Degrading wildlife and morality

I’m a veterinarian in rural Colorado. I raise chickens and sheep and am in the process of acquiring cattle. I grew up hunting deer and enjoy fishing.

I support Proposition 127. My YES vote is an investment in Colorado and our future of ethical hunting and outdoor recreation, and proven practices to keep my ranch animals safe. Trophy hunting increases risk to livestock, studies show, by removing trophy males that coexist without conflict and control vast ranges keeping out juveniles prone to predation. Prop 127 grants me security to know trophy hunting won’t be prioritized as it is today, ahead of my ranch animals.

As someone whose life is dedicated to halt needless suffering of animals, I can tell you that all cats, even wild ones, suffer and feel pain. Being chased with GPS and by a terrifying pack of dogs has nothing to do with ethical sport. It’s not a hunt; it’s an easy target. 

We should be investing in wildlife for health. The trophy lion male is best adept at killing elk infected with Chronic Wasting Disease. Science shows that lions boost healthy deer and elk populations, including from ravaging disease.

Bobcats, too, are much more valuable alive in our ecosystems than as someone’s fur coat. Fur trapping

methods include baiting, then choking an animal to death. There’s no scientific evidence that killing lions and bobcats manages anything except for a sport whose time has come. Join me in a yes vote to protect wild cats and keep them away from trophy hunting that degrades our wildlife and our morality.

– Steven Smolen, DVM, Norwood