Re: Oct. 22 news story.
Thank you for your article informing the general public in Colorado about an unwise proposal to kill more mountain lions and bears. As a wildlife biologist, I am dismayed to read this, knowing that the primary reason for decreasing mule deer populations is loss of habitat. Predators are essential for healthy ecosystems, and killing more of them is not the answer. It should also be noted that the black bear’s diet consists of 90 percent insect and plant material.
If Colorado officials are concerned about loss of revenue from hunting licenses, they should consider taxing the many people who watch and photograph wildlife. This tax could be applied to items such as binoculars and cameras. It is a small price to pay for the enjoyment such magnificent creatures bring to our lives.
Susan Krause, Conifer
It is appalling (though not surprising) that the state wildlife decision makers would consider killing bears and mountain lions because there are not enough deer and other prey for the current population of predators. The most obvious thing to do is restrict (or even eliminate) hunting licenses for a few years and let the balance of nature be restored. First we killed off so many of the predators that there were too many deer; now we seem to have the opposite problem. Yes, disease and environmental issues also play a part, but the truth of the matter is that nature, left alone, will try torestore the checks and balances that man has made a mess of. We continue to be very poor stewards of this precious land and it is always the wildlife that pay the price.
Cheryl Davison,Florence
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