Help us pass a Citizen's Petition that is asking the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commissioners to ban the trapping and hunting of bobcats throughout Colorado.

Bobcats are mostly hunted and trapped for their fur which is then sold to China and Russia to make high-end fashion items. The rest of the carcass is discarded. Due to Amendment 14, trappers in CO are only allowed to use box traps. When trappers catch bobcats they usually strangle them to death with “choke poles” or kill them by drowning or standing on their chests to suffocate them. The reason they do this is because they don’t want to get blood on the pelts, there is “ less of a mess to clean up,” and the “fur is worth more.” Trappers typically don’t shoot the bobcats because they don’t want a hole in the fur or their traps to get damaged. Bobcats are an extremely important part of our ecosystem and naturally control rodent populations as this is their main prey.

In addition, Hunting and trapping of bobcats threaten the genetic diversity, demographics, and long term survival of the bobcat population. Bobcat numbers have historically declined dramatically in several areas of the United States due to poor management and unlimited hunting and trapping. The population status of bobcats in Colorado is unknown and CPW does not currently have a reliable method for evaluating bobcat demographics and population trends within the state. Since 2002 there has been a significant increase in annual bobcat mortality in Colorado, which is mostly due to harvesting by hunters and trappers resulting from an increase in the worth of bobcat pelts. During the 2002-03 season 562 bobcats were harvested, and during the 2016-17 season, 1811 bobcats were harvested. The most recent data regarding Bobcat Mortality Density in Colorado indicates that the 3-year average mortality density has increased statewide and within all four geographic regions (NE, NW, SE, SW) from the preceding 3-year average.

This increase in trapping is putting additional pressure on the populations of bobcats at the same time that their habitat is being destroyed for ever-increasing development and resource extraction. Adding additional pressure on bobcats from live trapping and hunting will detrimentally affect their ability to survive. It is our responsibility as advocates for bobcats and the wildlife community to resist the looting of our wildlife for the sadistic pleasure of the few.

There are two things you can do immediately to help bobcats in Colorado:  

1. Write the commissioners by clicking on this link and following the directives.
2. Sign this change.org petition to illustrate to the commission how many of us care. 

We must be the voice for our wildlife and insist that bobcats are protected! Please sign this petition!

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