The expansion is meant to keep the mountain lions away from towns and civilians.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials approved an expansion of a small triangle of land above Aspen to hunt mountain lions. The vote, which took place a few weeks ago, allowed to open a tract of land called Game Management Unit 471 for lion hunting.
In a report by The Aspen Journal, officials believe the change will give hunters more range and flexibility and it might help push the mountain cats farther from town and reduce encounters with humans.
The newly approved hunting grounds are located in the Roaring Fork River Valley. Currently, there are four hunting units in the valley—43, 47, 471 and 44—but only three allowed mountain-lion hunting.
With this new vote, the Parks and Wildlife commission opens the fourth unit, 471, and allows more flexibility in the quota system.
Next hunting season, which runs from mid-November until the end of March, will have a combined quota of up to seven lions. Previously, each unit would have an individual limit. Officials are hoping this change could increase the harvest in areas where there have been conflicts between humans and predators. Colorado Parks and Wildlife has stated they are getting more calls about human encounters with big cats closer to town and homes.
While the changes will go into effect next season, officials are considering to update their management plan for mountain lions in the area. The most recent management plan was completed 16 years ago, in 2004. At the time, the plan estimated a total of 300 lions in the Roaring Fork and Eagle River Valleys.
Parks and Wildlife officials say their priority in 2020 is to draft a new management plan that reflects the realities of the mountain-lions living in that area.
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