Luke Hilgemann, Executive Director IOTR

06/18/2026

Opponents keep trotting out the same tired scare tactics we’ve seen in state after state: “It’s already legal, so why bother?” “Vague language!” “Lawsuits incoming!” “They declined to define it!”

Thanks for sharing this post and for engaging with Initiative 302 — it gives us a perfect chance to share the actual facts about what our amendment does (and doesn’t do).

Yes, Hunting and fishing are already legal in Colorado, and we have strong wildlife laws. But statutory protections can be chipped away by the next ballot measure or legislative push. It’s their side who has tried at least 22 times to chip away, ban or stop hunting and fishing of one form another over the last five years in Colorado. Thankfully Dan Gates and his coalition of pro hunting fishing and science based management groups have defeated them all. 22-0!

That’s exactly why 24 other states have added constitutional protections — and why Colorado should too. This isn’t about changing today’s rules. It’s about permanently safeguarding our hunting and fishing heritage and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation that funds CPW and has restored so many species.

Here’s what the final language of Initiative 302 actually says (Section 13, Article XVIII):
• Establishes a clear constitutional right of the people to hunt, fish, and harvest fish and wildlife by traditional methods.
• Applies to species managed by the state, with explicit carveouts for nongame species, endangered species, and any species illegal to hunt under federal law.
• States that hunting and fishing are the preferred means of responsibly managing fish and wildlife populations (a policy affirmation of science-based management, not a rigid mandate).
• Explicitly does not authorize trespass on private property.
• Does not limit the authority of state agencies or the General Assembly to regulate hunting, fishing, and wildlife management if the law is necessary for sound scientific conservation, public safety, or preserving future opportunities.

“Traditional methods” isn’t some undefined trapdoor. It’s standard language used successfully in other states’ right-to-hunt amendments. It refers to established, lawful practices (fi****ms, archery, angling, etc.) versus novel or prohibited ones.

Courts have and will continue to interpret these terms in context — no exhaustive dictionary definition is required in a constitution. Legal staff raised thoughtful questions during review (as they do with every initiative) and we pointed them to the 12 states have used traditional methods language to successfully define what types of methods are currently allowed to hunt and fish.

The “preferred” and “necessary” language supports CPW’s science-based authority while protecting the right from arbitrary future restrictions. It’s not a power grab — it’s a balanced safeguard.

The fiscal note confirms no significant near-term costs to the state. Read that again. No new costs to the state or the taxpayers.

This amendment is about locking in protections so future generations of Coloradans can enjoy hunting and fishing without worrying about the next well-funded effort to erode them. It’s the same commonsense step taken successfully across the country.

Sign the petition for Initiative 302. Help make Colorado the 25th state to enshrine this right in our Constitution.

There they go again with the fear-mongering. Let’s move forward with facts and protection for our outdoor heritage. GET THE FACTS at SaveCOheritage.org — and thanks to the antis for sharing our content!! 😎

International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action and Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management and Howl For Wildlife

Protect our Rights and Keep Colorado Strong - Sign the Petition Today

06/16/2026

There they go again. It appears the anti hunting and fishing crowd have gotten a copy of my editorial in Outdoor Life about why states should adopt a constitutional right to hunt and fish.

Their rhetoric is the same tired play book that spreads a lot of fear but skips some of the most important facts — and completely misses the biggest one.

Colorado already has strong statutory protections for hunting and fishing, but statutes can be changed by the legislature or overturned by the next ballot initiative.

That’s exactly what anti-hunting groups have tried for years — including the 2024 Prop 127 effort that would have banned hunting mountain lions, bobcats, and lynx.

Voters soundly rejected it, but these “ballot box biology” campaigns keep coming. Constitutional protection makes it much harder for activist groups to chip away at our rights and science-based management through the courts or future ballots.

Initiative 302 does not ban other management tools. It simply states that hunting and fishing are the preferred means of responsibly managing wildlife populations — the same model that has worked for over a century under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

The actual text explicitly preserves Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s full authority to regulate for sound scientific management, public safety, or to protect future hunting and fishing opportunities. Biologists still decide what tool is best for the specific situation.

Here’s the point the critics never want to answer: If this amendment “doesn’t do much” or is just harmless language, why are anti-hunting groups fighting it so aggressively in Colorado — just like they did in Florida, Ohio, Maine, and every other state that has moved to enshrine these rights?

They know exactly what it does. That’s why they’re pouring resources into stopping it.

The examples from Wisconsin, Florida, Maine and elsewhere are important, but every state’s experience with a constitutional right to hunt and fish will be unique.

What will be the same in every case is this: it slams the door on the radical attempts to criminalize, ban, and ultimately end hunting and fishing in America.

