2024 Colorado Proposition 127 was a proposed ballot measure that appeared before voters in Colorado during the 2024 general election. If the citizen initiated proposition had passed, it would have made it illegal to hunt and kill bobcats, mountain lions, and lynx in Colorado.

Background Currently, hunting bobcats and mountain lions is legal in Colorado and regulated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Of the roughly 4,000 mountain lions in Colorado, 504 were killed during the 2022–23 hunting seasons, with hunters being required to take training courses and report all kills within 48 hours of killing an animal. The state collects over $400,000 in revenue annually from big cat hunting licenses. Hunting lynx is already illegal in Colorado and remained so regardless of Proposition 127's failure to pass.

Proposition 127 was referred to the ballot through citizen petition. Petitions were circulated by the group Cats Aren't Trophys and largely funded by animal rights organizations. They gathered just under 150,000 signatures to put Proposition 127 on the ballot. Had voters approve the measure, bobcat and mountain lion hunting would have become illegal in Colorado.

Contents The proposition appeared on the ballot as follows:

Campaigns Support The main campaign in favor of Proposition 127 was led by the group Cats Aren't Trophies. Colorado's official voter guide offered the arguments that hunting big cats is inhumane and supports the unnecessary practice of commercial fur trade. It went on to argue big cat populations in Colorado can self regulate and would not become a public danger without hunters.

Opposition There are two organizations which led opposition to Proposition 127. They were Colorado's Wildlife Deserve Better and Western Heritage Conservation Alliance. The state's official voter guide also offered the arguments that Proposition 127 would have restricted Colorado Parks and Wildlife's ability to manage big cat populations, lynx hunting is already illegal in Colorado, and hunting mountain lions and bobcats provides an important revenue source to wildlife management systems and local communities.

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error Yes No UndecidedYouGovOctober 18–30, 2024754 (LV)± 4.5%57%30%13%

Results Proposition 127 required a simple majority to pass. It failed with only 45% of voters supporting the measure.

