Oregon is looking to criminalize hunting, fishing, and trapping in an initiative petition that the state’s residents will vote on in November 2022.
Initiative Petition 13 (IP13) would criminalize the killing of any animal, except in the case of self-defense. This would mean that hunting and fishing would be illegal in the state. This would also mean the total annihilation of the livestock farming industry.
Many have taken issue with IP13 in the state not just because it would criminalize hunting and fishing but because it is framed in an extremely deceptive way. Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) has pointed out that the current ballot language is deceptive and may lead the voters to vote for something they do not believe in.
From the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation website:
Initiative Petition 13 (IP13) is an initiative for the November 2022 General Election.  The petitioner has successfully gathered the 1,000 signatures needed to file a draft ballot title and summary (linked HERE) with the state.  If and when the ballot language is certified by the state, they will need to gather over 112,000 signatures by June 2022 to place the it on the ballot that fall.
As of June 4, OHA, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, have submitted comments challenging the draft ballot language, citing a lack of clarity around the impacts to legal hunting, fishing, and trapping, as well as the disingenuous use of the word ‘prohibit’ instead of ‘criminalize’, which more accurately reflects the impacts of these changes.
IP13 is egregious in the extreme, criminalizing hunting, fishing, and trapping while also targeting animal agriculture.  The complete initiative language is linked here: IP13 Language (Reading key: italicized text is intended to be removed, bold text is to be added).
Below is a timeline of events regarding IP13. Â While we may think that it is impossible for such a far-fetched idea to make it to the 2022 ballot, let alone get passed, we must take this threat seriously. Â This is just one in many recent attempts to curtail hunting, fishing, and trapping in the western states. Â There is currently a similar, though less extreme, version being fought in Colorado.
This measure was spawned from vegan activists’ criticism of meat consumption, and while veganism is not popular being against animal cruelty is. This is likely why the measure is being pushed in the way that it is.
