Signed! Bill to Protect Wild Bison

SB25-053 will make it illegal to hunt wild bison by classifying them as wildlife

GOLDEN, CO – The Governor yesterday signed into law a bill to classify bison as big game wildlife unless the bison are privately owned livestock. SB25-053, sponsored by Senator Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, will make it illegal to hunt wild bison. 

“This new law will protect wild bison, which is a priority for the Native community as well as wildlife conservationists,” said Danielson. “Bison are crossing into Colorado from states like Utah, where they are protected, into a state where they can be poached without consequence. It’s our responsibility to protect these animals that play a key role in our state’s culture, history, and environment.”

The majority of bison in Colorado are either privately owned livestock or living in a refuge, but in recent years, wild bison have crossed from Utah into northwest Colorado. 

SB25-053 is one of three bills advanced by the bipartisan American Indian Affairs Interim Study Committee last year. Similar laws to protect wild bison exist in Utah, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming.