Take action dammit
Colorado
https://coloradosun.com/2023/10/03/mountain-lion-hunting-ban-ballot-initiative/
I have no idea. Watch an episode of MeatEater?
Great answer! I was thinking more along the lines of packing to move to Wyoming
The oil industry spent $30 million to fight prop 74 and 112. I'm guessing we could beat this with $5-10 million.
I dont think the grassroots donations to fight wolf introduction hit $1 million.
I'm taking action by showing the wife WY properties on Zillow laying the ground work.
Unless we can get a couple million conservatives to move here, and vote, we are stuck. Scott
Better yet, a couple million libs moving out would be friggin' awesome!
Billboards across the Front Deraigned with Mtn Lions with yap dogs in their mouths.
Take Action! Here is a start. check out Save The Hunt website. Also, The Roundup Podcast where Dan Gates explains the Colorado lion initiative so far. There is something to learn per the conversation.
My best, Paul
There’s getting to be so many ‘websites’ that are wanting your money to defend all sorts of stuff - diluted for sure.
With just a phone call or a click on the website, Colorado lost spring bear hunting. With just a phone call or a click on the website, the pro wolf groups raised 1.2 million to get the ballot approved. With just a phone call of a click on the website, the group that is supporting the elimination of Mt Lion hunting, bobcat hunting and trapping and then add in the Lynx, will get support and funds to get Initiative 91 on the ballot.
What are Colorado sportsmen willing to do, to support those sportsmen's groups to defend and to maintain legal lion hunting and bobcat hunting and trapping? A "waste of money"? Your call.
Who said a waste of money?
If I’m gonna donate, it better be going to the best possible place to do the best with it.
Which Organization would that be?
I'm with cnelk. I'll sure donate, but want to know their planned tactics first. We knew the STW strategy and sent them money. Then we find out the tactics are to produce glossy three minute videos about how wonderful Colorado wildlife is, that nobody besides STW supporters ever saw.
CRWM appears to be on the right track. But we don't know what tactics are planned.. "Education" is a nebulous concept. That hasn't worked in the bear initiative, trapping intiative, or the wolf initiative.
I would also like very much to know who the leaders are of this organization. I can't find any of that on the website.
I went through CRWM web site and will donate.
I know plenty of people who felt they never saw anything impactful from the the money raised during the wolf issue. May damper donations this time around.
Paul, do you know if Denny Behrens is involved with this?
No he is not. But here is a take-away. If the wolf ballot initiative has lost by just one vote, the funds that went to Stop the wolf and the Livestock groups to fight it, it would have been money well spent and we would be all smiles. But we lost by less than 50,000 votes out of 3.4 million votes cast so one might conclude that these two organizations and others did not do their due diligence of which was not true. They tried with what tools they had at the time. The pro wolfers out spent us money wise and on social media, and their (just click on) websites.
A couple of years ago one of our legislators was working on a bill that would prohibit wild policies from being on the public ballots. It would be left to the cpw wildlife biologists to make the decisions. Does anyone know what happened with that effort?
EnDoB, Dems killed it, just like multiple efforts before that to overturn or modify Amendment 10 (bear hunting).
Paul, I appreciate your passion. But take a step back for a moment. What, exactly did StopTheWolf do to reach and convince urban Front Range voters? They were fighting a 2020's battle with 1990's tactics. Where were all those slick, overlong, "preaching to the choir" videos shown? How much did they spend on production of those things? Where did the money go? What happened to donations left over after the campaign?
If it had lost by one vote, or won by one vote, STW would have had no impact on the outcome. I tried calling and emailing to ask questions about their tactics, and was repeatedly blown off. Finally some guy returned my call and basically told me, "Run along and let the Big Boys handle it. We know what we're doing".
As I said, I want to know more about the tactics Save The Hunt plans to deploy, and who the players are, before I send them any money. If they have it together and are legit, I'll gladly donate.
