Arizona hunters may no longer be able to take mountain lions or bobcats, as SB 1182, a bill drafted by Arizona State Sen. Steve Farley (D-Tucson), seeks to end the hunting of the big cats. Backed by a fine of no less than $8,000, and potentially much more, the bill, if passed, would make mountain lions and bobcats a “protected” species.
Dan Reid, Arizona state lobbyist for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) points out, “the state’s Fish and Game Department, which closely monitors animal populations including mountain lions and other felid, has not requested the change for felid to become a protected class.” In other words, there is no evidence supporting the idea that the animals’ populations are in trouble.
Reid also emphasized the importance of hunting in wildlife management, saying, “The NRA opposes the radical changes to mountain lion hunting contained in SB 1182. Removing mountain lions from the category of Big Game and Game Mammals and placing them in a protected class is ill advised when there is a sustainable population that can be controlled through hunting.”