That is the point. It defends and expands our opportunities to pursue and responsibly manage wildlife using a science-based model — not politics and emotion.

Hunters and anglers already fund the vast majority of wildlife conservation in this state through licenses, tags, and excise taxes. Protecting the right to hunt and fish protects that funding model and the wildlife it supports.

Hunting and fishing are already legal. 302 isn’t about next season — it’s about making sure the next generation still has the same opportunities to hunt and fish where generations before them have and that wildlife management stays in the hands of biologists and voters, not politicians or one-off ballot measures driven by emotion.

Don’t fall for the fear-mongering. Read the actual language of 302. Then sign the petition to make Colorado the 25th state with constitutional protection for our outdoor heritage.

Save Colorado’s Heritage. Join tens of thousands of Coloradans who already have signed for 302.

International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action

06/16/2026

Another great story about our efforts in Colorado to forever protect hunting and fishing as the preferred means of managing wildlife! Bravo to IOTR Director of Policy and Coalitions Travis Thompson for sharing the message about our plans to save Colorado’s outdoor heritage.

https://fieldandstream.com/stories/conservation/hunting-conservation/groups-push-for-constitutional-right-to-hunt-and-fish-in-colorado

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Field & Stream

A similar ballot initiative passed in Florida in November 2024.

06/16/2026

Amen Teddy! Leave it better than we found it and pass it on.

International Order of T. Roosevelt

💥 Teddy Tuesday

Theodore Roosevelt didn’t just love the outdoors—he understood that conservation requires people who are willing to defend it.

More than a century ago, TR helped lay the foundation for modern wildlife conservation in America. He believed that wildlife should be managed responsibly so future generations could enjoy the same opportunities we do today.

That legacy still lives today.

Across the country, conversations are happening about wildlife management, conservation funding, and the future of hunting and fishing. Whatever state you’re in, it’s a reminder that conservation is something each generation has to steward.

As Teddy famously reminded us, the credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena.

06/14/2026

Happy Flag Day, America! ❤️🇺🇸 ❤️🇺🇸❤️

The Stars and Stripes flies because generations of Americans — including Theodore Roosevelt — stepped into the arena to defend the freedoms and traditions that make this country great.

At International Order of T. Roosevelt we’re carrying that legacy forward, fighting to enshrine the right to hunt and fish in state constitutions and protecting the North American Model of conservation that hunters and anglers have built and funded for generations.

Hunters, anglers, and every freedom-loving American: Get outside today and enjoy this great land.

No more playing defense — we’re on offense, building precedent and refusing to surrender our outdoor heritage. Step into the arena with us. The fight is real. Let’s win it.

06/12/2026

Thanks to Outdoor Life for running my column on the power of the constitutional right to hunt and fish.

24 states now have the right to hunt and fish in their constitutions. These aren’t just words on paper—they’re proven weapons in court and at the ballot box.

But the antis aren’t done. They’re targeting states that still refuse to protect our heritage with radical initiatives that would criminalize hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Theodore Roosevelt didn’t watch from the stands. He stepped into the arena.

It’s our turn.

Hunters and anglers: step into the arena with us. No more playing defense. We’re on offense—passing amendments, building precedent, and refusing to surrender the traditions that feed our families, fund conservation, and define who we are.

Whether you sign a petition, talk to your neighbors, testify at the capitol, or just share why this matters, every one of you counts.

Read the full column here: https://www.outdoorlife.com/opinion/right-to-hunt-and-fish-amendments-stop-antis/

Who’s ready to get in the arena and fight with us?



International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action

Enshrining the right to hunt and fish in state constitutions is how we can go on offense to defend our outdoor heritage.

06/11/2026

Let’s go Colorado!

Great discussion with our partners at Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management and MeatEater

06/11/2026

Why does the right to hunt and fish matter? And what does it do? Check this out.

06/11/2026

Love this new weekly peak at all things International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action

Check it out and give Kenia and Travis a follow if you haven’t already!

06/11/2026

Would you be surprised to learn that groups whose top goal is to end hunting in America raise and spend nearly $1 billion every year?

I’ve said for years that the opposition to our sport is well-funded, organized, and determined. But until now, the scale of that funding had never been laid out publicly.

I did the research on the top 10 anti-hunting groups and their annual operating budgets. The numbers are staggering.

Just the top five alone have a combined $948.8 million in annual budgets.

For perspective, the International Order of T. Roosevelt and T. Roosevelt Action will raisInternational Order of T. Roosevelt yearT. Roosevelt Actionend hunting, fishing, and our conservation traditions.

The fight is real. And we must win it.