Anti-Hunting and Fishing Initiative Fails in Oregon
Posted 2026-08-05 by
Initiative Petition 28, which would have criminalized hunting, fishing, and cattle ranching, did not receive enough valid signatures to make it to November’s ballot
The petition that would have criminalized hunting and fishing in Oregon didn’t receive enough valid signatures to qualify it for November ballot. (Image by Realtree)
Initiative Petition 28, which would have effectively criminalized hunting, fishing, ranching and other normal activities will not appear on Oregon’s November ballot, due to a shortage of valid signatures.
According to Fox News, IP28 received more than 142,000 signatures, exceeding the 117,173 required to qualify for the ballot. But, the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office determined, after two rounds of verification, that only 104,262 of those signatures were valid, leaving the campaign approximately 13,000 signatures short.
The goal of IP28 was to remove the exemptions in Oregon’s animal-cruelty statutes that protect lawful hunting, fishing, trapping, ranching, farming, pest control and accepted animal-husbandry practices.
Under the proposal, killing or injuring an animal would have been classified as abuse unless it was necessary to prevent immediate harm to a person or another animal, meaning hunters, anglers, and ranchers could’ve faced criminal consequences.
Don’t Miss: Alabama Asks Public to Participate in Wild Turkey Survey
The proposal was so extreme that opposition received bipartisan support.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, all 37 Democrats in the Oregon House and Republican lawmakers across the state spoke out against IP28 with the support of the Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon Veterinary Medical Association, and Oregon Hunters Association.
