were born after
nineteen forty nine. They must then take a Mountain Lion
Education and Identification course and examine and pass with an
eighty percent higher score purchase a mountain lion license. Then
(02:05):
they have to check the geographical area the game management
unit that they want to hunt daily to see if
it's still open. When the harvest limit is met in
a game management unit, that area is close to hunting
and they can't go run in that area. Once they're successful.
(02:28):
If they harvest a lion, they must contact CPW within
forty eight hours and report that harvest and then present
it within five days to be inspected so that CPW
can collect data from it and put a seal on it.
That makes the lion legal and that's more than is
(02:50):
required for any other big game species.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Lyle, what is the current ecological balance with bobcats and
with the mountain lions? Where we had a good balance
or we under.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Over with the information that's available in both populations are
in a very good place. The CPW estimates the lion
population to be about four thousand. That's twenty to thirty
times more than when regulated sport hunting started on mountain
(03:21):
lions in nineteen sixty five. Bobcats throughout their range in
all across the United States are believed to be have
a very healthy population, and that's the case in Colorado.
Cats are very hard to estimate, but there's been more
research done on mountain lions using radio tracking callers and
(03:45):
then taking that science based information that's gathered to estimate
the population. But both populations are in a good place
right now.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Do you have an estimate of how many bobcats are
Mountain lions are usually hunted and killed per year in
our state and what is the economic impact of that.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
The The average over the last three years of harvest
of mountain lions has been about five hundred, so each
one of those represents that a license was purchased. In
many cases, the hunters hire an outfitter or guide and
(04:29):
pay them, so that's economically important to them, and then
the rural areas of Colorado received that economic benefit as
well as the hunters. Is uh is in that that area.
Wally's hunting harvest of bobcats is been about eight hundred.
A lot more people participate in that recreationally across the state.
(04:55):
Probably a lesser impact I guess per capita than than
than lions, but it certainly is an economic impact. The
The other thing to to realize is that that money
that's that that goes to license purchases is it goes
directly back to CPW, and CPW is charged them with
(05:18):
using that money to manage those species.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Are you concerned that mountain lions are an apex predator?
Bobcats are as well, but I know they hunt small,
smaller game. Are you concerned that something like this could
could upset nature's balance to where they're not doing their
job keeping l curds and other animals at least in
check with their populations and keep that balance in nature.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Well, there's a lot more. There's a lot more that
goes on than just the bobcats and lions. I mean,
CPW also manages those those big game animals. This uh uh,
the the management of bobcats and lions allows allows for
that harvest, and and it as by the fact that
(06:02):
the populations are are healthy. They're they're they have no
excuse me, they are they're doing very well. And so
the argument is that the harvest is sustainable and can
(06:22):
continue lyle.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
And wrapping up with you, this is more philosophical than
anything else, But you're an expert in the space with wildlife.
Is this an example where decisions like this should be
left to experts like yourself for people in that realm
versus citizens in the metro area that maybe you don't
have to deal with these issues.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Absolutely, I mean that's that's the biggest thing to take
away from this. The CPW uses science to make these decisions.
The proposal as it's written realies entirely upon emotion.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
With the latest on Proposition one twenty seven, the Big
Cat Hunting Band that will be before Colorado voters in November.
It's a former thirty year employee for Colorado Parks and
Wildlife with the Colorado Wildlife deserves better program ats. Lyle Sadener.
On the opposite side, we'll hear from those that say
yes on one twenty seven that cats are not trophies.
Coming up at seven nineteen
Wildlife management again on the ballot. This time it's in
the name of protecting large cats like mountain lions and
bobcats from being hunted.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
On the ballot, it'll be Proposition one twenty seven. If
it passes by voters, it would ban the hunting of
big cats in Colorado, where advocates say this would help
return the balance of nature on with this now to
speak from the position of the opposition, he's a former
thirty year employee from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and
with Colorado's wildlife deserves better organization at Lyle Seidner. Lyle,
(00:29):
we appreciate you coming on and you have a unique
perspective with this working for CPW. What is nature ecology
in the data say about big cats and they're important
in the environment.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
Well that the big thing is that Colorida Parks and
Wildlife has a long history of using science to professionally
manage wildlife management, and this ballot initiative takes that away
it much like we saw in twenty twenty with the wolves.
