Episode 74 - Colorado’s Right to Hunt Fight and the Future of Wildlife Management

Colorado sportsmen are fighting to protect hunting traditions before activists permanently reshape wildlife management. Colorado has become ground zero in the national battle over hunting, fishing, trapping, and science-based wildlife management. In this conversation, Dan Gates of Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management and Luke Hilgemann of the International Order of T. Roosevelt break down the growing push for a constitutional right to hunt and fish amendment in Colorado and why sportsmen across the country should be paying attention. The discussion dives deep into the aftermath of Proposition 127, mounting pressure from animal rights organizations, predator hunting politics, wolf management, and how wildlife commissions are increasingly becoming battlegrounds for public lands and hunting access. Listeners will hear how conservation groups, outfitters, ranchers, anglers, trappers, and hunting organizations are building a coalition to defend Colorado’s outdoor heritage before more restrictions take hold. Dan and Luke explain what the amendment would actually do, what it would not do, and why misconceptions around hunting rights, trapping, firearms, and wildlife policy continue to dominate public debate. They also unpack how the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is supported by the American System of Conservation Funding which funds habitat work, supports healthy game populations, and protects opportunities for future generations of hunters and anglers. If you care about elk hunting, predator management, public lands, wildlife conservation, or the future of Western hunting culture, this conversation delivers critical insight into one of the most important outdoor policy fights happening today. Follow the show for more weekly hunting, fishing, and conservation policy conversations. Get the FREE Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication in your inbox every Monday: ⁠www.congressionalsportsmen.org/newsletter⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices