Facing sharply increased killing of bobcats for fur pelts to supply coat-makers in Asia, Colorado wildlife commissioners are poised to vote Thursday on whether to outlaw the animals’ harvest.

The latest state records show licensed hunters killed more than 1,900 bobcats in Colorado last year, nearly three times the number they killed 15 years ago.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officials have identified robust prices for pelts as the motivation for the increase in kills. Bobcat-fur coats made in China and Russia sell for tens of thousands of dollars.

But CPW staffers appeared to be leaning against the proposed ban, which would prohibit the use of live traps and also the hunting of bobcats as trophies.

“To the extent the commission is interested in the division’s opinion, we do not believe there is adequate scientific evidence to support the petition,” CPW biologists wrote in a memo to commissioners.

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However, CPW spokeswoman Lauren Truitt said the agency “has not made any recommendation to the commission with regard to the petition. The commission will hear all elements of the conversation … so that they can make the most informed decision.”

Colorado’s bobcat population is thought to be stable, though wildlife managers have observed slight declines in parts of the state. No comprehensive population count has been done, due to difficulty and cost — similar to the situation with mountain lions and lynx.

“We continually monitor harvest on huntable species, population numbers, habitat availability and impacts from urban sprawl, disease, recreation and development on all animals,” Truitt said.

In Colorado, hunters have been killing more bobcats, mostly for pelts, CPW data show. Licensed hunters killed 1,978 bobcats last year, up from 680 in 2004, the data show.

Telluride veterinarian Christine Canaldo petitioned the agency last November to consider a ban.

“I’d like to see bobcats thriving. We don’t have enough data on the bobcat population. This is the right thing to do,” Canaldo said in an interview.

“A ban on bobcat hunting and trapping would benefit Colorado economically, ecologically and ethically. Bobcat hunters and trappers are draining a natural resource solely for personal profit,” she said. “Colorado’s natural resources are a public trust and should be protected for all Coloradans to enjoy.”

Hunting groups oppose the ban.

At the Colorado Trappers and Predator Hunters Association’s most recent fur auction, prices for bobcat pelts averaged $189 and ranged as high as $720, according to the association’s posted data.

Those in favor of a ban argue it also would aid the survival of lynx, a threatened species protected under the Endangered Species Act that Colorado in 1999 re-introduced after lynx had dwindled away. Both have tufted ears and, while lynx may be bigger, their fur can appear similar, depending on the season.

CPW staffers disputed this argument. They estimate there are 100 to 200 lynx in the state and that the lynx population is stable.

“There is no scientific evidence that bobcat hunting or trapping has an impact on lynx populations in Colorado,” CPW spokesman Jason Clay said. “As with all hunting in Colorado, CPW regulates the harvest and requires hunters and trappers to bring bobcats into an office for personnel to inspect and mark each animal. Hunters and trappers are also required to report any accidental trapping of another species.”