Colorado may have the best elk in the country, but the gun laws are the worst, say some hunters who will no longer hunt in the state due to the restrictive gun laws recently signed by Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper.
A Fox News interview with local hunting guide and vice president of the Colorado Outfitters Association Chris Jurney uncovered the feeling behind the boycott:
“There’s a united front of sportsmen that are tired of having their freedoms and liberties and fundamental rights taken away from them. That kind of unity among sportsmen is going to be big, and unfortunately for those of us who live here, we’re going to suffer the consequences of this misguided legislation.”
According to Jurney, out of state hunters accounted for 15% of hunting licenses last year. While that number may seem insignificant, it represents 86,000 visitors to the state. An out of state hunting license for an elk bull, according to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s 2013 Colorado Big Game booklet, is $589. If all of those out-of-state hunters opted to not come to Colorado, it would be a loss of over $50 million in state revenue. Of course, not all hunters will opt out, but nonetheless, this is a huge revenue loss for Colorado. That figure doesn’t even account for the money that these 86,000 would-be hunters spend in lodging, food, and entertainment, nor the taxes to the state from such spending.
Small business owner Jeff Lepp of Specialty Sports, who outfits hunters, underscores the damage to the state’s tourism industry:
“Small mountain towns and rural towns in this state are going to lose a lot of money because you’re not going to see the number of out-of-state hunters coming here. Other states are going to see a growth.”
This direct impact is in addition to the lack of free advertising for Colorado tourism from the Outdoor Channel’s decision to relocate production of four shows to another state, as well as the departure of Magpul Industries and its several hundred jobs.
When unemployment in Colorado remains high and liberals are talking about a one billion dollar income tax increase, it seems mind boggling to chase out revenue producing activities and entities.
Who will we hunters have to pay to hunt after Beauprez privatized all the land in Colorado? How much will Forbes, Koch, Blomberg, Gates and other wealthy lab owners want to hunt "their" elk on "their" land? Will oil and has companies allow hunting on their land? Mining companies probably won't allow any access to land they buy at Beauprez auction. Let's think about how much we can afford to pay for hunting access before we jump off this cliff!
Cant help stupid
Liberals Politics? Didn't Stalin do everything Obama has already done?
didn't see you comment 'til today Loren….geez, maybe the humans should stay where they are down below and not go up and build up into elk territory. Would that help any? and I am not stupid by the way…crickets! My opinion only…no need for name calling. What's stopping you from the hunt? This article is threat of boycott…Colorado is a great place to hunt. I do it all the time.
Our family out-of-state hunters have no problems at all with the new guns laws. They come to use guns to hunt responsibly, not play shoot-em-up with oversize toys. I think this "boycott" is a phony pr ploy to rev-up political opposition to Hickenlooper. The main deterrent to out-of-state hunters is the cost of licenses. The article says the threat of a boycott has become reality — show us the facts to back that up.
Bob Stone SIMPLE BOB!! God gave me the right to own guns because#1. I am not a criminal#2l I was born in America. If I have to explain any further, you're more of an Idiot than I thought!!
Good riddance to out of state hunters. All you gun lovers leave as well. Go to saudi
And Y'all hated Texans so bad. Who knew the Californians were the ones screwing up Colorado? Lol. Enjoy. We'll go elsewhere for our elk.
I have lived in Colorado since 1990 and this year I will be opting out of hunting at home. Consider the State keeps your application money for several months before the tag drawings. Also consider that now the DOW has been merged with the Parks Dept, hunters are subsidizing things their hard earned money was not intended too. I believe a big fat Ohio whitetail is in my future.
Progressives don't care about economics! Capitalist economics just cause economic inequalities. The goal is to eliminate the option of free people to find alternatives. That's why they are targeting Texas and other states. Force is rationalized as necessary for "progress." They operate under an entirely different paradigm than us freedom loving people.
No Bob, how about you showing us where God did not give us the right to own a gun, Oh yeah and something called the 2nd amendment to protect us from people like you who choose not to believe in rights and freedoms granted to us by God!
Eating a salad kills vegetables. Eating meat kills animals. Clearly, by Kathleen's logic, we should all be eating rocks and dirt. Poor analogy. God gives you the right to self defense. If you want to use a bow and arrow against an armed intruder in your home, go for it. But just because it makes you queasy and you're a control freak, don't take away my right to protect myself.
Better yet, why don't all the people who don't like guns post it on their front door so criminals will know who it is safe to rob and rape?
inalienable rights (sp?), same thing
then you know some pretty stupid hunters Jo. The Ar is used for hunting all the time.
It is an inalienable right, that fundamentally men are born free, free to choose, free to do whatever. Mr Stone's advance on say where God gave you the right is correct. He didn't, not outright; but he gave us the brains to know that freedom comes with cost; and to be truely free we have to be able to defend that. Thus, a God given right.
And in opening your mouth you removed all doubt of being believed to be a fool.
Kathleen, no one is saying it is okay to kill people. God put animals on this earth for the benefit of man. Food and clothing. Killing an animal is not murder. Animals do not have rights.
