PROTECTING THE
WESTERN FRONT
HOW THIS SPRING ’ S PREDATOR MANAGEMENT ATTACKS PANNED OUT ACROSS THE WEST
The Humane Society of the United States , Mountain Lion Foundation , Center for Biological Diversity and other animal-rights organizations initiated a coordinated attack on predator management throughout the West this spring . The assaults were largely rebuked thanks to sportsmen speaking up online , in person and on social media . Here ’ s where things stand and what we can expect .
WIN
ARIZONA Taking public comment during the approval process of the state ’ s five-year game management plan , Arizona faced an onslaught of anti-hunting comments demanding the end of bear , mountain lion and bobcat hunting . Sportsmen rallied and answered those comments with their own , and the Arizona Game and Fish Department stood with hunterconservationists . LOOKING AHEAD : The land of snowbirds and Sun Devils faces a hell of a road in the future . HSUS already tried a ballot initiative to ban “ wildcat ” hunting , and you can bet they ’ re not giving up on the state , which requires only swaying Phoenix voters .
COLORADO Legislation to ban hunting of mountain lions , bobcats and lynx was introduced and assigned to committee . Sportsmen again engaged and a coalition of organizations rallied on the capitol steps , which pushed the committee to vote down the proposed bill . LOOKING AHEAD : After “ Cecil the Lion ” was killed in 2015 , HSUS once again set its sights on mountain lion hunting when it produced a faux report detailing the deadliest states for the big cats , which was solely based on hunters ’ harvest statistics . The Sportsmen ’ s Alliance warned then that ballot initiatives were imminent for two of the five states mentioned : Arizona and Colorado . It could soon be Colorado ’ s turn yet again .
CALIFORNIA Taking a different tack , HSUS petitioned the California game commission asking to outright end bear hunting . If there ’ s a state where a simple petition could succeed in ending an entire season with zero science provided , it ’ s California . Thankfully , and somewhat surprisingly , the commission unanimously rejected the idea . LOOKING AHEAD : Anything goes in the home of Hollywood , so we could again see legislation like last year that bans bear hunting , or HSUS could just decide to bankroll a ballot issue . One thing ’ s for certain : the antis won ’ t give up in California .
WASHINGTON The political hijinks in the Evergreen State can ’ t be exaggerated . Gov . Jay Inslee has blatantly declared war on hunters by appointing game commissioners who openly admit to being anti-hunting and who brag about having his ear when vetting new appointments to the board . The three newest commissioners voted against the spring bear hunt , killing it for a second , and final , time . LOOKING AHEAD : With a 5-4 anti-hunting majority on the commission , sportsmen in the state are in trouble . Commissioners are already fighting any discussion of reinstating next year ’ s spring bear hunt while setting course to go after mountain lion hunting and changing the legal mandate of the commission .
LOSS
WIN
WIN
SUMMER 2022 13