(01:02):
It's on the ballot and it referred to as ballot
box biology. The voters taking that professional management away from
the people that are hired to do that.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
We'll walk us through the current process of what it
takes or what you can do when it comes to
hunting bobcats and mountain lions in our state.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
The big thing to remember is that it's a very
rigorous process. Actually, mountain lion hunting is probably the most
restrictive of big game hunting activities. The hunter has to
meet several benchmarks before they can go hunting, the first
(01:45):
of which is that they have to pass a hunter
Education test class and tests if they were born after
nineteen forty nine. They must then take a Mountain Lion
Education and Identification course and examine and pass with an
eighty percent higher score purchase a mountain lion license. Then
(02:05):
they have to check the geographical area the game management
unit that they want to hunt daily to see if
it's still open. When the harvest limit is met in
a game management unit, that area is close to hunting
and they can't go run in that area. Once they're successful.
(02:28):
If they harvest a lion, they must contact CPW within
forty eight hours and report that harvest and then present
it within five days to be inspected so that CPW
can collect data from it and put a seal on it.
That makes the lion legal and that's more than is
(02:50):
required for any other big game species.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Lyle, what is the current ecological balance with bobcats and
with the mountain lions? Where we had a good balance
or we under.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Over with the information that's available in both populations are
in a very good place. The CPW estimates the lion
population to be about four thousand. That's twenty to thirty
times more than when regulated sport hunting started on mountain
(03:21):
lions in nineteen sixty five. Bobcats throughout their range in
all across the United States are believed to be have
a very healthy population, and that's the case in Colorado.
Cats are very hard to estimate, but there's been more
research done on mountain lions using radio tracking callers and
(03:45):
then taking that science based information that's gathered to estimate
the population. But both populations are in a good place
right now.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
Do you have an estimate of how many bobcats are
Mountain lions are usually hunted and killed per year in
our state and what is the economic impact of that.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
The The average over the last three years of harvest
of mountain lions has been about five hundred, so each
one of those represents that a license was purchased. In
many cases, the hunters hire an outfitter or guide and
(04:29):
pay them, so that's economically important to them, and then
the rural areas of Colorado received that economic benefit as
well as the hunters. Is uh is in that that area.
Wally's hunting harvest of bobcats is been about eight hundred.
A lot more people participate in that recreationally across the state.
(04:55):
Probably a lesser impact I guess per capita than than
than lions, but it certainly is an economic impact. The
The other thing to to realize is that that money
that's that that goes to license purchases is it goes
directly back to CPW, and CPW is charged them with
(05:18):
using that money to manage those species.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Are you concerned that mountain lions are an apex predator?
Bobcats are as well, but I know they hunt small,
smaller game. Are you concerned that something like this could
could upset nature's balance to where they're not doing their
job keeping l curds and other animals at least in
check with their populations and keep that balance in nature.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
Well, there's a lot more. There's a lot more that
goes on than just the bobcats and lions. I mean,
CPW also manages those those big game animals. This uh uh,
the the management of bobcats and lions allows allows for
that harvest, and and it as by the fact that
(06:02):
the populations are are healthy. They're they're they have no
excuse me, they are they're doing very well. And so
the argument is that the harvest is sustainable and can
(06:22):
continue lyle.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
And wrapping up with you, this is more philosophical than
anything else, But you're an expert in the space with wildlife.
Is this an example where decisions like this should be
left to experts like yourself for people in that realm
versus citizens in the metro area that maybe you don't
have to deal with these issues.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Absolutely, I mean that's that's the biggest thing to take
away from this. The CPW uses science to make these decisions.
The proposal as it's written realies entirely upon emotion.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
With the latest on Proposition one twenty seven, the Big
Cat Hunting Band that will be before Colorado voters in November.
It's a former thirty year employee for Colorado Parks and
Wildlife with the Colorado Wildlife deserves better program ats. Lyle Sadener.
On the opposite side, we'll hear from those that say
yes on one twenty seven that cats are not trophies.
Coming up at seven nineteen
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