Amendment 83 could shift control of Colorado wildlife management
Colorado voters get to decide whether the state constitution should be amended to prioritize hunting over all other wildlife management tools.
Proponents of Amendment 83 on the November ballot said it would protect hunting rights, a practice integral to the state’s heritage, cultural identity and economy.
Aubyn Royall, Colorado state director for the group Humane World for Animals, said she is especially alarmed by the measure’s explicit protection of “traditional methods.” She explained if passed, it would be much harder to restrict trophy hunting, bearbaiting, trapping or chasing wildlife with dogs.
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“These practices do cause suffering to wildlife and in some cases, Colorado voters have already outlawed these practices as unsporting and unethical. A right to hunt should never become a constitutional shield for cruelty,” Royall contended.
Much of the funding for Amendment 83 comes from the conservative nonprofit Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance and at least one known trophy hunter, according to a Colorado Sun report. Supporters maintain the right to hunt and fish should not be subject to any future laws, ballot initiatives or wildlife commission preferences.
Royall noted the state’s wildlife are a public commonwealth and should be protected for all residents, not just hunters who pay for permits. She added there is no crisis Amendment 83 would actually remedy.
“Hunting and fishing is already legal. Colorado has robust hunting and fishing opportunities. You don't have to change the constitution to keep doing something that's already legal,” Royall argued.
Amendment 83 includes boilerplate language from measures introduced in at least nine states. The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance has said its goal is to pass amendments in a majority of states by 2030.
Royall noted if passed, the measure would hamstring professional wildlife biologists and lead to costly litigation. She added prioritizing hunting over all other management tools could limit proven nonlethal tactics like using bear-proof trash cans.
