A radical ballot initiative could criminalize hunting, fishing, and farming across Oregon overnight.
A sweeping ballot proposal in Oregon is raising alarm across the hunting, fishing, and agricultural communities. Initiative Petition 28, known as IP 28, would remove long-standing legal exemptions within the state’s animal abuse statutes. Those exemptions currently protect lawful activities such as hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife management, livestock production, pest control, and veterinary research.
If the initiative reached the ballot and passed, those activities could be classified as criminal acts. Nearly a million hunters and anglers in Oregon would suddenly face legal risk for participating in traditional outdoor pursuits. The measure would also affect commercial fishing, cattle ranching, dairy production, and the everyday practices that support local food systems.
The conversation digs into how IP 28 is structured, why its supporters continue pushing the proposal despite long odds, and how the initiative fits into a broader national strategy targeting hunting and fishing traditions. There is also a close look at the economic and conservation impacts. Removing legal protections for wildlife management could disrupt the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and the funding system that supports habitat, game management, and fisheries science.
Listeners will walk away with a clearer understanding of what IP 28 actually proposes, how ballot initiatives move forward in Oregon, and why hunters, anglers, and conservationists across the country are paying attention.