The numbers don't lie. Hunting and fishing play a key role in Colorado's economy. On Nov. 3, Coloradans will have an opportunity to cement those traditional and recreational activities when they go to the polls.

Amendment 83 would enshrine the right of Colorado residents to hunt and fish into the state constitution. It would also designate hunting and fishing as the primary means of responsibly managing fish and wildlife populations, as per current management practices, with Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) maintaining the authority to do so.

A new report compiled by the Common Sense Institute found hunting and fishing generate $6.1 billion annually and support more than 25,000 jobs across the state. Below is a further breakdown of the report's findings:

• Hunting supports $1.2 billion in direct annual revenue, 8,879 jobs and 963 Colorado businesses

• Fishing supports $1.2 billion in direct revenue, 5,887 jobs and 718 businesses

• Hunting and fishing combine to directly support $2.4 billion in revenue, 14,766 jobs and 1,681 businesses 

• Hunting and fishing generate $1.5 billion in personal income and $1.3 billion in disposable income

• CPW's wildlife revenue totaled $220 million in FY2024-25 with 68% of its budget derived from hunting and fishing licenses, passes, fees and permits

The report found an estimated 305,000 hunters, 89,000 of which are nonresidents, and 975,000 anglers, including 358,000 nonresidents, will hunt or fish in Colorado in 2026. It also determined fishing license sales could surpass one million in 2027.

That beneficial economic impact offers billions of reasons why passage of Amendment 83 is crucial to Coloradans, fish, wildlife and wildlife management.

Threats to hunting in the form of ballot-box biology measures, legislation, petitions by anti-hunting and animal rights groups, and other movements are more than real. A former two-term chairman of the CPW Commission counted 22 different efforts to restrict or phase out hunting and fishing.

While Amendment 83 constitutionally protects the right to hunt and fish, supports science-based wildlife management and declares hunting and fishing as the main ways to sustainably manage Colorado's fish and wildlife, there are other things it does not do. The measure does not authorize trespassing or limit CPW or the legislature from scientifically regulating hunting, fishing and wildlife management. It does not allow hunting of non-game or endangered species, which is already illegal. It would not eliminate licenses, tags, seasons, bag limits or safety rules. And it would not provide protection for new experimental gear, cruel or already illegal practices.

If approved by 55% of voters on Election Day, Colorado will become the 25^th state with constitutional protections for hunting and fishing, joining Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

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.