Backers claim that it allows the state to manage cougars. But the truth is, the state already has am ple authority to remove or kill any lion presenting even the perception of a threat. It is absolutely wrong to suggest that trophy hunting would do anything to mitigate the very remote risk of a cougar-human encounter. The State Senate Office of Research points out that a trophy hunt that targets older, larger lions will remove the most mature segment of the population. Such a selective trophy hunt wil l result in an increase in the proportion of younger, juvenile lions.
Research reveals that younger lions of either sex are more likely to roam and encounter hu mans.
Proposition 197 is a fraud, perpetrated by an extreme segment of the trophy hunting lobby. The State Department of Fish and Game reports that California's lion population is stable over the past five years. Voters should not be fooled by scare tactics into supporting trophy hunting of these magnificent animals.