Update On Oregon’s Anti-hunting, -Fishing Petition

Oregon’s Secretary of State has revised the ballot title summary of Initiative Petition 13 in response to comments from the Oregon Hunters Association, RMEF, Oregon Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and other local and national groups.

The new verbiage makes clear that if it makes the November 2022 ballot and is passed by voters, the result would not only criminalize angling and hunting, but the “Elimination of hunting/fishing licenses would remove funding from wildlife conservation efforts by Department of Fish and Wildlife.”

Sure, ODFW and other DFWs take a lot of heat from passionate Northwest sportsmen, but good luck getting society as a whole to invest like we gladly do – a few years ago, a proposed minimal tax on certain recreational equipment and clothing over $200 to fund Washington fish and wildlife got shredded like an REI tent in a grizzly bear attack.

To be clear, IP-13 proponents still need to collect 112,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot and while the initiative seems “far-fetched,” groups like OHA continue to say “we must take this threat seriously.”

Track it at https://oregonhunters.org/initiate-petition-13/