Ballot Box Biology suffered a stunning blow in Colorado.  With over half of voters saying no, Proposition 127 has been soundly defeated.  Wildlife experts are the ones who should be making decisions on what’s best for wildlife, not initiatives like this.  CATS Aren’t Trophies and their like are not done and will continue to chip away at hunting’s heritage.  We can celebrate this victory now and also evaluate how we achieved it, and how we can do more. 

Sportsmen CAN win these battles.

The anti-hunting machinery is well-funded, greatly organized, and fully deployed.  Their efforts to end hunting have seemed daunting, but work done by Colorado’s Wildlife Deserve Better and HOWL for Wildlife proves that these are not lost causes.  Strategy sessions that began months ago culminated in a coordinated and effective campaign. Ballot initiatives are not the way to manage wildlife, and this needs to be the rally cry. Commissions stacked with anti-hunting appointees remain a fierce battleground that can be addressed with new incoming governors.  

Sound science and clear communication are crucial to messaging.

Throughout the campaign, proponents of CO 127 piled lies upon lies.  These lies were corrected with more science and verifiable facts.  “Experts” who said this ban would be better for mountain lions and bobcats had zero science to support their claim, and their words rang hollow.  Biologists who work with these cats were key to helping citizens better understand how management worked.  The message, “it's not broken, so don’t fix it” worked.  We need to find better ways to distill reports and facts so everyone can consume them.

Grassroots are where wins are found.

Coloradans (and many non-residents, too!) took it upon themselves to further the cause.  They worked locally to bring awareness to the issue through pint nights, at church groups, and over dinner.  They were intentional in sharing the message that this was bad with people outside of their normal hunting circles.  The majority of people who don’t hunt support it, but they might not know management as intricately as sportsmen.  Conservation groups need to get the material and message into the hands of sportsmen to fuel success. 

When industry partners step up, they show leadership.

To those businesses and influencers who donated dollars, screen time, and awareness, we are grateful for being the first to say what we did before needs to change, and it starts with us.  The hunting industry should take note that while the hunting community won in Colorado, it lost in Arizona.  That state is now more susceptible to the exact attack Colorado just fended off.  This result was still close, but it didn’t need to be.  Early support that is small is far better than big support that comes last minute.  

We will be ready for the next fight.

Seasoned warriors know how to prepare for the battle.  They shed what weighs them down and wield their weapons with accuracy.  HOWL’s new Letter to the Editor tool was a lethal arrow.  Many average sportsmen sent their voices to local papers, whose editorial boards ultimately agreed with them and publicly condemned CO 127.  HOWL’s Action Center and work to field the best ambassadors for hunting prove they are a vital part of defeating anti-hunting.  

Well done to Colorado and all sportsmen.  We will continue to be the champions of wildlife. 

Join HOWL to help us continue these victories.