Gorgeous Pacific Northwest state famed for its nature and woke politics moves a step closer towards banning hunting and fishing
A gorgeous state in the Pacific Northwest could see fishing and hunting banned if animal rights activists get their way.
Thousands of Oregonians have signed a petition to bring a vote on animal safety to the midterm elections this November, making it one step closer to an all-state ban.
A lobby group has asked locals to put wild animals at the forefront of the ballot this year, but has acknowledged getting 50 percent of residents on board will be an uphill battle.
'We really want to make Oregon the first state to vote on something like this,' David Michelson, chief petitioner of People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions Act (PEACE), told KOIN.
'We want to get that conversation out there. So that we can hopefully move in that direction.'
If the measure gets on the ballot and is passed, it would change Oregon's animal cruelty laws.
It would expand the current legislation, which protects cats and dogs, to all wildlife, including those used in research.
The PEACE team has gathered nearly 30,000 signatures since October, according to the state election division.
Oregon could ban hunting and fishing in the state if a petition gets on the November ballot
David Michelson, the chief petitioner for People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions Act (PEACE), said the group expected the initiative to fail but they were hoping to introduce the idea to Oregonians
The initiative is not on the ballot yet. At least 8 percent of those who voted in the last gubernatorial election must sign the petition to change the state's constitution, or 6 percent for a statutory initiative.
It needs 117,173 signatures by July 2 to get on the ballot, the election division said.
'We've gathered just over 100,000 signatures so far. It has not yet qualified for the ballot in November,' Michelson told the Daily Mail.
'Our goal is to introduce people - often, many people, for the first time - will hear about what alternatives to killing animals even exist right now.'
Hunting and fishing are a large part of Oregonians' lives, which the initiative team recognizes. However, he said there are non-lethal ways to manage wildlife.
These can include introducing sterile males, converting chicken farms to mushroom farms, or using marginal lands for energy crops, Michelson told the Daily Mail.
However, Levi Barrera, the chapter president of the Oregon Hunters Association, said taking away hunting will allow certain species, such as deer, to 'make a huge impact on our herbivore species.'
Michelson (far left) and his fellow petitions are garnered more than 100,000 signatures since 2024. They need 117,173 to get it on the ballot in November
The initiative calls for the state's animal cruelty laws to change, which would encompass both cats and dogs, as well as wildlife
'If you take away hunting, there will be an out-of-control effect on the population,' he told KOIN.
He also said the ban could affect those who use hunting to put food on the table.
'It has great impacts through communities that rely on hunting and fishing and that really sustains their communities and their families throughout the year,' he told the outlet.
Michelson told KOIN the initiative would include food assistance for those who rely on hunting for food.
This is not the first time the PEACE team has tried to get the initiative on the ballot. But even if it does make the 2026 ballot, it is expected to fail.
There are roughly three million registered voters in Oregon, and the majority would have to vote for the initiative to pass.
