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Yet the Sportsmen's Alliance warns me that, after bobcat trapping gets banned, "hunting … and even fishing are the next traditions in the antis' crosshairs."

I don't buy it.

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The author is an idiot... both of those things have been and will continue to be targets. Will they ever succeed in eliminating hunting/fishing? Probably not, but they're okay with restricting the hell out of it so as few people as possible can do it.

And wtf is this:

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A study published in 2017 in the journal "Biodiversity and Conservation," based on money spent by wildlife photographers, set the value of a single live bobcat at $308,000. Today, the average bobcat pelt fetches $100.

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And then there is this:

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During winter, bobcats keep warm by finding shelter. In live traps, they're immobilized and exposed to cold, rain, snow and wind. Traps must be checked every 24 hours, but there's virtually no enforcement, so live-trapped bobcats sometimes suffer for days. When traps do get checked, bobcats get bludgeoned or strangled.

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Does the above statement sound like it came from an avid outdoorsman? Yet he begins with this little quip to try and persuade the reader you can trust his opinion as a hunter:

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As a lifelong hunter and angler,

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I am sure there is some science that needs to be done in evaluating the environmental impact this potentially has on CO ecosystems and maybe a better approach would be benefical; however, a fear mongering article from Steamboat Newspaper from someone with a clear political agenda, is not going to persuade anyone this is actually about the "science"

(not directed at you - this type of article just disgusts me)

Synopsis:

You can trap bobcats for their pelts. Colorado is considering a law banning hunting and trapping of bobcats (also lynx and mountain lions). Opponents of law cite 'slippery slope' leading to banning of all hunting and fishing. Author of opinion piece linked here is a conservations, hunter, and angler who agrees with ban, and rejects slippery slope.

My opinion: I don't care about hunting of prey animals. I'm not fond of hunting of predator animals. Lots fewer of them, and they are part of the ecosystem for a reason. I doubt that an outright ban is smart, but neither is no regulation at all.

I do get the knee jerk resistance to anything the "anti" crowd does.

Also, most pelts are going to Russia and China, and To Hell with those backwards, greedy, communist hell holes.

I did not read the whole article, I just couldn't wade through all the bullsh:$. The author has absolutely no clue what he is talking about.

Every bobcat taken in Colorado has to be reported to and inspected by CPW personnel. Same with lions. Lynx are protected. CPW has better harvest data on cats than any other species. Population data is harder to obtain, because of their secretive nature, but if populations were in decline, it would show in the harvest rates.

All trapping is done in live box traps. Even when fur prices are high, the take is anything but indiscriminate. Females and young cats are let go, especially by the guys that really know what they are doing. Accidental take of lynx is almost unheard of. Again, box traps, they are let go, and they use different habitat.

The author makes it seem like we are laying waste to the bobcat population year in and year out, and that just isn't true.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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Bobcats certainly play a role and I am not in favor of their eradication. I have shot them and will continue to shoot them when I see them where I deer hunt. I had a one take down a doe during a hunt and refuse to pass on them now. If I hadn't witnessed that, I would let them all walk.

They're cool animals though!

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Probably not a bad thing to have a few doe taken down from bobcats. Most places need the does thinned out anyways.

ttha_aggie_09 said:

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Not us…. Our deer counts have trended down since 2017, along with some places nearby. We're really trying to let our herd rebuild and every doe we have is valuable right now.

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I don't know where you are but just come snag about half a dozen from my backyard in Leander.

Good to know I've eliminated over $46,200,000 worth of bobcats in the last few years. Where do I go for payment?