06/15/2026
Buckle up! All hands on deck!!
Oregon petition to ban hunting and fishing and what hunters and fishermen can be doing about it right now:
First, some background - Oregon Initiative Petition 28 (IP28), officially titled the PEACE Act, is a proposed measure for the November 2026 ballot that would remove exemptions for hunting, fishing, livestock farming, and scientific research from the state’s animal cruelty laws. If passed, it would essentially criminalize these practices. This petition has been described by supporters as an animal cruelty measure, but the language goes much further than most people realize. It targets the killing of animals for food, hunting, fishing, and other practices that are currently legal and deeply tied to Oregon’s outdoor heritage, food systems, conservation funding, and rural way of life.
To be clear, this is not law right now. It has not passed, and it has not even been officially certified for the ballot yet. IP28 supporters have submitted more than the minimum number of signatures required, but the measure has not officially qualified for the ballot until the Secretary of State verifies enough of them as valid.
That means this is the moment for sportsmen and women to get organized, not complacent.
The first step is simple: do not sign the petition, and make sure people around you understand what they are being asked to sign. A lot of voters will hear “animal cruelty” and assume this is only about abuse or neglect. They may have no idea the measure could reach hunting, fishing, livestock production, hatcheries, predator management, animal agriculture, and other normal practices that keep communities fed and wildlife populations managed.
The second step is to make sure every Oregon hunter, angler, farmer, rancher, and conservation-minded voter is registered and ready to vote. If IP28 qualifies for the November ballot, this will not be won by the outdoor community talking only to itself. It will be won by explaining the issue clearly to neighbors, coworkers, family members, and voters who may not hunt or fish but still understand that food, wildlife management, and rural life are not animal cruelty.
There is a big difference between opposing abuse and criminalizing the way people have responsibly hunted, fished, farmed, and managed animals for generations. Oregon already has animal cruelty laws. What IP28 appears to do is remove long-standing protections for lawful activities and drag normal food production and wildlife management into the criminal code.
That should concern far more people than just hunters.
If you live in Oregon, get registered, stay informed, and be ready to vote if this makes the ballot. If you live outside Oregon, pay attention anyway. These efforts rarely stop in one state. What happens in Oregon could become a model for similar campaigns elsewhere.
This is one of those issues where sportsmen cannot wait until the last minute. Talk to people now. Share the facts now. Support the organizations fighting it now.
Because once a bad idea makes it onto the ballot, the fight gets a lot harder.
