Colorado is facing a backlash from hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts in response to recent gun legislation, which includes a ban on high-capacity magazines and universal background checks.
Earlier this month, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed into law bills that ban high-capacity magazines that hold more than 15 rounds as well as magazine extensions for shotguns that are more than 28 inches in length. The laws were in response to mass shootings that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut, and Aurora, Colorado, last year. The Aurora theater shooting last July was the third mass shooting in Colorado since 1999.
Although the ban on high-capacity magazines does not affect most hunters, many hunters are joining a boycott against Colorado to show their displeasure about more gun restrictions being placed upon law-abiding citizens. They believe these new gun laws are just the beginning of more restrictions to come, and feel something needs to be done to fight this type of legislation and send a message to legislators.
One of the biggest names to boycott Colorado is Michael Bane, a producer with The Outdoor Channel and host of four popular shows on that channel including “Gun Stories,” the channel’s most popular show. According to an article in the Colorado Springs Gazette, Bane said that “he will no longer film his four shows in Colorado.” And Bane isn’t alone.
According to the Gazette, “Gun and hunting websites and forums are full of talk of boycotting the state, and hunting outfitters say people have begun cancelling trips here.”
Hunting guide Chris Jurney, who is also Vice President of the Colorado Outfitters Association, says he expects more repercussions. “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.”
Hunting in Colorado is a year-round activity, and Colorado is the second most traveled-to state in the nation for hunting activities according to a 2012 report by Buckmasters. Out-of-state hunters reportedly accounted for 15 percent of all hunting licenses in the state last year, and they spent a significant amount of money on license fees, guides, gas, hotels, restaurants, and other related industries.
While larger cities along the Front Range of Colorado probably won’t feel the effects of the boycott directly, mountain and rural towns will be hit the hardest. In an interview with the Gazette, Jeff Lepp, owner of Specialty Sports in Colorado Springs, said “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.”
So will the boycott have the desired result that those involved hope it has, or will the impact be more far-reaching and damaging? Hunting and fishing have major impacts on every state in the country, and the amount of monies spent on these activities and related industries as well as the jobs and taxes created can be significant. So, too, can the losses of these monies, jobs, and taxes.
Colorado-based Magpul Industries has announced it will be leaving Colorado and along with it, “the $85 million it would have generated for Colorado next year.” Magpul is considered “one of the country’s largest producers of magazines and other firearms accessories for gun enthusiasts, law enforcement, and the military.”
“The economic impact that sportsmen have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their state,” said Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, in an interview with Buckmasters.
While Colorado encourages hunting and welcomes hunters, the new gun legislation sends another message. So, too, does the boycott by hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the people of Colorado are the ones now caught in both sides’ crosshairs.
http://www.gcnlive.com/wp/2013/03/29/barb-adamsshould-hunters-boycott-colorado/
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