When the Citizens of Colorado feel the pinch of raised taxes and higher unemployment then they will realize that doing something in the heat of emotion does not solve any problem it only creates bigger problems for those who live there. Gun control should not be the issue anyway it should be criminal control. You can change a persons thought process if he knows the the outcome of his actions will only bring HIM and only HIM a harsh punishment. By the way most if not all mass shootings have been confirmed by the FBI and being carried out by registerd Democrats or siblings of registered Democrats and whose families are all for gun control. Its to easy to figure out if I dont want you to have a right i break the law using the right and everyone jumps to limit it without thinking about it. Why have we not jumped ot likit vehicle on the road they kill more young kids in one dingle day than all the gun crimes in a year. You liberals ready to give up your vehilces yet? Didn't think so. Stop blaming an OBJECT you idiots and start taking care of the problem. Start eliminating criminals who commit these crimes and others WILL think twice about committing them. It's that simple
Kathleen, GODS word Tells us not to murder…. There is no directive against not killing. Murder is Taking a life illegally with
Malice or with out cause. For instance…. Soldiers are directed to take lives in war this isn't murder it's killing. Law enforcement officers have to take the lives of murderers some times. There is a huge difference
Yeah its Idiots that make that kind of comment when Annie has no idea how bad it looks when the Elk are starving to death because there are no herd control in place. Then the elk wander into towns and everywhere they are not supposed to be because they are starving to death. What a stupid comment Annie. You just stay indoors and don't worry about what us hunters do….OK?
Jo Laurich, what a load of crap. I'm a hunter and I will tell you the current AR platform (in the appropriate caliber) is a fantastic hunting platform. I don't own one as I don't like the appearance/feel of the plastic rifle. That does not change the fact that if is a fine rifle for many uses. I'm guessing most of the hunters you know are a little older and prefer firearms that are (loosely) based on a different military firearm (the mauser bolt action).
As for background checks, I'll play your game by asking a question; What percentage of LEGAL firearms sales are occurring without a background check? I'm fully supportive of background checks but want them to be an actual background check, not just a law enforcement screening. I want to know if you have mental health issues that should be a concern. The current process does NOT address this beyond one question on the form 4473 that you can easily lie about as there is no way for them to access your medical records (remember HIPA?).
Until the herds get too large for the winter feed and starve to death… Then you'll be wanting someone to do something to save the elk…
Kathleen Connolly Kitchen that is a loose translation. It should be thou shalt no murder.
all said and done I'm kinda happy for the elk.
Bob Stone What have we learned today Bob? Hopefully not to open your mouth about guns because you are wrong and ignorant.
I have been saying this since the beginning. Magpul, Specialty Sports in Colorado Springs, small towns such as my old stomping grounds Pagosa Springs and since the D.O.W is fully funded by this states hunting and fishing licenses they will soon be broke also…… I saw a Lib post that the MJ approval in this state will more than make up for the lose of this revenue. I don't believe that it will because there are no states surrounding CO. where it is legal and anyone that is willing to get caught traveling out of CO with MJ proves that it destroys brain cells. Not worth the risk.
Bob should your government ban certain automobiles that are used more often in hit and runs,? DUIs,? Random accidents?? It's not the car or the gun, it's the person in control of the car or weapon. And you can't legislate against stupid or evil…. You hurt the innocent when you try. Enough said
So Bob if the weapon of choice was still a sword and shield to protect my loved ones than that would be my right to own one. A right given by GOD so yes he gave me the right.
Yes Bob GOD gave us the right to protect and defend our selves and our loved ones. The weapon of choice in this day and age is the modern firearm ie. gun
Kathleen Connolly Kitchen If you were reading the Bible through a few thousand years of filtering the 6th Commandment would say "Thou shalt not commit murder." That is still what it says in all of the Hebrew versions I've seen. Saul, the first King of Israel was chastised for not doing a thorough enough job of killing.
All sources that are not provable by repetition in a controlled setting will come to you with a bias. That's just the way life is.
Bob Stone Human rights are arrived at from critical consideration of the world around us. John Locke is the first of the modern thinkers but there were others in the past. What follows are a few of the threads from which this Right is derived. Bear in mind that these are not privileges granted by a government but rather universal, predating governments.
In reverse order (and there are more.)
"The right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
"….all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.–….Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their ust powers from the consent of the governed…."
"And thus it is that every man in the state of Nature has a power to kill a murderer, both to deter others from doing the like injury (which no reparation can compensate) by the example of the punishment that attends it from everybody, and also to secure men from the attempts of a criminal who, having renounced reason, the common rule and measure God hath given to mankind, hath, by the unjust violence and slaughter he hath committed upon one, declared war against all mankind, and therefore may be destroyed as a lion or a tiger, one of those wild savage beasts with whom men can have no society nor security. And upon this is grounded that great law of nature, "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." And Cain was so fully convinced that every one had a right to destroy such a criminal, that, after the murder of his brother, he cries out, "Every one that findeth me shall slay me," so plain was it writ in the hearts of all mankind."
