Anti-Hunters in Oregon Get Bad News About Their Ballot Initiative

It’s been nearly four years since gun control activists were able to put a permit-to-purchase law and “large capacity” magazine ban in place in Oregon, but Measure 114 has been tied up in court ever since. 

Since then, voters haven’t had any firearm-related referendums on their ballot. This year, though, a group of animal rights activists introduced Initiative 28, which would (among other things) remove the exemption for hunting, fishing, and trapping from the state’s animal cruelty laws. The backers of I28 proudly state on their website that “any practice that involves the intentional injury of an animal would be criminalized.”

Many of those who are following the campaign are concerned about meeting the needs that they currently try to meet by hunting, fishing, and trapping. Those needs have included a need for food, a need for conservation, a need for recreation, and many others. We want to help show how all of those needs can still be met while also meeting the needs of animals to be free from unnecessary human-caused suffering. Within the state of Oregon we have ample food, as well as the resources needed to distribute that food to every citizen. There are also a multitude of humane and creative methods for conserving our environment and, in a state as wonderful as Oregon, there are countless activities we can engage in for recreation that do not involve taking the life of an animal; it is possible that everyone can get their needs met.

Supporters of I28 say the initiative would put an end to all hunting in the state, as well as cattle ranching and all other agricultural activities that result in livestock being turned into foodstuffs. 

Or “would have.” As it turns out, I28 won’t be on the ballot this November after all. From the National Shooting Sports Foundation:

The proposed ballot initiative was disqualified by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Elections Division for consideration by voters on Nov. 3, 2026, after it gathered just 104,262 valid signatures, well below the threshold requirement of 117,173 required signatures.

While NSSF says the number of valid signatures gathered is “well below” what was needed, I think it was a lot closer than it should have been. Backers of I28 managed to get 89 percent of the valid signatures that they needed, and that should be a giant red flag for the state’s hunters, anglers, farmers, ranchers, and residents who enjoy eating meat. 

“This radical anti-hunting plan was clearly, and correctly, rejected by Oregonians who wanted no part of this attack on the heritage of outdoorsmanship and proven conservation efforts that managed hunting requires,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “The proposal would have, without question, destroyed Oregon’s rural communities, outdoor economy and abundant wildlife. Hunters are the original wildlife conservationists and are crucial to sustained propagation of managed wildlife for future generations. Oregonians are correct to reject this short-sighted and politically-driven agenda that would have annihilated over a century’s work to restore wildlife across Oregon’s landscape.”

Here’s the thing, though. This isn’t the first time that animal rights activists have tried to put the issue to a vote of the people. This was actually their third try, and the closest they’ve come to being successful. Don’t be surprised if these activists keep trying until they’re successful at getting their agenda on the ballot. 

We already know that 51 percent of Oregon voters were in favor of enacting a magazine ban and a permit-to-purchase law back in 2022. If I was an anti-gun activist, I’d be looking at how close the animal rights extremists came to getting their “meat is murder” initiative on the ballot this year and thinking about just how extreme I could get with another ballot initiative targeting the right to keep and bear arms. I’m thrilled that I28 is dead, but I’m concerned that even its failure might spark another effort aimed at criminalizing basic aspects of our right to keep and bear arms.  

Editor’s Note: The radical Left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.

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