Prop 84 will place wildlife management language into our Constitution, taking the power to make science-based decisions away from Colorado Parks & Wildlife biologists. Our Constitution will mandate that hunting be the preferred method of wildlife management in Colorado. It will be Constitutional law that CPW biologist turn to hunting over coexistence measure, over non-lethal control, and over habitat improvement.

Prop 84 allows for hunting and trapping by “traditional methods”. This opens the door to the use of cruel steel jaw leg-hold traps and snares, wildlife killing contests, and hound hunting and baiting of bears, all of which have been outlawed in Colorado. Once in our state Constitution, local governments and voters will have no control over their own wildlife management. The federal government recently cleared the way for M-44 cyanide devices (“cyanide bombs”) to return to public lands. This constitutional amendment would make it impossible for Colorado voters to restrict the devices in our state.

If Prop 84 passes, hunting will be the only Constitutionally protected recreational activity. This will elevate hunting and trapping over other outdoor sports such as hiking, mountain biking, snow shoeing, rafting, and bird watching. Hunters may challenge local firearms zoning restrictions, private land ordinances, and activity prioritization, as the right to hunt will fall under the protection of the state’s highest law, above all else.

Prop 84 will open the state up to lawsuits and legal confusion, at the expense of tax payers. It will place undefined terms such as “traditional methods” and “necessary” into our Constitution, which may lead to litigation costs when these terms require interpretation by agencies as hunters challenge existing restrictions.

Prop 84 will mandate that CPW allow the hunting of populations that may not need their numbers reduced. This hunting would be purely recreational and not based on scientific wildlife management. It would be in the interest of hunters and trappers, not in the interest of the wildlife. CPW would only be empowered to ban the hunting of a threatened species once it is listed as endangered. This listing process takes years, during which the species would still be subjected to recreational hunting and over-harvesting.