Exodus 22:2-3 "If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed."
The Gun laws recently passed in Colorado aren't intended to control crime or protect people. They are intended to control people.
The commandment is Thou shalt not Murder. You might want check a more accurate translation. Biblically there is a duty to protect yourself and your family. Don't forget what Jesus said as he was preparing for his departure. You might want to read Luke 22:16.
I can't tell you how happy I am that I no longer live in Calif….I mean Colorado.
Thanks, like I was looking for a false profit bible study course. Sell that sad story to someone else. I'm not buying any of it! "(he who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel)" Okay! http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/0433b30576/cold-dead-hand-with-jim-carrey
I'm sticking with the King James version of the bible until the 2nd amendment is in order.
Narrow minded liberal thinking- they never look at the big picture. It's all about their immediate little world.
Show me where God gave you the right to speak or work or breath. The point is that the right to own a gun is tied to the right to survive, to protect oneself and sustain oneself. We weren't given the teeth of a bear or the claws of a lion, so we used our brains to build the gun, man's best personal defense weapon. If you want us to get Biblical… From Luke 22: "He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. It is written: ‘And he was numbered with the transgressors and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.' The disciples said, 'See, Lord, here are two swords.' 'That is enough,' he replied." 1st Century Sword = 21st Century Gun.
Vicki Ross The Second Amendment does not give you the Right to bear arms, it prevents the government from infringing on that right.
Actually the literal interpritation is thou shalt not murder. I'm not even religious and I know that.
Self defense is a God (or basic) given right. Are you saying otherwise? You quoted one part of the Bible so let me quote another one for you. I am sure that if there were rifles in biblical times this passage would've been written differently to say rifle/pistol/shotgun or whatever … "And he said unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet; and he that hath none, let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword." – Luke 22:36 Do you suppose he recommended buying a sword to peel apples with? He also gave David the power to kill a tyrannical giant as well. And maybe we should mention Samson. All murderers I guess.
The actual translation is "thou shalt not murder" has nothing to do with meat. I cannot understand the stupidity of people who think that taking away the Rights of Honest Americans is going to lower the murder statistics…you really need to bone up on the FACTS lady. The criminals don't give a sh*t what the laws are and are happily rooting for your side to win.
Not what I said! But, if it is a problem to hunt in Colorado because of gun laws that protect the people, then hunt with a Bow & Arrow. There are other ways to control the population of wildlife.
From the Second Amendment.
We have a God-given right and duty to defend ourselves and our families from harm, also to provide for their welfare. Stones and slings in David's day, guns in ours.
And you equate guns with killing, and killing only? Wow. Just wow.
My comments were from a public online petition that Chris Jureny submitted.
What's all this crap about "MY God given Rights" God does not give you the right to own a gun. "Thou shalt not kill" is what the 6th commandment says.
My God given rights do not come from any government or any self righteous person.
In reply to Bob the Stoner … Self defense is a God (or basic) given right. Are you saying otherwise? I am sure that if there were rifles in biblical times this passage would've been written differently to say rifle/pistol/shotgun or whatever … "And he said unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise a wallet; and he that hath none, let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword." – Luke 22:36
Check Bob Stone's comments…
Even an agnostic like me knows that everyone has the right to defend their life. Show me where you don't have the right to live Bob.
Show me where god gave you rights to own a gun.
Who'd you get yours from, government? You're one of those "we belong to government" instead of the "government belongs to us" guys I bet too.
Don't see any NRA bashing here John.
Typical Dumbassacrat BS- sure, CO. will lose money and jobs- but the trolls on the board are still bashing the NRA and believe everything will be fine. Gods, the blatent stupidity of the liberal mind boggles…
God gave you a right to own guns? Where did you get that from?
A typical lame liberal stunt trying to infringe on our God given RIGHTS.
How do you know where I stand on gay rights Mark?
How will Colorado be fine?? You are obviously completely arrogant and ignorant about this subject.. This is also coming from someone who has never probably fired a gun in their life, but is all of the sudden an expert in firearms… I also like how you support gay rights(which I do), but at the same time want to take away rights of others.. People with their double standards…
You picked a biased source in "Chris Jureny a life member of the NRA" do you have any interest in reporting facts or only biased trash?
Name: Chris Jurney on Sep 1, 2010.
Comments: I am a life member of the NRA and any support of Harry Reid is something I am opposed to. His track record of left wing liberal politics and his lack of respect for people and the constitution is why we need him out of office!
Colorado will be fine 🙂
Typical liberal Democratic policy making based upon emotions, disregarding or ignoring facts, and utterly failing to factor in unintended consequences of their misguided actions. They NEVER seem to realize that free people (like we are in theory in America), will alter their behavior as a result of restrictive laws. Case in point, hunters are free to hunt in other states, the new laws here in Colorado are restrictive and stupid, therefore the hunters will take their $ elsewhere.
Once more a bit of proof that the actions taken by Colorado Democrats did not involve research into fallout. Now we pay the price. If how they act on Oil and Gas is the same way we will opt out of billions of dollars.