bear hunt ( pg . 12 ). Likewise , look what has happened with the mountain lion , bobcat and lynx hunting-ban initiative in Colorado , and consider the following from the front group pushing the initiative , Cats Aren ’ t Trophies , website :
“... mountain lions are key to whole ecosystem health ... By allowing inhumane and unnecessary trophy hunting and trapping of wild cats in modern times when we face climate change and biodiversity losses ...”
But this use of emotional , loaded and politicized verbiage isn ’ t exactly new ; it ’ s been happening for years . It was used during COVID-19 when extremists petitioned the U . S . Fish and Wildlife Service to end all interstate transport of animals , including game animal parts such as meat , hides and horns , all in the name of safety and , of course , saving biodiversity . It ’ s also the lynchpin in the government ’ s reasoning , the impetus of which was a lawsuit brought by animal extremists , to end the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on national wildlife refuges , despite zero science indicating a need .
The undocumented justifications of biodiversity , climate change , ecosystem-wide health and other buzzwords to end specific hunting practices are repeated in mainstream media , and people believe it must be true because they ’ ve heard about these larger issues for decades now .
However , it ’ s all an associative sleight of hand with little substance .
Using language that incorporates these global themes sounds reasonable to many , and so it has become a lever to affect the discussion and push the animal-idealogues ’ agenda . They ’ re turning policy , sometimes with the power of law , upside down in their bid to gain leverage and push their plan . By getting “ big tent ideas ” written into code , policy or even law , they can compel their views upon society , even when actual science says otherwise — again , exactly what we ’ ve seen time and again in California , Washington , Colorado and at the federal level when it comes to wildlife refuges and national preserves .
Context matters , however , ( see sidebar ) and if we don ’ t push back against this abuse of language , the mental gymnastics will be used to regulate , restrict and remove not just activities such as hound , bait and predator hunting , but endeavors many sportsmen consider untouchable .
TAKING EVERYTHING Multimillion-dollar organizations and activists will claim that they ’ re not out to end hunting or fishing ; they just want to stop certain practices they consider egregious or unethical . But , using the same arguments that are being justified to take bear , mountain lion and wolf seasons now , they ’ ll come for even the most benign of our outdoor heritage later .
Fishing : Often considered the “ safest ” of our activities , fishing faces many current and potential fights against unmitigated regulation or outright stoppage . We ’ ve already discussed the lead ban on refuges , which could easily be expanded to all federal land and further leveraged to state lands and waters as prerequisite to receiving Dingell-Johnson funding . Consider also that as hunting-contest bans sweep the nation , it ’ s a small justifiable jump to fishing tournaments . Bring endangered species into the mix and climate change , and there ’ s already been calls to close West Coast fisheries due to falling salmon and steelhead stocks . The antis will argue that the only way to save many fish species from warming waters will be to close all fishing in an area — they ’ ll say that bycatch of an endangered species stresses and threatens that fish regardless of intent . And if they don ’ t get their way , they ’ ll sue to force it under the Endangered Species Act .
Small Game : The phrase “ keystone species ” is typically reserved for apex predators , but once an idiom catches on , activists will use it wherever advantageous . Using keystone species , climate change and habitat loss , extremists will press
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