Dan Gates from CRWM reached out to me after my email inquiries, and I'm now on board with where they are headed. Sending a donation.
Lou, Stop the Wolf got hit hard by the Colorado Sec of State over the issue of making a political statement which was not allowed per their tax status. It was not a member of the STW board or Denny, but a mistake that a well known Colorado bow hunter made on a video, he stating "Vote NO" to the wolf reintroduction, ie, a political statement according to Colorado regulations. The Colorado Sec of State even went after Denny and a law suit developed. And of course all of this was happening during the Pandemic.
No doubt, transparence was not in its fineness hour.
The funniest thing about that was that nobody watched that video. I suppose our donations went toward fighting that lawsuit. And maybe buying Denny a new hat for his public appearances and buying a bunch of breakfasts and lunches for the organizers. That's why, before donating money to CRWM or becoming involved, I wanted to make sure none of the STW clowns were anywhere near it. I also want to know if urban Front Range voters will be the target audience, not West Slope ranchers who are already on our side.
Other than Bowsite Colorado forum, I havent seen ANYTHING in regards to opposition the the mtn lion/bobcat initiative. And thats sad.
There was a small thread on monstermuleys and rokslide but yeah so far it's been pretty dismal
Message needs to be from yoga pants women unloading their kids and a Shibu Inu from the Subaru for a hike with the Flat Irons in the background, and skinny jeans hipster dudes walking in LoDo. Short, 10-20 seconds, in Instagram, TikTok, FB, X, etc along with some billboard, TV and radio (not talk or country).
It will take big national dollars to have a chance. Conservation groups, big Ag and hunter dependant businesses need to step up.
Dave Ruane is their token hunter "poster child" for this debacle, just like Tom Beck was for Amendment 10 (bear hunting). They will say, "See, even hunters are against it!". This jerk is all over in the media now, writing editorials, being quoted.
"And then they came for me, but there was no one left to speak out". Pastor Martin Niemoller, after the holocaust. I wonder where Ruane will be when they put bowhunting on the ballot...?
FWIW, on most topics I don't agree with the testimony of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management . CRWM is not a member org. You won't find by laws on their web site, or a listing of board members. I do know Dan Gates, Chris Jurney and Ron Goodrich are involved. If you listened to Dan Gates at the last commission meeting and his testimony on BGSS, the last thing they want is unlimited resident OTC tags and limits on nonresidents. Then they'll tell you they want more game animals, but don't support NR limits. It's odd to me.
That said, on the lion hunting ban I think everyone agrees it is a stupid idea and in agreement. Dan showed up at the commission, and the legislature on this topic to defeat it. I'll be making a donation. Sometimes you need to pick the best option, this is probably it. I did buy a membership with the united houndsman, but that is a small group with limited funding. Dan Gates shows up, and mobilizes people, I'll testify to that.
I
Title Board meeting regarding this Wednesday at 10:00 AM. Link should be for online attendance.
I grabbed this from another forum - since there’s not been an update here….
Proposition 91: Mtn Lion, Lynx, and Bobcat hunting ban had a rehearing before the Secretary of State Title Board on Wednesday. The Title Board removed the term “trophy hunting” from the title and statement clause. They ruled that it was not a fair representation of the true intent of the initiative, which is a ban on all cat hunting. Huge thanks to Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management (CRWM), they were mainly responsible for getting that change made at the title board. Its recommended that any concerned hunters donate to CRWM as they will be leading the campaign to defeat this ballot initiative. Many of the other 501c3 wildlife conservation orgs (CWCP, RMEF, MDF, etc) are throwing their support behind CRWM (501c4) for this fight.
Good start, but it won't prevent them from referring to "trophy hunting" in their ads and campaign. There was a great lead editorial in the Sunday Denver Post, which reflected our side very honestly. Unfortunately, emotion trumps science and biology with Front Range voters.
There bringing in Carol Baskin from Tiger King. This is going to be a sht-show!
