A well-known anti-hunting group filed a lawsuit against the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) to stop what it calls “illegal” mountain lion hunting. The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), based in Tucson, asked a court to suspend the season scheduled to begin on Aug. 21.
CBD claims the majority of lions taken by hunters from 2018 to 2024 were younger or juveniles. It also says the 340 quota for the upcoming season is too high and will lead to unsustainable population declines.
AZGFD says there are approximately 3,000 animals across the state and uses highly regulated hunting to keep predator and prey populations balanced while reducing adverse impacts on any of those populations. Mountain lion hunting is managed by zones with harvest thresholds that close seasons when a threshold is reached. Successful hunters are required to report their harvest within 48 hours and have it physically checked by an AZGFD employee within 10 days for identification of the animal’s age and sex and collection of important biological information.
CBD has tried and failed other avenues to try to stop mountain lion hunting. Fresh off a resounding defeat at the ballot box in Colorado's 2024 election to ban mountain lion and bobcat hunting, it joined like-minded animal rights groups one month later by filing a petition calling on AZGFD to ban the use of hounds to hunt mountain lions and traditional hunting dogs for small game like squirrels and rabbits. Arizonans turned out in force to speak out against it. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission unanimously rejected the petition.
In 2017, a similar coalition of activists tried to place a measure on the Arizona ballot to ban the hunting of mountain lions and bobcats. They were not successful.
AZGFD did not comment on the lawsuit.
Hunt 2 Conserve supports sustainable and regulated hunting of mountain lions.
About Hunt 2 Conserve
Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.
(Photo credit: Arizona Game and Fish Department)