Results by county County For Against Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % Adams 106,282 48.58% 112,511 51.42% -6,229 -2.85% 218,793 Alamosa 2,582 36.12% 4,567 63.88% -1,985 -27.77% 7,149 Arapahoe 156,021 50.54% 152,708 49.46% 3,313 1.07% 308,729 Archuleta 3,057 34.06% 5,918 65.94% -2,861 -31.88% 8,975 Baca335 17.38% 1,593 82.62% -1,258 -65.25% 1,928 Bent619 29.39% 1,487 70.61% -868 -41.22% 2,106 Boulder 110,045 59.05% 76,306 40.95% 33,739 18.11% 186,351 Broomfield 22,639 50.50% 22,188 49.50% 451 1.01% 44,827 Chaffee 4,989 35.60% 9,027 64.40% -4,038 -28.81% 14,016 Cheyenne137 13.37%888 86.63% -751 -73.27% 1,025 Clear Creek 2,263 38.36% 3,636 61.64% -1,373 -23.28% 5,899 Conejos995 24.83% 3,013 75.17% -2,018 -50.35% 4,008 Costilla830 42.46% 1,125 57.54% -295 -15.09% 1,955 Crowley513 30.68% 1,159 69.32% -646 -38.64% 1,672 Custer 1,114 29.32% 2,685 70.68% -1,571 -41.35% 3,799 Delta 5,098 26.73% 13,972 73.27% -8,874 -46.53% 19,070 Denver 195,313 56.90% 147,921 43.10% 47,392 13.81% 343,234 Dolores257 18.48% 1,134 81.52% -877 -63.05% 1,391 Douglas 96,607 41.43% 136,573 58.57% -39,966 -17.14% 233,180 Eagle 10,342 39.02% 16,163 60.98% -5,821 -21.96% 26,505 El Paso 171,772 46.78% 195,415 53.22% -23,643 -6.44% 367,187 Elbert 4,886 24.47% 15,084 75.53% -10,198 -51.07% 19,970 Fremont 7,833 31.31% 17,181 68.69% -9,348 -37.37% 25,014 Garfield 9,786 33.28% 19,621 66.72% -9,835 -33.44% 29,407 Gilpin 1,533 38.09% 2,492 61.91% -959 -23.83% 4,025 Grand 2,327 23.89% 7,413 76.11% -5,086 -52.22% 9,740 Gunnison 3,147 29.71% 7,445 70.29% -4,298 -40.58% 10,592 Hinsdale185 30.78%416 69.22% -231 -38.44%601 Huerfano 1,670 38.67% 2,649 61.33% -979 -22.67% 4,319 Jackson84 10.19%740 89.81% -656 -79.61%824 Jefferson 158,481 45.49% 189,931 54.51% -31,450 -9.03% 348,412 Kiowa135 16.11%703 83.89% -568 -67.78%838 Kit Carson724 20.38% 2,828 79.62% -2,104 -59.23% 3,552 La Plata 15,066 44.12% 19,085 55.88% -4,019 -11.77% 34,151 Lake 1,420 37.29% 2,388 62.71% -968 -25.42% 3,808 Larimer 93,401 43.24% 122,613 56.76% -29,212 -13.52% 216,014 Las Animas 2,705 36.07% 4,794 63.93% -2,089 -27.86% 7,499 Lincoln506 19.98% 2,026 80.02% -1,520 -60.03% 2,532 Logan 2,562 26.12% 7,246 73.88% -4,684 -47.76% 9,808 Mesa 29,695 33.28% 59,525 66.72% -29,830 -33.43% 89,220 Mineral188 25.75%542 74.25% -354 -48.49%730 Moffat872 13.32% 5,675 86.68% -4,803 -73.36% 6,547 Montezuma 4,545 31.20% 10,021 68.80% -5,476 -37.59% 14,566 Montrose 6,884 27.67% 17,992 72.33% -11,108 -44.65% 24,876 Morgan 3,775 28.99% 9,247 71.01% -5,472 -42.02% 13,022 Otero 3,000 34.51% 5,693 65.49% -2,693 -30.98% 8,693 Ouray 1,760 44.64% 2,183 55.36% -423 -10.73% 3,943 Park 3,514 29.63% 8,344 70.37% -4,830 -40.73% 11,858 Phillips475 21.37% 1,748 78.63% -1,273 -57.26% 2,223 Pitkin 4,681 44.84% 5,758 55.16% -1,077 -10.32% 10,439 Prowers 1,327 26.70% 3,643 73.30% -2,316 -46.60% 4,970 Pueblo 36,653 44.75% 45,248 55.25% -8,595 -10.49% 81,901 Rio Blanco328 8.95% 3,337 91.05% -3,009 -82.10% 3,665 Rio Grande 1,750 28.82% 4,323 71.18% -2,573 -42.37% 6,073 Routt 5,299 33.24% 10,645 66.76% -5,346 -33.53% 15,944 Saguache 1,411 43.67% 1,820 56.33% -409 -12.66% 3,231 San Juan296 53.82%254 46.18% 42 7.64%550 San Miguel 2,534 55.59% 2,024 44.41% 510 11.19% 4,558 Sedgwick315 24.65%963 75.35% -648 -50.70% 1,278 Summit 6,553 39.39% 10,085 60.61% -3,532 -21.23% 16,638 Teller 5,347 33.46% 10,634 66.54% -5,287 -33.08% 15,981 Washington434 15.82% 2,310 84.18% -1,876 -68.37% 2,744 Weld 61,392 35.56% 111,261 64.44% -49,869 -28.88% 172,653 Yuma759 16.68% 3,791 83.32% -3,032 -66.64% 4,550Total 1,382,04845.26%1,671,71054.74%-289,662-9.49%3,053,758

See also

2024 United States ballot measures

Notes

References