If proponents get their way, Colorado citizens will have the opportunity this November to vote upon and approve a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the perpetual right to fish and hunt. The International Order of T. Roosevelt is the group behind the measure, although it is supported by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Hunt 2 Conserve and many others.
Titled the “Right to Fish and Hunt,” the initiative simply states residents can hunt and fish via traditional methods, fishing and hunting are the major tools linked to fish and wildlife management, trespassing on private land is not allowed as per current law and it does not limit authority for the state to regulate fishing and hunting. However, changing the state constitution offers deeper protections.
“The amendments don’t just declare rights. They give everyday citizens and sportsmen’s groups the legal footing to stand in court and say, ‘The people already voted on this, and you cannot take away my right to fish or hunt.’ That’s the difference between playing defense and being on offense,” Luke Hilgemann, CEO of the International Order of T. Roosevelt, wrote in Outdoor Life.
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Signature gathering continues across Colorado to acquire enough signatures to qualify for the November 3 ballot.
Early polling indicates Coloradans support the initiative.
Animal rights and anti-hunting groups have Colorado firmly in their crosshairs. They continue to push for bills, initiatives and citizen petitions to reduce and limit the influence and effectiveness of hunting and similar traditional activities.
“Anti-hunting organizations aren’t stupid. They often target places where there is no legal backstop, no voter-approved right they have to overcome in court,” Hilgemann wrote in Outdoor Life. “In states with Right to Hunt and Fish amendments, the fight is becoming uphill and expensive. That’s not symbolism. That’s strategy meeting reality.”
As of June 15, 2026, 24 states have the right to fish and hunt in their constitutions. They are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Delaware is considering a bill that would make it the 25th such state to add constitutional protections to hunting and fishing. If that happens and the Colorado measure follows suit, the Centennial State will become the 26th.
About Hunt 2 Conserve
Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.
